Limbaugh, Novak & Common Hypocrisy (Barf Alert)

Falls Church News Press ^ | Nicholas Benton

[chambley1]

Two particularly hypocritical prominent media figures who've become the object of headlines lately have escaped the kind of wrath they themselves are famous for inflicting.

The first is Robert Novak, whose inside-the-beltway nickname, "The Prince of Darkness," speaks volumes. It was Novak's publication last month of the name of a covert CIA agent, the wife of a critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, that blew the agent's cover and scuttled a major CIA anti-terrorism operation.

Novak was one of six journalists, according to reports, who were leaked the name of the agent by a revenge-driven White House source, but he was the only one unscrupulous enough, sharing the source's passion for revenge, to actually publish the name, full-well knowing its consequences for both the agent and her sensitive operation.

Since Novak's column was published, there has been a firestorm of controversy and finger-pointing. There was sufficient pressure on Bush that he was compelled to launch an internal inquiry, with the help of the Justice Department, to find the source of the leak. Democrats insisted that the Justice Department couldn't be trusted to be impartial in the investigation, and demanded the appointment of an independent counsel to find the culprit, who could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if convicted. It could cost taxpayers millions of dollars to get to the bottom of this.

But for all the news attention and controversy that continues to swirl around this, it's been overlooked that, in fact, Robert Novak knows who leaked the information to him, and could solve crime simply by saying so.

But, of course, he's claiming journalistic privilege, and I'm not suggesting he doesn't have a right to it. Still, we're talking about a crime here, not your usual Washington, D.C., insider leak. We're talking about putting a U.S. intelligence agent's life in danger and dismantling a major U.S. covert anti-terror effort that took years and countless dollars to set up.

Mr. Novak's self-righteous defense of his right not to disclose his source in this case is, at least, of a highly-dubious moral nature. But no one is going to lay a finger on him, much less his cohorts in the media, who are, if anything, protecting him because he's a part of the major media fraternity, co-hosting CNN's Crossfire, among other things.

Furthermore, I doubt if the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak, that Mr. Novak would be nearly so kind. He has, like Rush Limbaugh, a penchant for scathing, anger-filled invective against his political adversaries.

It's a capacity for expressing hate that hate-filled people have that routinely trumps the other side if only because the other side isn't as hateful. I see it occasionally in letters I get attacking my columns. It's not enough for their authors to disagree with me. They feel they have to impress me with their capacity for hate-filled rhetoric. It's easy to see where the phrase, "the politics of hate," comes from.

This brings me to the case of Mr. Limbaugh, the second media figure in the limelight lately.

I don't need to recount the recent misfortunes of radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, except to note his being fired by ESPN for a disgusting racial remark and the subsequent revelation that he is the subject of a criminal investigation for acquiring prescription drugs illegally.

Few of the commentaries about his case have made the right point. Limbaugh made his career by a relentless, unyielding attack on President Clinton, day-in day-out, based not on Clinton's policies, but on the basis of his personal weaknesses.

Limbaugh's attacks on Clinton's "liberalism" would not have inflamed his listener base across the country had they not been spiced up daily with heavy doses of attacks on Clinton's personal moral character and his focus the rumors and allegations of personal sexual misconduct that swirled around him from before his election to his first term.

Now, in the case of Limbaugh, the chickens have come home to roost. All the time he was assailing Clinton's personal weaknesses, he was camouflaging his own, much as his cohort, Newt Gingrich, did in hiding his own extramarital affairs.

Limbaugh's shame is not so much in being a racist or a drug addict as in being a common liar and hypocrite.

[chambley1]

Nicholas F. Benton

Owner/Editor-In-Chief

E-Mail: nfbenton@fcnp.com

[samtheman]

Novak was one of six journalists, according to reports, who were leaked the name of the agent by a revenge-driven White House source, but he was the only one unscrupulous enough, sharing the source's passion for revenge, to actually publish the name, full-well knowing its consequences for both the agent and her sensitive operation.

This sentence contains a lot of truth but is only 1/2 correct.

The fundamental truth is this: "he was the only one unscrupulous enough ... to actually publish the name"

But the 1/2 incorrect:

"sharing the source's passion for revenge" assumes that it was the CIA employee who was the target of the leak. She was not. It was the Bush administration that Novak (and possibly the leaker) was attacking.

Novak is a worthless hack who pretends to be a conservative but regularly has his feelings hurt because he's totally (and justifiably) ignored.

Novak's criminal involvement in this leaking business was an irrational lashing out, on his part, at his own non-entity stature in Washington

Novak is a disgusting creep. When I see his turtle-face on the screen I change the channel.

[samtheman]

Rush, on the other hand, is a great American. And the writer of this piece is too mentally defective to understand that fact.

[xsmommy]

hometown liberal rag ping... ; )

[patton]

sigh...

[xsmommy]

i only ever see the rag in the orthodontist's ofc there, while waiting for the kids, and even then i nearly stroke out on the spot...

[steve50]

"sharing the source's passion for revenge" assumes that it was the CIA employee who was the target of the leak. She was not. It was the Bush administration that Novak (and possibly the leaker) was attacking.

