Agosto 22, 2011

"Yeah, anytime you spend four hours with the president, either with a spoon in your hand or a golf club in your hand or nothing in your hand — you learn something."

"If he invites you to lunch — anytime you get a chance to talk to the president, in any context, I find incredibly beneficial."

When he's around the President, please keep an eye on what Thomas Friedman has in his hand.

51 komento:

Rumpletweezer ayon kay ...

Tom Friedman is great. He makes me laugh.

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

Friedman's defintley got something in his hand when he does his presidential reach-around.

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

It's better than keeping and eye on what's in Friedman's hand when he's alone and thinking about the President.

Chip S. ayon kay ...

A spoon? I guess the Secret Service doesn't allow forks or knives these days.

If you're paying attention, anytime you spend time with the president you probably learn what Dale Weiss of NYC has figured out: "He's a moron."

Fred4Pres ayon kay ...

Friedman sounds like he had some thing else in his hand...

Fred4Pres ayon kay ...

Tom Friedman is going blind!

Automatic_Wing ayon kay ...

Shorter Friedman: "Sigh. Obama's so dreamy".

Known Unknown ayon kay ...

Tom Friedman is turning Chinese.

Wait, make that Japanese.

DADvocate ayon kay ...

Friedman and Chris Matthews need to start a Church of Obama Worship.

ndspinelli ayon kay ...

Hairy palms.

Henry ayon kay ...

In a way, isn't this blindingly obvious? The guy's the President. He's briefed every day on security issues that an internationalist like Friedman desperately wants to know. He's like the water bottle in a gerbil cage.

The Crack Emcee ayon kay ...

With Friedman, it's never about what he's got in his hand, but how often he can put his foot in his mouth.

virgil xenophon ayon kay ...

Late here, but I see that everyone has the theme well in hand, lol.

Tim ayon kay ...

"When he's around the President, please keep an eye on what Thomas Friedman has in his hand."

Undoubtedly knee-pads and a wash-cloth.

Mike ayon kay ...

Well at least he hasn't gone all Chris Matthews or David Brooks. He doesn't have a tingle in his leg, or his eyes fixed on the crease in Obama's pants. His eyes may be fixed somewhere else, but it's more likely that his lips are pressed against the seat of those trousers.

Calypso Facto ayon kay ...

Interesting insight into the Obama life from Friedman. The President is always either eating, golfing, or doing nothing. Oy.

Tank ayon kay ...

Anytime Friedman says or writes anything, I'm tempted to look for the Onion tag.

I read everything he writes. Where else can you find cosmic humor like his? If he could just get R. Crumb to draw the pics for him.

WV: shmint - Dunno if that dirty or what.

bagoh20 ayon kay ...

"He's like the water bottle in a gerbil cage. "

That imagery is wonderful, and so accurate. Even when the water goes dry they keep licking it.

peacelovewoodstock ayon kay ...

As you may know, Friedman is the origin of the adjective "tomfool". Really, look it up.

Insufficiently Sensitive ayon kay ...

Check Tom Friedman's hand, see if the palm has grown hair.

ricpic ayon kay ...

The bitter clingers must be bled! The bitter clingers must be bled! So...so...so the genius class may thrive. More blood!! More blood is....BENEFICIAL!!!

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

"Interesting insight into the Obama life from Friedman. The President is always either eating, golfing, or doing nothing. Oy.

Zing!!!

AllenS ayon kay ...

Not sure about his hands, but I've got a pretty good idea where his lips are.

richard mcenroe ayon kay ...

There was that time he got in a tug of war over Obama's with David Brooks and the Secret Service had to separate them. Very. Carefully.

caplight ayon kay ...

I don't think it matters much what Obama has in his hand. However, when I read or see Tom Friedman I want to be sure I have a shovel in my hand.

mccullough ayon kay ...

You learn the President isn't very good at golf. But, like being President, golf isn't something you have to be good at to enjoy.

edutcher ayon kay ...

How much can you learn from, "Uh"?

Unless, of course, TOTUS is there, too.

Chip S. ayon kay ...

I knew this Friedman quote reminded me of something. He's channeling Prof. Harold HIll:

I consider the hours I spend at Obama's side are golden
Help you cultivate horse sense and a cool head and a keen eye

Wince ayon kay ...

