A real life Bertram Scudder.
Have to admit I didn’t know who Scudder was, but Googled and see he was an Atlas Shrugged character. Description does seem to fit Meacham nicely!
“Bertram Scudder is an editorial writer for the magazine The Future. He typically bashes business and businessmen, but he never says anything specific in his articles, relying on innuendo, sneers, and denunciation. He wrote a hatchet job on Hank Rearden called The Octopus. He is also vocal in support of the Equalization of Opportunity Bill. Scudder claims that the most important thing in life is “brother love” but seems to have nothing but hatred for those around him.”