Friday, August 05, 2005

Feel The Burn, Baby!

So Robert Novak threw a hissy fit, wigged out, and walked off the set on CNN. What I don’t get (okay, I’m playing coy, there’s a theory, but just play along with me) is why, in such an innocent conversation, he would storm out. Here’s the story from Think Progress:

Just now on CNN’s Inside Politics, in the midst of a ho-hum discussion about Katherine Harris’ Senate race:

Novak: Just let me finish what I’m going to say, James, please. I know you hate to hear me —

Carville: He’s got to show these right-wingers that he’s got a back bone, ya know? Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching. You show ‘em you’re tough…

Novak: You know I think that’s bullshit. And I hate that. Just let it go.
Novak removes his microphone and walks off the set.


Hmm. Seems innocent enough, right? Well, there’s more…

Update I: Novak Was About to Be Asked About Leak The Inside Politics host ended the Carville/Novak segment saying, “Thanks, James Carville. And I’m sorry as well that Bob Novak left the set a little early. I had told him in advance that we were going to ask about the CIA leak case, he was not here for me to be able to ask him about that. Hopefully, we’ll be able to ask him about that in the future.”

Of course, CNN has suspended him for the blowup.

So what’s really going on? What would make this questioning about the Plame incident any different than any other time he’s faced the heat? Well, there’s this from Talking Points Memo:

Look at the still frame of Novak and Carville at the Crooks & Liars site. Mickey Kaus says there's a big reddish-brown book sitting there on the table and that it's Who's Who in America, the book Novak has sorta kinda implied was his source for the name Plame. And, yes, there it is, sitting right there on the table, or at least something that looks a lot like it. (Perhaps we can enlist a forensic videographic to enhance the image to see just what's written on the spine of the tome.)

I'm still not sure I see just what about the book would make Novak freak out. I've always thought his Who's Who in America story was a crock. But surely he looked it up to make sure she was named, right?


So Bobby’s alibi was probably about to be blown sky-high. Are you bastards feeling the heat yet? I’m so giddy over here I could dance. I’ll follow this as it develops…

Posted by crimnos @ 8:33 AM