It didn't inflame as quickly or resonate as deeply as some of those standout moments that occurred in his conversation with Dick Cheney, but Bob Schieffer's closing thoughts on the retirement of Justice David Souter sure got my attention. Souter, in announcing his retirement, brought to the surface his personal antipathy for the District of Columbia, and Schieffer, who's always embraced life in the nation's capital, took offense and made his feelings known, saying, "As one who has lived forty years in Washington, I didn't care for his attitude." Schieffer went on to take Souter to task for never bothering to get to know the city and the "smart people" who are its inhabitants, signing off by saying, "I take it he won't miss Washington, but my guess is Washington will hardly miss him." Bravo. And Justice Souter? Ass. Door. Way out. You know the drill.
[WATCH]
Finally today: so David Souter may be the quietest and most low-key man ever to serve on the Supreme Court. He has made it official. He is retiring to return to the New Hampshire woods from whence he came. By all accounts, he was a good Justice, thoughtful, reasonable. For sure he was the surprise to the man who nominated him, the first George Bush who thought he was picking a conservative only to discover he had chosen a liberal, but these things happen sometimes when people get jobs for life. I had no problem with the Justice's legal work. But as one who has lived 40 years in Washington, I'll be honest. I didn't care for his attitude. He made it no secret that he hated the city, once describing his work as the best job in the world in the worst city in the world. Another time he called life here akin to an intellectual lobotomy. Really? Our nation's capital. One of the most beautiful cities in the world. Call me corny, but I have to confess I've run into some pretty smart people here over the years. But then again, I've tried to get to know the city and its inhabitants. Who wouldn't, if you were going to live in a place? Justice Souter obviously. I've never known anyone who ever saw him outside the court. And now he is leaving. I take it he won't miss Washington but my guess is Washington will hardly miss him.
[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]