Daniel Schorr on Plamegate

From time to time the reasoned comments of a radio or TV personality, speaking in low, reasoned tones, can summarize an event so simply that you wonder why so may people miss the point.

I recall many such moments by Eric Severeid years ago as the CBS Evening News cut away for him for a minute or two. His observation during LBJ's War on Poverty was on target, for example, that the term "poverty" applies differently depending who is using it. Those who see themselves as "poor" in America have more than the "poor" in other countries. But "poor," he said "really means "poorer than..." He was pointing not to poverty, but the gap between the Haves and the Have-nots in America, a gap wide at the time, which would lessen in years to come only to open again in recent years.

In that same tradition, Daniel Schorr looks at the world through a wise lens. Of course he is one of those crazy, liberal old coots on NPR hanging on til somebody in Washington gets enough political clout and gonads to axe that whole touchy-feely, bunch of moonbats. Consequently he will not be heard by any great number of people who should be listening. But in yesterday's All Things Considered, he put together the pieces of l'Affaire Rove-Plame-Wilson-Novak-yellowcake-CIA-Niger-GWOT in a very sensible and impressive manner. We seem to be forgetting in all the dust-up that the underlying issue has everything to do with how our political will was shaped to support a war.

I looked for a transcript to copy and paste, but those clever dudes at NPR somehow sensed this particular transcript can sell for five bucks so I didn't order one. I hope they sell a million. Meantime, the four minute audio file is available.
It's worth every minute it takes to hear it.