Althouse: "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

August 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 comments:

Rumpletweezer said...: Tom Friedman is great. He makes me laugh.; 8/22/11, 9:04 AM
Anonymous said...: Friedman's defintley got something in his hand when he does his presidential reach-around.; 8/22/11, 9:04 AM
Anonymous said...: It's better than keeping and eye on what's in Friedman's hand when he's alone and thinking about the President.; 8/22/11, 9:05 AM
Chip S. said...: 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."; 8/22/11, 9:06 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Friedman sounds like he had some thing else in his hand...; 8/22/11, 9:08 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Tom Friedman is going blind!; 8/22/11, 9:09 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Shorter Friedman: "Sigh. Obama's so dreamy".; 8/22/11, 9:11 AM
Known Unknown said...: Tom Friedman is turning Chinese.

Wait, make that Japanese.; 8/22/11, 9:12 AM
DADvocate said...: Friedman and Chris Matthews need to start a Church of Obama Worship.; 8/22/11, 9:13 AM
ndspinelli said...: Hairy palms.; 8/22/11, 9:13 AM
Henry said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 9:17 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: With Friedman, it's never about what he's got in his hand, but how often he can put his foot in his mouth.; 8/22/11, 9:18 AM
virgil xenophon said...: Late here, but I see that everyone has the theme well in hand, lol.; 8/22/11, 9:19 AM
Tim said...: "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.; 8/22/11, 9:21 AM
Mike said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 9:23 AM
Calypso Facto said...: Interesting insight into the Obama life from Friedman. The President is always either eating, golfing, or doing nothing. Oy.; 8/22/11, 9:34 AM
Tank said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 9:45 AM
bagoh20 said...: "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.; 8/22/11, 9:47 AM
peacelovewoodstock said...: As you may know, Friedman is the origin of the adjective "tomfool". Really, look it up.; 8/22/11, 9:56 AM
Insufficiently Sensitive said...: Check Tom Friedman's hand, see if the palm has grown hair.; 8/22/11, 10:01 AM
ricpic said...: 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!!!; 8/22/11, 10:16 AM
Anonymous said...: "Interesting insight into the Obama life from Friedman. The President is always either eating, golfing, or doing nothing. Oy.

Zing!!!; 8/22/11, 10:23 AM
AllenS said...: Not sure about his hands, but I've got a pretty good idea where his lips are.; 8/22/11, 10:30 AM
richard mcenroe said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 10:32 AM
caplight said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 10:49 AM
mccullough said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 10:59 AM
edutcher said...: How much can you learn from, "Uh"?

Unless, of course, TOTUS is there, too.; 8/22/11, 11:08 AM
Chip S. said...: 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; 8/22/11, 11:13 AM
Wince said...: Hasn't Tom Friedman been "spooning" the president his entire term in office?; 8/22/11, 11:39 AM
Carol_Herman said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 11:45 AM
Rob said...: Get a room, Tom.; 8/22/11, 11:54 AM
F said...: I didn't realize anyone was reading Friedman or the NYTimes any longer.; 8/22/11, 12:17 PM
Scott M said...: I didn't realize anyone was reading Friedman or the NYTimes any longer.

Friedman does, but only to search for his own name.; 8/22/11, 12:19 PM
Phil 314 said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 12:35 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: 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.]; 8/22/11, 12:44 PM
Heart_Collector said...: Check for stains his shirt and a empty stinky cigar tube laying around.

Maybe bloody and shitted pages of Brave New World crumpled up.; 8/22/11, 12:49 PM
Heart_Collector said...: Haha that would be his indian name..

Stains his Shirt.

Wv-sompl- Man, sompl...; 8/22/11, 12:52 PM
AllenS said...: PuckersHisLips; 8/22/11, 1:01 PM
Joe said...: So did Friedman learn whether he should tilt his head, or just go straight in when shoving it up Obama's ass?; 8/22/11, 1:05 PM
Roger J. said...: Carol: didnt LBJ have gall bladder surgery? an appendectomy scar would have been much lower, but LBJ would have probably displayed it irrespective; 8/22/11, 1:07 PM
Joe said...: LBJ had his gallbladder out. At the time that operation left a monster scar and required long recuperation. I have three tiny little scars.; 8/22/11, 1:41 PM
Lance said...: Imagine what Friedman would have in his hand if he spent four hours with Hu Jintao.; 8/22/11, 2:44 PM
Kensington said...: "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.; 8/22/11, 4:27 PM
Ipso Fatso said...: I think Tom Friedman's new nick name should be Spork!!!!; 8/22/11, 4:52 PM
Kirby Olson said...: It takes four hours for him to teach Friedman something. I wonder what the country will have learned in four years.; 8/22/11, 6:37 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: I was just reading "From Beirut to Jerusalem." Thomas Friedman was a really sensible man back in the 80s.; 8/22/11, 6:49 PM
Anonymous said...: At the convergence of sycophancy, obsequiousness and stalker....
you will find Tom Friedman; 8/22/11, 7:36 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Spoon...golf club...nothing.

Well, gives you some idea of what Obama's priorities really are.; 8/22/11, 9:44 PM
Bayoneteer said...: 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.; 8/22/11, 10:31 PM
Carol_Herman said...: 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.); 8/22/11, 10:39 PM
PackerBronco said...: Tom should just change his name to "Monica".; 8/22/11, 10:48 PM