I see that the New York Times is referring to Paul Wolfowitz’s well paid paramour as his “companion.”

My favorite dictionary for reading (American Heritage) defines companion as “a. A person who accompanies or associates with another, b. A domestic partner, c. A person employed to assist, live with or travel with another.”

So, once again, we cannot argue with the Times, although I’m not sure how Wolfie and his fellow Neocons feel about fellow travelers as in c.

Most other news accounts refer to Shaha Ali Riza, the recipient of that magnanimous pay and promotion package from her companion/employer as his girl friend. Not even Time magazine any longer describes a party in this arrangement as a “great and good friend,” which is a shame.

For some reason, upon reading of Wolfowitz’s companion, my thoughts were transported to the Lone Ranger’s “faithful Indian companion, Tonto.”

Now, Tonto certainly qualifies as one who associated with and accompanied the Ranger and was employed to assist, live with or travel with him. Maybe employed is an inappropriate word as there was never a reference to a financial arrangement between the two, at least in the radio version with which I was acquainted (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30).

But a domestic partner? I don’t think so. There was never a whiff of scandal in their relationship. Tonto was faithful and he was a companion and that was it.

He also knew his place. It was “Hi ho, Silver, away” shouted first whenever they took off on another adventure, never “Get ‘Em Up, Scout.”

And at the end of most episodes, one of the settlers watching the pair gallop off, would ask, “Who was that masked man?”

Never, “Who was that faithful Indian companion?”