Robert Novak has quit CNN after working there for 25 years.
I will write more about Novak and fellow Plamegate-involved journalists Judith Miller and Bob Woodward later in the month for an end-of-the-year media-analysis piece.
Speaking of which, Jay Rosen has a good blog piece about Woodward, taking him to task and rightly so.
But for now I wanted to share two bits of news:
1) Yes, you can now turn to CNN again without having to encounter the hot air coming from blowhards like Novak. Well, it would be even better if they got rid of Larry King and all of his softball questions, but one thing at a time, right?
This was CNN's statement about Novak leaving the channel:
After 25 years of serving as a CNN commentator and program host, our colleague Bob Novak's tenure on the network will come to a close (effective 12/31). Through the years, Bob has offered incisive analysis for much of CNN's programming, including Crossfire, The Capital Gang, Inside Politics, Evans and Novak, The Novak Zone, and Novak, Hunt and Shields. Bob has also been a valued contributor to CNN's political coverage. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in future endeavors," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/US.
"Incisive"? More like "predictable hot air." I'm just happy he's leaving.
2) Earlier in the week, Novak was in the news for saying that President Bush knows perfectly well who leaked Valerie Plame's identity
As usual, that just begged the question: Well, who is it? Why can't you tell us, Bob? His usual explanation is that his lawyer has told him not to comment on the case, but when he selectively comments, he screws that up.
So, yes, Viriginia, there is a Santa Claus! I - along with Jay Rosen - and other media analysts have been railing for months about how Novak's behavior and actions are inexcusable and he should giving answers to the important questions being asked of him. I wrote a letter to him here, and linked to the video clip which probably hastened his departure from CNN: That would be when he stormed off the set when he got angry.
Good bye and good riddance, Bob. Now if only we can get newspapers to stop running your worthless column too.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
Thanks to whoever edited this and added the great sub-head.
2 - Bliffle
Novak has been defective ever since his partner died many years ago.
3 - Scott Butki
Well, I guess the good news is Novak is gone from CNN which is arguably a decent news channel, in order to Fox which is arguably almost all propaganda with a few facts thrown in for good
measure.
So he'll fit right in, I reckon.
4 - Scott Butki
Oh I'm sure Novak was defective even before then,
5 - david r. mark
You should note that Novak is goung to Fox. I had a post a few days ago on it.
6 - Al Barger
You just can't stand to have anyone on tv expressing opinions that you disagree with, can you? You have absolutely NO legitimate beef with Novak.
Also, that he's a conservative does not make him "predictable." Not that predictable is necessarily a bad thing.
7 - Scott Butki
Sure I can stand diversity of opinions. What bothers me about Novak isn't about his viewpoint but that he purports to be a journalist when he isn't.
I give Novak a Christmas present with my latest media column.
8 - Scott Butki
I'm still gloating about him quitting.
Does that make me a bad man?
9 - Natalie Davis
Gloating is a bad thing to do, but it doesn't necessarily make you a bad human, merely a flawed one. Like the rest of us.
10 - Scott Butki
Good. I feel better then.
11 - Scott Butki
Well, what a surprise.
What a blowhard.
As the Associated Press aptly put it in this piece
WASHINGTON -
Now that Karl Rove won't be indicted, now that the president won't fire him, now that it really doesn't matter anymore, more details of the Valerie Plame leak investigation trickle out.
In his latest syndicated column released Wednesday, columnist Robert Novak revealed his side of the story in the Plame affair, saying Rove was a confirming source for Novak's story outing the CIA officer, underscoring Rove's role in a leak President Bush once promised to punish.
12 - Nancy
Novak should have been ostracized & shunned by every media outlet in the press from the get-go, as soon as they knew he was involved. Were they all hoping he'd give his publishers a break, or did they keep him on because they're all also his golfing pals? In any event, he, Miller, and Woodward all are outstanding exemplars of corruption in the press, and what should be avoided.
13 - Nancy
Novak should have been ostracized & shunned by every media outlet in the press from the get-go, as soon as they knew he was involved. Were they all hoping he'd give his publishers a break, or did they keep him on because they're all also his golfing pals? In any event, he, Miller, and Woodward all are outstanding exemplars of corruption in the press, and what should be avoided.