Althouse: Adam Clymer says Newt Gingrich may seem to relish denouncing journalists, but actually he "enjoys consorting with the enemy."

January 26, 2012

Adam Clymer says Newt Gingrich may seem to relish denouncing journalists, but actually he "enjoys consorting with the enemy."

Here's Clymer's column in the NYT. You may remember him as the Times's Washington correspondent back in the day.

(Speaking of politicians' denunciations of journalists, Clymer received the best one ever.)

24 comments:

Erik Robert Nelson said...: Major league. Heh.; 1/26/12, 8:24 AM
test said...: Clymer says "But the day after he was as cheerful and responsive as ever when I caught up with him outside his office."

All non-leftist politicians should remember this. Sucking up to journalists whose goal is to destroy you will never help. Not only will they never protect you the way they would a leftist they'll even use your willingness to be reasonable against you.; 1/26/12, 8:27 AM
Dan in Philly said...: Newt did well in SC because of Shibboleth which, being from Georgia, he speaks well. I will be very suprised if he does so well in non-neighboring states.

IMHO if the GOP wants a candidate who will carry the south and alienate the rest of the country, they cannot go wrong with Gingrich.; 1/26/12, 8:32 AM
chickelit said...: So Thursday night at the next debate, whether he makes nice to Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s moderator in Jacksonville, or rips his head off, you’ll be seeing just one of the two Gingriches.

Clymer accuses Gingrich of polemics? What's next, adultery?; 1/26/12, 8:41 AM
Writ Small said...: The relationship of Newt and the press reminds me of Wile E. Coyote and the sheepdog. During working hours they both trash each other. Once they punch out for the day, they pal around.

During the 90's, Newt was the Coyote trying one ACME contraption after another. Newt's looking more sheepdog this time around. If he's our guy, let's hope he can keep it up.; 1/26/12, 8:48 AM
I ♥ Willard said...: With all due respect, Professor, you are wrong in describing President Bush's characterization of Clymer as a denunciation.

First, as a baseball fan and former owner of the Texas Rangers, President Bush always uses the words "Major League" in a positive way. Second, President Bush recognizes that being a good reporter sometimes requires abrasive behavior. In that light, President Bush's reference to Adam Clymer as a "Major League asshole" should be seen as complimentary, as was intended. It was President Bush's way of saying "Adam Clymer does a heckuva job!"; 1/26/12, 8:50 AM
Cedarford said...: Clymer - "...when he blasted CNN’s King for asking about his second ex-wife’s “open marriage” charge, (at debates close)he went up to him and chatted amiably. Next he praised King on CNN. Then he trashed him on Fox.

So Thursday night at the next debate, whether he makes nice to Wolf Blitzer, CNN’s moderator in Jacksonville, or rips his head off, you’ll be seeing just one of the two Gingriches.

==============
Bipolar megalomaniac.

Another thing I heard and liked was the observation (not from Clymer):

While Gingrich has gained huge ground catigating Romney as a member of the 1% for building businesses...Newt's enterprises since leaving the Speakers office have collected over 100 million. Making Gingrich part of the 1%. Attaining 1% status himself primarily through being the well-compensated Inside DC Lobbyist and Influence-peddlar for the 1%".; 1/26/12, 8:51 AM
traditionalguy said...: That was quite an indictment of the Good Newt for failing at the ethics of partisanship.

Being collegial and talking with the enemy in war time must make everyone view Newt as ...well maybe willing to listen and find common ground...or maybe just a Benedict Arnold double agent to be sent home in disgrace? Hmmm.

Only Nancy Pelosi knows for sure.

IMO Newt just likes to talk about everything with anybody. That actually accounts for his Reagan similarities. Both men listened a lot to the white middle class and lower class workers and learned how to speak to their hearts and minds. Which is a skill that Romney despises and refuses to even try out.

Mitt's father was George W Romney, President and Chairman of the Board of American Motors. Newt's father was only a career U S Army Soldier.

And Newt loves to talk to anyone.; 1/26/12, 8:58 AM
I ♥ Willard said...: Which is a skill that Romney despises and refuses to even try out.

Excuse me, but Willard is a man of the people. Of the many GOP candidates, only Willard has lived in the real streets of America.; 1/26/12, 9:03 AM
rhhardin said...: That's how Cheney got the nickname "Big Time."

Newt on the moon lost me however. There's the betrayal.; 1/26/12, 9:15 AM
Triangle Man said...: Consorting? Is he sleeping with journalists or just being amiable?; 1/26/12, 9:45 AM
edutcher said...: All Newt, all the time.

When he's feeling a bit more Lefty, he pals around with people like Clymer.

Who put his name in the paper.; 1/26/12, 10:07 AM
ricpic said...: What's the difference between consorting with the enemy (a bad bad thing) and crossing the aisle (a good good thing) at least according to our betters?; 1/26/12, 10:29 AM
ricpic said...: ...at least Willard has lived in the real streets of America.

Whatever that means. But even if one posits meaning to your idiocy -- has Willard lived in the real mean streets of America? Because as we all know only the mean streets are really real, right?; 1/26/12, 10:35 AM
William said...: Rumsfeld set the standard for disdaining the press. His press conferences clearly revealed that he was smarter than those who questioned his judgement and policies. If you were looking for someone to reveal the stupidity of the press, you couldn't find anyone better than Rumsfeld. I think, however, you could have found someone to manage the Iraq insurrection with a defter hand. If you want a President who really knows how to insult the liberal press, Gingrich is the man. He really puts it to them. Much as I would like to see our President beat David Gregory to death with a two by four, this is not the supreme highest quality we should look for in a President.; 1/26/12, 10:37 AM
Cedarford said...: Trad guy - "That actually accounts for his Reagan similarities. Both men listened a lot to the white middle class and lower class workers and learned how to speak to their hearts and minds. Which is a skill that Romney despises and refuses to even try out.

