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You are here: Home / They don’t give a fuck about anybody else

They don’t give a fuck about anybody else

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It was Bob Somerby who introduced me to the idea that most big name establishment media types only care about themselves, their vacation homes, how much the White House kisses their ass, how big a boner they get from thinking about torture or bombing or spreading freedom or a president in a flight suit.

Has there ever been a better example of this than Bob Woodward’s shameful performance today? He’ll be on Hannity to self-obsess a little more tomorrow.

I’m going to quote a few people I don’t agree with politically but who do (apparently) understand how journalism is supposed to work.

The good news is that no one under 50 watches Fox or reads the Washington Post. The even better news is that Bob Woodward will be dead or retired reasonably soon.

Reader Interactions

113Comments

  1. 1.

    beltane

    Bob Woodward really sounds like a little old Victorian lady. He needs to loosen his corset stays or he will cut off all the oxygen going to his brain.

  6. 6.

    smintheus

    Shame if nobody pays attention to Woodward’s temper tantrum. The more people who do, the sooner what remains of his reputation will collapse. With a big enough audience, Woodward could completely ruin himself this week.

  7. 7.

    beltane

    I preferred it back in 2009 when the Republicans complained that Rahm Emanuel was threatening them in the shower. Much better plot line. This is just…sad.

  9. 9.

    fleeting expletive

    Why would anyone think they are any different from the bubble-headed bleach blonde (and, uh, OKC has some) on the local news? They just got more recognition and reinforcement, so they just look good for the camera and schmooze with better hors d’ oerves (sorry, can’t spell it) . Anyway about Woodward.

    He’s a bubble-headed bleached blonde.

  11. 11.

    fleeting expletive

    Smintheus, the opposite might be true. Maybe nobody cares anymore what Woodward says, Then his reputation is not only collapsed, as entirely it should be, but forgotten.

  12. 12.

    General Stuck

    And like clockwork, the banshee wizards that run the Politico clown cannon, are riding to Woodward’s rescue.

    The Woodward reporting has caused the White House spin machine to sputter at a crucial time. The president was running around the country, campaign-style, warning that Republicans were at fault for the massive cuts set to hit Friday. What Obama never says: it was his own staff that proposed sequestration, and the tax hikes he now proposes – aimed at replacing half of the cuts — were never part of that very specific plan.

    I have no idea who first recommended the sequester, but am certain that everyone agreed to it. But the part about new tax revenues is bullshit, and obvious bullshit at that. I would say that politico will regret that, but don’t think they care a whit about truthiness.

  14. 14.

    MikeJ

    Most people don’t know Nora Ephron based Mixed Nuts on the life story of Woodward. It’s a truish fact.

  19. 19.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    My morning viewing of Morning Joe around 7 am today lasted about 38 seconds once that douche bag started blaming Obama. Fuck Woodward.

  20. 20.

    hells littlest angel

    The even better news is that Bob Woodward will be dead reasonably soon.

    But I can’t wait until tomorrow morning!

  21. 21.

    Johnnybuck

    The good news is that no one under 50 watches Fox or reads the Washington Post.

    The good news is that no one under 50 gives a fuck about Bob Woodward.

  23. 23.

    Jeremy

    @General Stuck: Well they don’t calm them GOPOLITICO for nothing. Like you said the mandate was for an agreement with revenues and cuts. There was never an agreement for only cuts so Woodward and the rest of the GOP Media are lying.

    And they wonder why the president picks local media outlets and other venues over these idiots.

  25. 25.

    Hill Dweller

    @General Stuck: Ultimately, the sequester is the fault of Republicans, regardless of who proposed it. Without them demanded ransom for not intentionally destroying the full faith and credit of the United States, we wouldn’t be in this position.

  29. 29.

    cckids

    The good news is that no one under 50 watches Fox

    Slightly OT, but I was exposed to Fox this morning, taking my son to the doctor. Megan Kelly was enciting, some dude from Common Cause was hyperventilating that OFA needed to be shut down, etc, etc. It was the closest I believe I’ve come to a daily “2 Minute Hate”. Truly abhorrent. How do people stand it?

    Got the receptionist to change the channel to ESPN. I don’t watch it, but sports is the closest thing to a national religion, so few will bitch about it.

  33. 33.

    Jeremy

    @KCinDC: Oh no poor Bob Woodward. He is getting a taste of Chicago style politics.

    Also Jennifer Rubin tweeted that Obama will be the Democrats Richard Nixon. I guess this “incident” and Obama shunning the village makes Obama the Democratic Nixon.

  36. 36.

    Carolinus

    @General Stuck:

    I have no idea who first recommended the sequester …

    It’s totally inconsequential too.

