I'm firmly of the opinion that the Drum Major Institute, a think tank based here in New York City, has proven itself again and again to be among the most creative institutions in politics today on the left or the right. Their latest stroke of genius? Awarding their 2008 Drum Major for Justice Award to David Simon, creator of The Wire.

The hook is, of course, that the show just wrapped. The public's appetite for all-things-David-Simon is pretty high. An event like this is appealing to a far wider spectrum of people than one that celebrates some state rep. or local official, no matter how forward-thinking or effective he or she might be. But beyond that, The Wire has drawn a great deal of attention to how cities function and modern urban American life. If popular culture tends to lean left in the U.S., DMI is giving a lesson in how to make use of that fact to attract much needed eyeballs to some important work.