Just In: CNN has suspended Novak. From the Wash. Post:
CNN suspended commentator Robert Novak indefinitely after he swore and walked off the set Thursday during a debate with Democratic operative James Carville.” […]
A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak’s behavior “inexcusable and unacceptable.” Novak had apologized to CNN, and CNN was apologizing to viewers, she said.
“We’ve asked Mr. Novak to take some time off,” …
WATCH THE VIDEO at Media Matters. Our good friends at Crooks & Liars have the VIDEO in two formats (WMV and QT). And, ironically, CNN is providing the video too.
ThinkProgress reports that:
Just now on CNN’s Inside Politics:
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.
Update: 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.”
Posted by Mipe at 4:58 pm
Is Bob under pressure for some reason?
Still shot courtesy of ThinkProgress.org.
I think he left on purpose. The host (Ed something) was going to ask him questions about Plame. Novak just pretended to get mad so that he could leave and not have to answer.
Yup … i’m just listening to the follow-up comments after Novak left.
But he did say “Bullshit!” ha!
Still, it’s no way to act … and being as senior as he is on CNN, there must have been a lot of other ways he could have gotten around it.
See my comment below about insanity plea. 🙂
Right… and this is a man with a fifty-year career in the public eye. If he had wanted to find a way to get out of answering questions, he certainly has the know-how for doing so.
No, I think this is a genuine example of a man in the process of losing it.
But it is August, and that is Washington….
I agree absolutely. It’s getting time to pay the fiddler for the douchebag and, quite honestly, I don’t think he’s much looking forward to it.
Is he trying to act eccentric to get an insanity plea when he’s indicted for treason?
You suppose he’s been advised by Fitzgerald to stand by for his own personal indictment?
From your fingertips to G-d’s ears. 🙂
Hopefully he’s practicing holding on to soap in the shower really tightly.
how much play this gets on CNN – or anywhere for that matter.
The Daily Show tapes at 7:00 (or is done by 7:00? either way) each day. I’m sure Jon Stewart would LOVE to show this segment involving his ‘little douchebag of liberty’ 🙂
he has to! or else it has to wait until Monday…
Carville knew he was on the edge and was goading him?
Yes, Carville of all people would know when and how to do this. (He sometimes seems like the tactical lead-from-the-front response to Rove strategic behind the scenes activities.)
Loved it, loved him walking off as I can’t stand to hear him.. Several weeks ago with another host he said he has not been able to appear often lately due to the Plame case…..wonder if they don’t ask or he doesn’t want to be asked….
Novak was plastered, folks. Look at his eyes, and listen to the slurring.
Hilarious!
Really? Or are you joking? I didn’t catch that.
I’m dead serious. I know drunk when I see it; trust me. 😉
Watching it again, I think you’re on to something … he was stumbling over words a lot and not making a lot of sense either.
stroke. But I can still laugh out loud at the fact that
the old hack cannot take the heat! LOL!
Ha, ha.
I had to be patient and wait my turn. Must be a lot of people viewing that! I have seen Novak appear much more riled up than that about lots of stuff. My vote is that he was looking for a way OUT OF THERE…ASAP and he created one, very poorly in my opinion. I’ve seen him arguing something and the spit flying. He hadn’t even broke a sweat before he felt it was necessary to leave the presence of such rude and inappropriate people!
From the beginning of the segment he looked like a guy checking for the EXIT signs.
.
That confirms what intelligence sources have told me. The relentless investigation of the terrorist assault has developed massive evidence pointing to Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda organization. No comparable links to Iraq have been found. The Iraqi connection, say these sources, is a matter of speculation. If nothing has been uncovered now, it is unlikely there ever will be compelling proof.
<snip>
While U.S. officials declined to rule out an Iraqi role on Sept. 11, the British have come close to doing so. “I am not aware of any evidence pointing to Iraq’s complicity in those outrages,” Robin Cook, leader of the House of Commons and former foreign secretary, said Oct. 4.
<snip>
“I don’t see Iraq being able to do high quality production on a large scale of bio-weapons,” former UN arms inspector Scott Ritter told Fox News Network last Tuesday. Larry Johnson, former State Department deputy director of counter-terrorism, on Thursday told CNN that the U.S. since 1990 has destroyed Iraq’s chemical and biological weapons and Saddam has “not built back up to the levels he had prior to the Gulf War.”
<snip>
The real reason why hawks inside and outside the government want to assault Iraq is the nature of Saddam Hussein’s regime: tyrannical, anti-democratic, brutal to its own citizens, menacing to its neighbors, intransigent against Israel’s existence. President Bush would be acting against Saddam not as part of a war against terror but as a superpower avenger against governments of the world that fail to meet minimum standards of human decency.
That role would isolate the United States as lone-ranger global protector, accompanied occasionally by Israel. In his press conference last Thursday night, Bush called Saddam an “evil man,” adding: “We’re watching him very carefully.” Sober officials inside the administration believe the president should do no more than watch Iraq, unless and until it is clearly implicated in the murderous events of Sept. 11.
Op-Ed – guess the author! Perhaps a left-winger?