    The President was advocating for a clean debt ceiling increase or a grand bargain that put everything to bed once and for all. The GOP was demanding equal cuts to debt ceiling increases. They held the full faith & credit of the US hostage in order to force their demands be met. That was done by a trillion in initial cuts and with the super committee (& the sequester fallback) to come up with the remainder.

    It clearly wasn’t the White House’s preferred policy, and only came into existence through an unprecedented power-play by the GOP.

  42. 42.

    Jeremy

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yeah and the right said Obama had an enemies list like Nixon when the Obama campaign deployed a truth team against a list of right wing activists. Another parallel.

  44. 44.

    dance around in your bones

    @SatanicPanic:

    Prolly wise. I have no idea WTF he was talking about anyway.

    I’d be a lot sadder if DougJ(name of the week) was in jail or dead. Ted, not so much.

  51. 51.

    Politically Lost

    I got out of the boat. I went over to Drudge to see what the fedora had for links on Woodward’s threat and followed a Business Insider link and then… waded into the comments.

    My gawd. Over 600 comments most of them arguing about some form of birtherism. That is some deeply warped alternative universe right there. I was laughing at first but jaysus fuckin’ christ on crack. These people somehow remember to breath and feed themselves.

    I’ll tempt fate. BRING ON THE METEOR!!!

    Edited to add the link, just in case you want to see for yourself.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2

  53. 53.

    eemom

    The good news is that no one under 50 . . . reads the Washington Post.

    Well, to be fair, I don’t actually READ it — I just can’t bring myself to cancel my subscription after 25 years.

    feh, fuck this ageist shit. Hey, @dance around in your bones: — let’s talk about young Brando again.

  55. 55.

    Dexter's new approach

    I saw Woodward give a keynote talk at the JP Morgan healthcare conference 3 years ago. I wasn’t sure why he was there, the spot was usually given to people that know stuff about healthcare. He told some old stories, talked nonsense well below the audience about healthcare reform, and came off as an old spent reporter milking it,

  56. 56.

    fleeting expletive

    Goodnight, Dancing. Thank you for the music and I hope to see you around these parts again soon. I ain’t much of a commenter, but I know what’s what.

  57. 57.

    dance around in your bones

    @eemom:

    Hey, @dance around in your bones: — let’s talk about young Brando again.

    The arms! the muscles! the t-shirts! the gawdamn sex aroma just wafting off the dude! Even his pretty lips!

    I’d hit that anytime! Not after he got fat and hammocky in Tahiti though. (To be fair, he prolly wouldn’t hit me either nowadays, if he was still alive.)

    ::::still fanning myself from last night::::

  60. 60.

    Hill Dweller

    @Dexter’s new approach: I’m betting Woodward’s attempt to change the subject/muddy the water is at the behest of oligarchs/hedge funds/Wall Street.

    Woodward is obviously trying to prevent any revenues(which will come from loopholes the very wealth exploit) being included in a potential deal to replace the sequester. His bullshit eleventh hour claim that no revenues were ever supposed to be part of a sequester deal is a tell.

  61. 61.

    trollhattan

    @fleeting expletive:

    If you likie, get the album. It’s a treasure (her take on “For No One” gets me every damn time I listen).

    Hippie alert: Palladia has the Woodstock director’s cut on rotation, with more showings scheduled. Watching Jimi’s set as I type this.

  64. 64.

    dance around in your bones

    Why am I reduced to watching Mad Max (out of the corner of one eye) and thinking Mel was kinda hot back in the day before I knew he was an asshole?

    Because I’m too lazy to buzz around the dial.

    eemom! Marlon Brando! The matchstick kills me.

  66. 66.

    dance around in your bones

    @trollhattan: Dang – thanks for the ref, but I got there just as the movie ended.

    Don’t think I can handle “Electric Proms:Paul McCartney” coming up. Even though he was my fave Beatle back in the day (ok, I was 13 or so).

    I’ve often thought you could use “your favorite Beatle” like an astrological sign. Tells you a lot about a person (I am ashamed to say).

  67. 67.

    handsmile

    @dance around in your bones: , et al

    While I still do prefer Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids,” have loved Rickie Lee Jones for years and years, from her very first album in ’79.

    How can you not adore an American artist who had the courage and keen vision in 2003 to describe Dubya as “Ugly Man” (from her album The Evening of My Best Day which also included the song “Tell Somebody (Repeal the Patriot Act)”). A brave person.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeNjrGtw_Gw

    Sad that she seems to have dropped out of sight and sound in recent years, and it’s been a long time since I’ve heard her live. (Wiki informs me that she did release an album in 2012 which I’ll now seek out.) With her musical instincts and skills, one would hope and imagine that Rickie Lee’s career as a singer/songwriter would be long, fruitful, and immensely pleasurable for her fans.

