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The Washington Post has lost two of its top national political journalists, editor John Harris and reporter Jim VandeHei, to a yet-to-be-named multi-platform news organization, reports the Washington Post.

Owned by Allbritton Communicatoins, the multi-platform organization will include a politics-only website described by mediabistro as a one-stop shop for political news and coverage online, and the company's new newspaper in Washington, The Capitol Leader, which is to start print publication in January.

Also from mediabistro: The venture has been given an impressive budget to hire some six additional political reporters at salaries competitive with those at the nation's top newspapers. The departures disrupt WaPo's plans to expand its political coverage and capitalize on an intense interest in politics after the Democratic takeover on Capitol Hill and the upcoming presidential-election campaign.

Harris will be editor in chief and VandeHei will be executive managing editor of the paper and overall venture, said Frederick J. Ryan Jr., president of Allbritton, which also owns local television and cable stations. The two journalists are also forming a partnership with CBS News and plan to make regular appearances on Face the Nation.