In the highly unlikely event that you’ve been shielded from all media over the last 16 hours, I thought I’d mention that Bob Novak had a stunning on-air meltdown on CNN yesterday.
Robert D. Novak, the syndicated columnist whose unmasking of a C.I.A. operative touched off an investigation about a possible leak, stalked off a live appearance on CNN yesterday afternoon after James Carville, the Democratic strategist, accused him of trying to make a particular point “to show these right wingers” that he had “backbone” and was “tough.”
One of the many bizarre facets to this incident was how innocuous the Novak-Carville banter really was. They were discussing Katherine Harris’ Senate prospects next year when things went down hill.
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.
And with that, Novak took off his microphone and stormed off the set, all during the broadcast. (If you haven’t seen it, C&L and Media Matters have the video.)
As it turns out, this almost certainly had more to do with the Plame scandal that Carville needling him on “showing these right-wingers that he’s got a back bone.”
As CNN host Ed Henry acknowledged at the end of the segment,
“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.”
In the wake of the incident, CNN was displeased.
In a statement, CNN said: “Bob Novak’s behavior on CNN today was inexcusable and unacceptable. Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN, and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and actions. We’ve asked Mr. Novak to take some time off.”
Laurie Goldberg, a CNN spokeswoman, said it was unclear how long Novak’s suspension would last or whether he would continue to be paid while he was off the air.
But the real fun is trying to figure out why, exactly, Novak — who earlier this week, was boasting about his “integrity as a journalist” — flipped out. Amy Sullivan touches on an important point.
With very few exceptions, Novak has not only refused to answer questions about the Plame affair — he has threatened to immediately terminate any interview in which such questions are raised. That was the ground rule for my interview with him last fall, and I’m almost certain (although I could never get anyone at CNN to confirm it for me) that he threatened to walk off the set if anyone at the network asked him about Plame. The absurdity of that arrangement finally became too much for the network a few weeks ago, as the spotlight on this case heated up, and he has since grudgingly tolerated some queries on-air.
But where were yesterday’s queries going? In the direction of a book.
Look at the still frame of Novak and Carville at the Crooks & Liars site. Mickey Kaus says there’s a big reddish-brown book sitting there on the table and that it’s Who’s Who in America, the book Novak has sorta kinda implied was his source for the name Plame. And, yes, there it is, sitting right there on the table, or at least something that looks a lot like it.
It sure does. Ed Henry had the book in front of him, Novak saw the book, and was gone.