Oh Bob Dole

Sometimes one wonders, are people seeking the limelight, which is why they do something negatively uncharacteristic of their reputation? Or, is it that they are looking to make waves for those things, and regain some notoriety? Seeing Bob Dole’s outburst following McClellan’s book release sent my mind wandering in both directions. Of course, from there, I thought more on it, and I’ve come to the following conclusion: Dole is just a crotchety old curmudgeon.

I will say this, McClellan doesn’t win points for professionalism, nor is he telling us things we don’t already know about the Bush administration. Surfing between channels last night, Dick Morris was acting a bit of a fool, but he reiterated the same point toward McClellan, which was to say, “We already knew that.” Following that statement that McClellan was spurned by the “Liberal Media,” which I found quite laughable.

Folks, let’s be serious about some things here with our media. They are not “Liberal,” nor are they “Conservative,” they are in a money-making enterprise. When +75% of the country does not like a president, or think he is doing a good job, and he has an administration mired in scandal, there is a market for a book by a former insider reaffirming everyone’s suspicions. It isn’t a Liberal Plot or Conspiracy. In the same way, Bill Clinton getting Oral Sex from an intern was newsworthy, and Hillary was wrong for blaming it on a “vast right-wing conspiracy.” The one component I would grant Hillary for her “conspiracy” charges does go to Ken Starr’s ignoring of exculpatory evidence, but Clinton still was out-of-bounds with Monica.

In short, truth needs to be spoken to power, and the current White House has been exceptionally obtuse about their playing of the media, throwing us into this war. Let them be called on it, but Bob Dole, you should be agreeing with McClellan while you are knocking him for being unprofessional.