David Gergen is clearly a man with many sides to him. We knew that he was a reliable CNN pundit and professional Harvard wise man, but who knew that he is also a raucous partier who loves getting drunk, stripping down to his underwear and hanging with George Clooney?
The world found this surprising fact out when Gergen wrote about his recent experience with the superstar actor in the latest issue of Parade magazine. Gergen clearly felt excitement and appreciation for the rare encounter with the rich and famous.
In an unexpected (to say the least) portion of the story, Gergen describes being "hammered" and following Clooney as he jumped into Lake Como in the early hours of the morning. In an attempt to avoid drenching his clothes before boarding a flight later that day, Gergen wrote that he "stripped down to my skivvies, climbed that darn fence ... and whoa, it seemed like I was 30 feet above the water. One... two... I was in the water by three. It was very dark, a little cold, but terrific." Yes, folks -- that's right. David Gergen basically skinny dipped with America's leading man. (Clooney, for whatever reason, was clothed, surely disappointing millions.)
Gergen — who, may we remind you, has served as an adviser to four U.S. presidents, and has the look and demeanor of your friend's kindly uncle —has not, if Google is any guide, had such debauched moment with any of his other interviewees.
This is, however, not the first time a reporter has taken to the water while on assignment. Anderson Cooper raced Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps on CBS' 60 Minutes after winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing games. Cooper evened out the playing field by allowing himself to dive into the pool and use all limbs to swim. Phelps, on the other hand, was limited to pushing off the wall, swimming the entire time under water without breathing, and only using his legs.
Our only request: can Wolf Blitzer or Anderson Cooper please ask Gergen about this episode the next time he's on to ponder the latest polling results out of New Hampshire?
Read the full piece here.
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