Mitt's father was George W Romney, President and Chairman of the Board of American Motors. Newt's father was only a career U S Army Soldier."

Trad guy, wrong as usual.

1. By his metric, any lifetime DC politician that "listens to the people" at election time before going back to DC is a man OF the People. Whereas a businessman, in contact with ordinary workers, ordinary budget decisions...somehow in building businesses does not have the ability to understand and speak to ordinary workers and ordinary customers hearts and minds???

2. Trad Guy places blind military worship and boot-licking high on his list of values. Thus, Newts dad was a Hero with Boots on the Ground...and any son of a Hero must be like the Hero soldier!!
But Romneys dad was some aloof CEO..therefore Romney lacks the Hero Genes Newt has!!
Lets see ...George Romney arrived in America with just a suitcase and no money. Dirt floor unheated houses with no indoors plumbing, worked farms, construction, logging after school then as a young man. He was trained as a lathe and plasterer, never finished college. Saved enough money to become a missionary in Scottish slums for 3 years. Then George Romney rose rapidly as a self-taught audodidact on a range of matters. Quickly picked as a true executive leader, he went from leadership spots in FDR's agencies to play a key role in the aluminum industry. Then rose as director of the Automotive Industry War Production Council in WWII. (Remember the "Detroit won the war" slogan?)
He was then selected by Senator Vandenberg and General of the Army George C Marshall to roll out The Marshall Plan along with John Dulles.
All before he became a CEO.
And after he was a CEO, he was 30 years in stellar public service.

And yes, Newt's dad was commendable for having a military career - but I wouldn't diminish a protean man who helped win WWII and make the Marshall Plan a success or governorship of a major state or a legacy of dozens of NGOs and charities created simply because "he failed to SERVE!! in uniform".

And apparantly the Hero in Uniform was a bit abusive towards his unathletic and nerdy stepson Newt. While it is hard to imagine Mitt Romney having a better role model than his Dad.; 1/26/12, 10:47 AM
Scott M said...: Newt is reaching for the stars...which is good...but his rather ample ass is stick stuck firmly in the mud.; 1/26/12, 10:57 AM
Anonymous said...: "...If you want a President who really knows how to insult the liberal press, Gingrich is the man. He really puts it to them. Much as I would like to see our President beat David Gregory to death with a two by four, this is not the supreme highest quality we should look for in a President.."

I've always wondered about people who think that the greatest manifestation of democratic government is the British 'parliament question time' where forensic skill and rhetorical flourish are on display.
To my thinking it makes for good theater (I do enjoy the spectacle)but not necessarily good government. Thus my doubts about Newt; 1/26/12, 10:58 AM
Cedarford said...: Lets add that the "Me And Ron Reagan! side-by-side Growing America, together Launching Big Ideas, Defeating the Soviets" narrative of Newt is collapsing as the truth comes out.

Reagan's only memory of Newt was as a junior Congressman that came up with a singularly dumb "Big Idea" in one meeting that all the power players ignored.

And Drudge is having a delightful day with the new quotes from 20-25 years ago..of Newt at that time that castigate Reagan as a failure.
Before Newt shifted when Reagan was gone. And when it was politically useful to Newt, and Newt's book sales - to elevate Reagan to Sainthood and for Newt to start a new "Me and Reagan, 2 Great Men of History working side-by-side," narrative.; 1/26/12, 11:00 AM
Carol_Herman said...: I second what Dubya whispered to Dick Cheney about Adam Clymer.

And, all politicians want exposure.

So that what Nixon said is still true: "Doesn't matter what you write about me, as long as my name is spelled correctly."

Leave it to the NY Times to not quite figure out what is news ... and what's not a big deal.

John King, however, learned the difference.

I guess it's one putz at a time, huh?

Did you know that Newt Gingrich has electrified the race?

And, now that Marianne sputtered out ... nobody's gonna see how fat Monica got.; 1/26/12, 11:36 AM
ricpic said...: Did you know that Newt Gingrich has electrified the race?

Do tell. What bridge have you been sleeping under lately, CH?; 1/26/12, 12:00 PM
traditionalguy said...: A true turning point to American resisting rather than compromising with King George and Parlement was Benjamin Frankliln being sujected to a non-stop tirade of false accusations of Franklin's character at The Star Chamber in England and allowed no responses.

Romney had better learn from that history.

Monday he employed a new tactic taught him by Michelle Bachmann's old debate coach and launched into non-stop tirade of false accusations against Newt's character and allowed no responses.

Both the men so targeted and abused left with a resolve to beat the SOBs.

After that event, the peace emissary and compromiser version of Ben Franklin became the war consiglieri to the Continental Congress version of Ben Franklin, even at the cost of his son's loyalty.

Newt is just as flexible and talented as Poor Richard was.; 1/26/12, 12:14 PM
Revenant said...: Benjamin Frankliln being sujected to a non-stop tirade of false accusations of Franklin's character

Gingrich -- he's Reagan AND Lincoln AND Franklin, all rolled into one.

I'm reminded of the saying: they laughed at Newton, they laughed at Einstein, but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.; 1/26/12, 3:48 PM
Known Unknown said...: I want to know how much Crack is paying TradGuy to be his Newt proxy.; 1/26/12, 7:08 PM