Hasn't Tom Friedman been "spooning" the president his entire term in office?

Carol_Herman ayon kay ...

It's like spoon feeding a baby.

I bet Thomas Friedman wishes he was on summer vacation.

By the way, what's the topic of "off-hand" conversation? Libya? Syria? France? Merkel?

The bar has been set so low, alas.

When LBJ was president he lifted up his shirt to show off his appendectomy scar. And, then he lifted up his beagle by his ears.

It's hasn't gotten any better, ya know.

Rob ayon kay ...

Get a room, Tom.

F ayon kay ...

I didn't realize anyone was reading Friedman or the NYTimes any longer.

Scott M ayon kay ...

I didn't realize anyone was reading Friedman or the NYTimes any longer.

Friedman does, but only to search for his own name.

Phil 314 ayon kay ...

Yeah, I saw the interview.

Mr. Friedman suffers from a decided lack of self-awareness.

Frankly, its an occupational hazard with pundits.

And can someone please tell me once and for all how being a reporter gives you the credentials to later on graduate to pundit.

I'm Full of Soup ayon kay ...

Have any of these pundits ever disclosed some of the great things they learned during their 4-hour sitdowns with our brilliant president?

[Other than who is the fantastic dry cleaner who presses the president's pants.]

Heart_Collector ayon kay ...

Check for stains his shirt and a empty stinky cigar tube laying around.

Maybe bloody and shitted pages of Brave New World crumpled up.

Heart_Collector ayon kay ...

Haha that would be his indian name..

Stains his Shirt.


Wv-sompl- Man, sompl...

AllenS ayon kay ...

PuckersHisLips

Joe ayon kay ...

So did Friedman learn whether he should tilt his head, or just go straight in when shoving it up Obama's ass?

Roger J. ayon kay ...

Carol: didnt LBJ have gall bladder surgery? an appendectomy scar would have been much lower, but LBJ would have probably displayed it irrespective

Joe ayon kay ...

LBJ had his gallbladder out. At the time that operation left a monster scar and required long recuperation. I have three tiny little scars.

Lance ayon kay ...

Imagine what Friedman would have in his hand if he spent four hours with Hu Jintao.

Kensington ayon kay ...

"Not sure about his hands, but I've got a pretty good idea where his lips are."

See, you're a wiser man than me, because I can only narrow it down to approximately three places where Friedman would desperately want to place his lips. Complicating matters is the fact that those three places are very close to each other.

Ipso Fatso ayon kay ...

I think Tom Friedman's new nick name should be Spork!!!!

Kirby Olson ayon kay ...

It takes four hours for him to teach Friedman something. I wonder what the country will have learned in four years.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe ayon kay ...

I was just reading "From Beirut to Jerusalem." Thomas Friedman was a really sensible man back in the 80s.

Hindi-nagpakilala ayon kay ...

At the convergence of sycophancy, obsequiousness and stalker....
you will find Tom Friedman

NorthOfTheOneOhOne ayon kay ...

Spoon...golf club...nothing.

Well, gives you some idea of what Obama's priorities really are.

Bayoneteer ayon kay ...

Friedman is an socialite ass kisser and a crypto-fascist. Which tendency predominates I'll leave to ours but either way he sure does love strongmen, strong governments and all the accoutrements of state capitalism. And which is why it's a big waste of time reading or watching him.

Carol_Herman ayon kay ...

What does a kid know about "gallbladder."

I guess you're right, though.

When you see a gallbladder scar from the "old days" ... it looked like the surgeon cut you open. Then, ordered his lunch. Which he dropped inside.

I remember the "dog ears" better. (And, ya know what? I didn't think he was hurting his dog!)

Dogs are special creatures. They don't even complain when you tickle their bellies. (Try it on a two year old.)

PackerBronco ayon kay ...

Tom should just change his name to "Monica".

Mag-post ng isang Komento

Please use the comments forum to respond to the post. Don't fight with each other. Be substantive... or interesting... or funny. Comments should go up immediately... unless you're commenting on a post older than 4 days. Then you have to wait for us to moderate you through. It's also possible to get shunted into spam by the machine. We try to keep an eye on that and release the miscaught good stuff. We do delete some comments, but not for viewpoint... for bad faith.