Every time I see something like this about Billy the Kid, I try and recall that he wrote for the Slimes until the heat got to be too hot under his seat. That alone explains a lot of about him.
Never trust Kristol. He is the consummate Beltway Insider.
Furthermore, I think he uses his press pass as an excuse to slither around the halls of Congress and stir up trouble, carrying tales and “facilitating deals.”