So your theory is somebody high in the WH loop(most sources are leaning toward the VP offices) is leaking CIA agents names to damage the WH? If so I would expect a little more effort to expose the perp. I can't buy it, seems like somebody got carried away going after Wilson to me.

[donmeaker]

Acutally, Plame was outed by her husband, on his website.

At the time of her disclosure, she was not a "Covert Operative serving outside the US during the most recent 5 years" in the meaning of the law, so the notion that revealing her role was a crime is simply false.

Now we must understand what the author intends by his use of falsehood.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

We're talking about putting a U.S. intelligence agent's life in danger and dismantling a major U.S. covert anti-terror effort that took years and countless dollars to set up.

This dude should put down the memo he got from Terry McAuliffe and find out what the FACTS are.
I daresay he risks sounding like an idiot.

[Born Conservative]

But, of course, he's claiming journalistic privilege, and I'm not suggesting he doesn't have a right to it. Still, we're talking about a crime here, not your usual Washington, D.C., insider leak.

Oh, I forgot; journalistic privlege only counts when the journalist is a lib...

[Born Conservative]

Limbaugh made his career by a relentless, unyielding attack on President Clinton, day-in day-out, based not on Clinton's policies, but on the basis of his personal weaknesses.

Another Rush critic who obviously never listened to the show.

[Mr.Atos]

This man is so wrong on SO many topics, I am amazed that an idiot of his totality could get a job reporting any place... even Falls Church?

Novak...blew the agent's cover and scuttled a major CIA anti-terrorism operation.

1. What anti-terrorism operation was Plame involved in and what cover was there to be blown?

2. Novak explained his story quite adequately for everyone. This guy just didn't hear what he wanted.

Democrats...demanded the appointment of an independent counsel to find the culprit

3. Democrats called for a 'Special' Council. This is an important differentiation since they do not support the appointment of Independent Councils... like Ken Starr.

RE: Limbaugh:...except to note his being fired by ESPN for a disgusting racial remark.

4. Rush Resigned!

5. Limbaugh's analysis of the media's reaction to McNabb as a function of race were: A. Not about McNabb nor race, but rather the Media. and B. does not contain a single "disgusting racial remark."

Rush Limbaugh...a penchant for scathing, anger-filled invective against his political adversaries.

6. Does he have Rush confused with someone? Angry?! Passionate, maybe, but I'd hardly say he ever surrendered to the kind of irrational fits of profanity-laden, emotional outbursts that most Leftists callers demostrated

Limbaugh made his career by a relentless, unyielding attack on President Clinton, day-in day-out, based not on Clinton's policies, but on the basis of his personal weaknesses.

6. Limbaugh ONLY challenged Clinton on policy. Bill's personal... ahem! shortcomings were merely the subject of analysis concerning that President's JUDGMENT. And yet, Rush was around long before Clinton, and will be long after, thus disqualifying the notion that Limbaugh built his career 'bashing' the Clintons.

And this...It's a capacity for expressing hate that hate-filled people have that routinely trumps the other side if only because the other side isn't as hateful.

7. Really! Who hates whom here? Just go to any search engine and type the words 'I Hate George Bush.' Try it right here on FR, in fact.

And finally, RE: Clinton...the rumors and allegations of personal sexual misconduct.

8. Is he referring to 'rumors' and 'allegations' that have since been confirmed as facts that confirm sexual, personal, and professional misconduct? ... or is he discussing to Anita Broderick, Vince Foster, Ron Brown, etc., etc., etc.

This writer is a clown.

[dighton]

[Randjuke]

Limbaugh did not build his reputation on Bill Clinton and would have been successful regardless of who was in the White House. His alleged crimes are a different matter, though. If he did break the law to obtain narcotics (which has yet to be proven) he deserves to lose some of his credibility and some of his audience.

I am a Rush 24/7 subscriber, not just a casual listener. While the claims that Rush frequently criticizes people who take drugs are overblown, he has consistently said that the laws of the land should be followed. If it is found he broke the law pursuing his addiction, he deserves to face the consequences, not just legally but also as it affects his reputation.

[driftless]

I read the first question offered to Mr. Benton in this PBS discussion group and his reply. He immediately charged off on a typical, rambling, liberal laundry list of not only the nation's but the world's problems only indirectly responding to the question. One of liberals own problems is their penchant for digression and wild statements only partially relevant to the question proposed. But I'll bet he's a big hit at swanky, elite, lib cocktail parties where logic and reason have only a nodding acquaintance .

[Mr.Atos]

Rich find from 1999, dighton.

NICHOLAS BENTON: "Well, I think that one of the biggest issues is the budget surplus... it's between a tax cut on the one side or fixing Social Security and Medicare on the other side... this budget surplus, which is really a manifestation of the enormous amount of economic wealth that the nation is generating, can be put to in terms of solving some other very fundamental problems we have with our society and with the world... There should be a great national debate on how to deploy this surplus, this wealth ...to fix some very fundamental problems ... Social Security, Medicare...I don't think the public is clamoring for a tax cut...look at the growth of the prison population in the United States...the spread of AIDS...problems of under-development... how to best deploy our national wealth over the course of the next century."

Marxo-the-Clown