Nobody Out-Novaked Novak

Robert Novak was a man.

He served this country steadfastly during the Korean War; was one hell of a journalist; and, in very many ways, was a pioneer in cable news. His six-times-weekly Evans-Novak Political Report was -- from 1963 until this year -- one of the most important and accurate political columns in America. Its forecasts of competitive Congress races were more often than not right on the money.

He joined CNN as a political "pundit" -- let's say analyst -- way back in 1980. Can you imagine: 1980! Hard to believe basic cable even existed when we look at the on-screen program guide of 10 thousand channels on our digital cable. Novak was the right wing combatant on Crossfire right up until the end. He debated Carville hundreds of times with cogent arguments that often embarrassed the seemingly unflappable Southerner. After Jon Stewart decimated the need for Crossfire during his brilliant 2004 appearance on the show, where he tossed Tucker "Bowtie" Carlson and Paul Begala into a shameful throw down, that program quietly rode off into the sunset with its Novakian glory days behind it. And then came the last six years. Novak was cast as a divisive figure in the tortuous political decade. He was a staunch public advocate for the decisions and acts of the Bush administration, and much of the last part of this man's career (and maybe all of it) will be remembered for one decision: to leak the name of a covert CIA agent in a newspaper, without reason other than political retribution. While that may have been a bad choice -- and it will prove to be even worse if someone like Billy Bob Thornton is cast to play a cartoonish Novak in the 2010 film of Plame's CIA-redacted account of the whole mess, Fair Game -- it may have been proof that Novak's sources were in the long run too good. You know that when a Deputy Secretary of State calls you to leak classified information, you got to be doing something right. Robert Novak was disliked by many -- liberals, mostly -- but he was a soldier, veteran, and a remarkable, unceasing journalist. He lived for more than one year with the worst cancer diagnosis medicine can provide, writing the whole time and trying to beat the odds. In a few respects he did. Nowadays, the existence of a reporter like Novak is rare. Today, those brethren lost a lion.

Robert Novak RIP.

Follow Richard Laermer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/laermer

Comments

[stagebandman]

Saw the headline, couldn't wait to read about, and see some pics of, one of the sexiest actresses of all time, the drop dead gorgeous, Kim Novak. Imagine my disappointment.

[bugsbonzai]

I'm tired, tired, tired of you guys white washing what this scoundrel did. He committed treason and didn't have to suffer the consequences of it. Period. There's no way around it. Benedict Arnold doesn't get a pass just because he was a good daddy before he betrayed his country. And YES, what Novak did was just as unforgivable. So spare me the semantics.

[TheBaffler]

'An unceasing journalist.' This is a neutral point, not a complimentary one. Countless others don't voluntarily cease their jobs either; it isn't worth mentioning.

[ESerafina42]

Everything good he might have done was sullied by his actions during the Bush years.

[MyThought]

He was a digusting jerk. Amazing how people feel the need to try to say something nice when someone is gone......­..........­he was a divisive American.

[faith]

Outing Valerie Plame was not a minor issue. There is no telling how many secret operatives in other countries were assassinated because of their known association with Ms. Plame. The issue is enormous because what person would dare provide information or associate with any american operatives after the blatant and illegal outing. My understanding is that it is treasonous to disclose such information about an undercover american spy. All those involved in outing Ms. Plame should be charged accordingly.

[mommadona]

He was Opus Dei.
He was an opportunistic political shill.
He was a very sorry person.

http://home.netcom.com/~mjr40/od/gq.html