~~~
To look at the date. Memory hole?
linked to our site here. They have a good roundup of the blog reaction to novakula’s meltdown. Welcome C&L readers, make sure to sign up for an account!
That’s super! The C&L guy is just terrific and works like a dog on all this.
“novakula”
f*cking perfect.
It’s about to begin!
Bwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..oh just too f’ing sweet. The heat is on and Novak is falling apart. I know I shouldn’t feel this way but…
bwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhhah
Now he’s suspended indefinitely.
AND — GET THIS — CNN has linked the video itself! On its home page! (I added that link to the story.)
I’m friggin stunned
could be CNN is cutting its losses in anticipation of an indictment. (Hope hope)
Stewart’s Crossfire on Carlson’s ass was the number one watched video online for some time. CNN will take a little free publicity – take that Novak!
A lesser point, but Novak-hack-tacua was lying out of his ass again. Tom Coburn, and outsider? Liddy the GOP’s social security golden girl now charged with fundraising for Senate candidates went to Oklahoma to campaign on that wingnut’s behalf! Some outsider he.
Susan…did you just see Bushie stumble all over his words about the terrorists? Maybe they are all falling off the deep end?
I’m trying to get the VIDEO! Hee …
Is this the segment from his press conf. today that you’re thinking of? We’re trying to get the video but I want to be sure this is the right section … i only heard part of it, and it sounds like you heard more:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050804-2.html
PRESIDENT BUSH: First, let me say that we mourn the loss of every fallen troop. And the community outside of Cleveland, Brook Park, Ohio, suffered mightily over the last couple of days. It’s — the people of Brook Park and the family members of those who lost their life, I hope they can take comfort in the fact that millions of their fellow citizens pray for them. I hope they also take comfort in the understanding that the sacrifice was made in a noble cause.
We’re laying the foundation of peace for generations to come. We’re defeating the terrorists in a place like Iraq so we don’t have to face them here at home. And, as well, we’re spreading democracy and freedom to parts of the world that are desperate for democracy and freedom.
The comments by the number two man of al Qaeda make it clear that Iraq is a part of this war on terror, and we’re at war. In other words, he’s saying, leave. As I have told the American people, one, that people like Zawahiri have an ideology that is dark, dim, backwards; they don’t trust — they don’t appreciate women; if you don’t agree to their narrow view of a religion you’ll be whipped in the public square. That’s their view, and they have tactics to help spread that view. In other words, they’ve got goals. They want to spread that point of view throughout the world, starting in the broader Middle East. And part of their goal is to drive us out of the broader Middle East, precisely what Zawahiri said. In other words, he’s threatening.
They have come up against a nation that, one, will defend itself. Zawahiri is a part of that team that attacked us on September the 11th, 2001. He was part of an al Qaeda group that said, well, we’ll try to achieve our objective in attacking America. They must not have understood the nature of our country. I vowed then that we would stay on the offense against these people. We owe it to the American people, and other freedom-loving countries, to bring these killers to justice. And that’s what they are: they’re terrorists, and they’re killers. And they will kill innocent people trying to get us to withdraw from the world, so they can impose their dark vision on the world. That’s what they’re trying to do. And the comments today by Mr. Zawahiri absolutely reinforce what I’ve just told you.
We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. And the job is this: We’ll help the Iraqis develop a democracy. They’re writing — in the process of writing a constitution, which will be ratified in October, and then they will elect a permanent government. It’s also important for our citizens to understand that progress has been made, particularly when eight-plus million people got to vote in the face of Zawahiri and Sarawak and these killers.
We’re also training Iraqis. Our troops will come home as soon as possible. “As soon as possible” means when those Iraqis are prepared to fight. As Iraq stands up, our coalition will stand down.
The Iraqis want to live in a free society. Zawahiri doesn’t want them to live in a free society. And that’s the clash of ideologies — freedom versus tyranny. We have had these kinds of clashes before, and we have prevailed. We have prevailed because we’re right; we have prevailed because we adhere to a hopeful philosophy; and we have prevailed because we would not falter.
Go ahead and ask —
Q Also the question is for President Bush. Did you talk about the necessity and the importance of the creation of international community that can verify the application of the justice and peace law, and also its implementation?
PRESIDENT BUSH: We did talk about human rights. I talked about human rights. The Secretary of State Arrow — (laughter) — talked about human rights. The President assured us — a couple of points that are important to understand — one, that there is an independent judiciary, in other words, independent from government, that will adjudicate these disputes; secondly, that there is a new prosecutor reporting to the independent judiciary that will follow through on the cases; and, thirdly, that he is committed to seeing to it as best as possible that progress be made on these cases.
And we talked about specific cases. And I listened intently and believe that he is interested in following through on these cases, so that the world will hear loud and clear that Colombia is a nation of law and human rights and human dignity.
PRESIDENT URIBE: (Question answered in Spanish.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: You le compendia. Vamps a comer. (Laughter.) I told him I understood him. We’re going to go eat. Thank you very much. Appreciate you. Gracias.
Q What’s on the menu? What’s on the menu?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Carne.
Q Carne.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Necesito preguntar a mi esposa. I’ve been thinking about business; she’s been thinking about the food.
