Hopefully, he will have read the book.
Or Carville. Yeah - he basically IS. Understand that.
I was thinking just that, watching it now. Tom could be Carville's long-lost newphew.
It's easy to criticize O'Neill for missing a bet. So I won't. I wouldn't have thought of this, myself, at the time, in that studio, if I'd been. But you have eight guys whose sworn testimony substantially agrees, which O'Neill did mention, and Rassman who keeps changing his story.
Oliphant: Well I-iiii have journalistic standards, high standard, high-high standards, which fellas, fellows?, like this will never understand. Because you, buddy . . .
O'Neill: Do those high standards demand that you prefer the testimony of a 'fella' who keeps changing his story about an incident to eight whose sworn testimony substantially agrees? How is that a high journalistic standard? What are you trying to say about journalism?
Oliphant: Nixon did it. NIXON IS THE REAL CRIMINAL!! No, no Jim. I meant to say, journalistic standard. And buddy, you haven't come close to getting to the plate in order to ground out after the game with this stuff in your book. I'm not saying you're lying. I'm not saying you're not.
O'Neill: Are you saying those eight men who were witnesses that day are all lying, and that Rassman who keeps changing his story is telling the truth?
Oliphant: John Kerry has had to face you guys in every election. This is old news, Jim. These guys pop up every election and bother John Kerry. And they'll probably go away again, as always. I think they'll just never understand journalistic integrity, and high standards. Did I mention high standards, Jim?
Lehrer: Yes you did.
O'Neill: But what sort of journalistic standard is it to prefer the testimony of someone who keeps changing their account to eight who do not, with regard to the same incident?
Oliphant: And Thurlow cannot be reliably sourced, Jim, because the Navy's official document contradicts his sworn . . testimony. Who are you going to believe? The US Navy, or someone funded by Republicans in an election year?
O'Neill: But Thurlow didn't write that report, or the words on the citation.
Oliphant: The Navy did! You can't prove to me those are Kerry's words or description.
O'Neill: Who else does it sound like, after you read it?
And so on. On second thought, maybe he conducted himself just right. And he did look tired. Hope he gets some rest after today's 'excitement'.