Members TownsendPLocke Posted August 18, 2009 Members Posted August 18, 2009 RIH(rot in Hell)Robert Novak.Hope Satan is shoving "yellow cake"up your ass. Quote
AdamSmith Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Hate to speak ill of the dead but Novak was the prince of darkness if ever there was. I fully concur with this critic in the Baltimore Sun who lets fly with all guns: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainm..._cnn_fired.html Quote
Members TampaYankee Posted August 19, 2009 Members Posted August 19, 2009 IMO Novak was one of the best reporters over the long term on the Washington beat. In contrast to the many talking heads, he actually reported news and was great at digging up information. In contrast to many other reporters he dug deeper than most and had tremendously valuable sources. He not only took on what he considered the oppostion but he also laid waste to his own cohorts when he disagreed or disapproved of their actions/stances. He didn't take prisoners. I would always learn something that was going on 'behind the scenes' with him -- the story behind the story. It seemed to me that back in the 70s and 80s, the entre for a talking head to gain access the few 'news shows' required that one brought both reporter acumen and uniquely sourced valuable information to the table. Now adays, it is sufficient that only one breathes and can talk from the hip echoing others or recite a talking point sheet. Only the few dig up unique news items. Most just regurgitate the gaggle. I especially liked his work when he teamed with Evans. He remained a prodigious reporter after his Evans&Novak days. I always appreciated his contributions on the McLaughlin Group back in the 70s and 80s even if I didn't always agree with him. The advent of CNN brought the era of the extreme side show talking heads. Unfortunately, he lent himself all to heavily to that scene for my taste, going past frank in tone to bitter and acidic screaming. To be sure, that is what was wanted by the network and he willingly played along just as the do today. After all, it is bascially a job with an income, not a calling like real journalism. I soon lost interest in the shout fests. He remained a vital news reporter even if he was way past the top of his game. His image and product became tarnished by his very vocal and often vitriolic talking head advocacy role as he embraced the extreme tax cutting policy of the right. Also, he crossed the line whether by accident or design and became the news rather than just reporting the news. That is a taboo that will tarnish any reporter. He was one of a kind, a mixed bag. Even though I disagreed with much of his viewpoint I will miss him. Quote
Members MsGuy Posted August 22, 2009 Members Posted August 22, 2009 C-SPAN2 is running an interview with Novak from a few years back off and on this weekend. My not so clear memory is that he started off grumpy and irritable and at some point morphed into nasty. Those eyes of his didn't help any. Quote
BiBottomBoy Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 I'm surprised it took the CIA this long to kill him. Quote
Members JKane Posted September 7, 2009 Members Posted September 7, 2009 I'm surprised it took the CIA this long to kill him. Any patriot that recognized him on the street, I could see. But Novak was the administration's shill, and the CIA went along with everything else the administration did. Quote
BiBottomBoy Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 He outed a CIA operative. That has merited a death sentence since the dawn of the CIA (and honestly back in the time of the NSA.) Quote
Members JKane Posted September 7, 2009 Members Posted September 7, 2009 He outed a CIA operative. That has merited a death sentence since the dawn of the CIA (and honestly back in the time of the NSA.) The Vice President of the United States outed a CIA operative. As repugnant as everything Novak did for that administration was, he was just a reporter slipped an exclusive. One that any true journalist wouldn't report, yes... but there were so few of those around in the rush to the Iraq war. NSA's still going strong--probably reading this right now, you mean OSA? Quote
BiBottomBoy Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 I meant OSA, yes. Sorry, typos happen! As far as the former vice president goes, even the CIA can't kill the undead. Quote
Members JKane Posted September 7, 2009 Members Posted September 7, 2009 As far as the former vice president goes, even the CIA can't kill the undead. Reminds me of a quote I just heard on TV again: "I mean, who keeps silver bullets in their gun?". Quote
BiBottomBoy Posted September 7, 2009 Posted September 7, 2009 Seriously, the last time Darth Vadar was killed it was by Ewoks - and, as a star wars fan, I'm not sure who I hate more, Darth Cheny or Ewoks. Quote