END 12:15 P.M. CDT
Hate to say it but just not sure. I saw it on Countdown so MSNBC? might have the clip. Also, they usually replay Countdown around 9 or 10pm PDT. No biggie. He just seemed a little slurry and tongue tied. They need to adjust his meds again.
CNN.com actually has the video on its front page.
They know lots of us will go watch it. It is smart of them to keep it up.
Interesting that they suspend him for that, and not for outing a CIA agent (and all the lying he’s been doing about it).
And, Susan, I have an article for you… sort of an informational/background sort of thing. Ryan Lizza of the New Republic details who many of the ‘sources close to the White House” and such are. It’s interesting and I thought it might come in handy for you when you are doing your news reports. It doesn’t appear to need registration for viewing.
Thanks!
You’re right … in the Wash Post article it says that CNN has been defending allowing him to stay on the air … maybe they were close to suspending him, and this gave them just the excuse.
The FCC is using every opportunity to get into people’s (that word that Novak used) about profanity on the radio or tv.
I think the reason CNN suspended him is to avoid FCC fines by taking action against the person who cursed (and during prime time).
You used to be able to, say in radio, play songs after 11 pm that had cursing in them, but now programmers are warned about doing that, even, because the rules are still unclear on that issue.
FCC doesn’t have jurisdiction over cable. Just non paid for public airwaves.
he’s been a lying scumbag partisan pretending to be a journalist FOR DECADES …
He helped break the cover of a covert CIA operative …
He distorts the words and positions of people he disagrees with as a matter of course …
but it took THIS for CNN to suspend him? THIS?!?!
SWEARING ON AIR IS WORSE THAN HELPING DESTROY YEARS OF INTELLIGENCE WORK?!?!?!???
!#@*&$!!&^^!!!!!!!
Fuck CNN.
PS. I think Carville has become a serious hack, but bless him for pushing that troglydite over the edge.
Dude, I agree. He should have been fired over his traitorous actions outing a CIA operative.
Please articulate your comment more formally and send it as a letter to the editor. We need to bring down this sleaze and send CNN a message that we are sick of their pandering to corrupt, traitorous Halliburton Republicans.
I’ve watched the footage at Media Matters, at C&L, read the transcript, and I do think that Carville got to him when Novak was trying to act as if the nutjob from Oklahoma was part of the reality-based community…and Carville was giving it to Novak that he’s a pasty for the far right wing.
but Novak sat there for a minute after he said bullshit, then got up…I think someone spoke to him in his earphone and told him to leave the set, because, if you notice, Carville and the host acted like nothing was happening.
If they weren’t aware, maybe hearing the same thing, do you think they would have had a non-reaction to Novak’s leaving?
…and it is very convenient that he gets booted off the set when he’s about to get asked about Plame…I don’t think he said it intentionally, though…it sounded too spontaneous.
but maybe he was a little off his game knowing it was coming up and getting ribbed before about acting to appease the far right wingers.
that’s my take, anyway.
Ok, I’ve been good and been analytical, looked this over calmly, extracted all the nuance and thought about it. I’ve considered all the circumstances and implications.
Now I at last I’m just gonna give way to simplicity.
Bwahahahahahahahaa! Novack1 Bwahahahahahahaa!
Just watched it, and it looks cooked in some way … the way he just gets up and the other two don’t stop talking or even look like they’re surprised? I don’t know. And Novak sounds and looks like he’s drunk or on something. Slurring his words together like a huge run-on sentence, and he doesn’t seem to be focusing his eyes when he speaks, and he looks craggier than usual. Seriously unhinged. The whole thing is bizarre. Let’s hope that this craziness is indicative of some potential significance in the Plame investigation, as others here have posted.
Alright folks. It is time we flex our consumer muscle and hammer at whiny little Novak. PLease join me in writing and calling CNN to demand they permanently fire Novak as a disgrace to CNN, an insult to CNN viewers and a traitor to America. Here is my letter to CNN tonight:
From Kausfiles … minus the embedded links, so go here to get the links.
Yes, I just saw that!
It’s like something out of Poe’s “tell tale heart” where the dead body under the floor begins to beat loudly.. only in this case it’s that big brown book in the middle of the desk!
NYT has now picked this story up.
Quel suprise, given Novak’s disdain for the old gray whore.
CNN – the funniest network around.
Here is another episode –
“CNN ‘BULLSHIT COVERAGE’ OF KARL ROVE”
You would love it…hillarious…watch the video.
Two years late, but I’ll take it.
I still don’t know why the Post carries him. He’s a liar and a traitor and the Post can do better.
It’s not as if they don’t have enough neocons…or just cons. (w/ the exception of Colbert King on Saturdays…maybe he likes the Sat. column but damn, couldn’t he just take the place of…oh, I dunno…Charles Kraphammer?) When they find more…”balance” then I just might re-subscribe.
Otherwise, I won’t pay twice for kitty litter.
At least one of my local news stations carried the story right before the weather report this morning, and the weather man joked about Novak: “He’s really getting cranky in his old age, isn’t he?” ha! It’s petty in a way but it’s so good to see him get some come-uppance.