  71. 71.

    priscianus jr

    Where are my pearls when I need to clutch them?

    The most comforting thought is that, like most of the Beltway chatter, nobody outside of that small territory gives a shit.

  73. 73.

    TS

    @Johnnybuck:

    The good news is that no one under 50 gives a fuck about Bob Woodward.

    No-one under 50 has a clue who he is, was or why he thinks he matters.

  74. 74.

    srv

    I think a photo shoot with Obamaquester and Robert Redford tomorrow would put this all to rest pretty quickly.

    *wait – even better. Michelle and Robert doing an interpretive dance on Woodwards hurt fee-fees.

  77. 77.

    dance around in your bones

    @trollhattan: I will watch for it. My husband and I could have gone to Woodstock but decided to hit the hippie trail to India instead. Got stuck in Afghanistan for the winter (long story) and never regretted it.

  79. 79.

    GregB

    I’m pretty sure Deepthroat in this Threatgate saga will turn out to be Mike Allen with Jim Vandehei working Woodward’s balls.

  80. 80.

    Hill Dweller

    This exchange supposedly happened last week. Why did Woodward wait so long to alert the media? Why did Bob send a friendly reply to Sperling’s purported threat?

    Woodward is flailing.

  84. 84.

    rda909

    @GregB: Someone send that to Seth McFarlane. Now THAT’S “edgy” comedy, not that 12-year old boy shitt we were subjected to during the Oscars. Bravo!

  87. 87.

    Mandalay

    @Hill Dweller:

    Woodward is obviously trying to prevent any revenues(which will come from loopholes the very wealth exploit) being included in a potential deal to replace the sequester. His bullshit eleventh hour claim that no revenues were ever supposed to be part of a sequester deal is a tell.

    Right – Woodward is squirming on the no-revenues issue:

    “Now the White House has a point, that there was always discussion about some more tax increases but the President got a lot of tax increases a month ago”

    So Woodward’s new position on revenue has the strength of a wet Kleenex: the president got some last month, so now it’s our turn for cuts.

    Good luck with your Wall Street agenda, fuckface.

  89. 89.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Mandalay: anyone who says “tax increases” is using the Norquist framing anyway, no? No one is talking about raising rates. It bothers me that our political conversation becomes “money up ungood.”

  92. 92.

    fuckwit

    Wait… isn’t this Bob Woodward the turd who wrote a book-length blowjob about…. George W. Bush?

    Why the fuck is anyone taking this peice of shit seriously?

  93. 93.

    dance around in your bones

    @Steeplejack: Just added it to record on the DVR, which no doubt will baffle the kids.

    I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the director’s cut? Seen the regular movie enough times that I feel like I was there.

    Wavy Gravy! “What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000 people!”

    ETA: The Hog Farm was from my home state – used to hang around their events at UNM, and later traveled with them in Nepal. “You’re either on the bus or off the bus!”

  98. 98.

    Radio One

    @tom: Bob Woodward has been a beltway hack for the right wing for a long time. I don’t see his wailing to Fox News about lacking access to the White House as “amazing.”

  101. 101.

    chopper

    The even better news is that Bob Woodward will be dead or retired reasonably soon.

    ARE YOU THREATENING ME??

  102. 102.

    pluege

    The even better news is that Bob Woodward will be dead or retired reasonably soon.

    the very thought of the tributes to woodward’s magnificence when he dies or retires is bile heaving. yech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  103. 103.

    Lurking Canadian

    The idea “Obama got revenue at the time of the fiscal cliff; from now on it’s all cuts” has been a wingnut talking point for all of this year. I have no idea what the agreement was at the time of sequester, but is just wingnut boilerplate.

  104. 104.

    Mike E

    @dance around in your bones: Late, but…

    Every Beatles fan is a “Paul”, whether they admit to it or not. George was my fave Fab, but, really, it’s Paul, if’n ya knows…

    And don’t stop posting here, for whatever reason, k? Thx

  105. 105.

    brantl

    The good news is that no one under 50 watches Fox or reads the Washington Post. The even better news is that Bob Woodward will be dead or retired reasonably soon.

    Couldn’t happen soon enough. What a useless tit.

  106. 106.

    Elizabelle

    @Mark S.:

    Both married to women.

    Two daughters each.

    Attended college in California (BHO for fewer years); law school on the East Coast.

    *chills*

  107. 107.

    dance around in your bones

    @trollhattan:

    It’s too late, to fall in love with Sharon Tate.

    And it’s too soon, to ask me for the words I want carved on my tomb.

    ‘Cept for The Nuge, let’s ask him now! It’s never too late for that. “Cold dead hands”?

  108. 108.

    Chris

    @cckids:

    It was the closest I believe I’ve come to a daily “2 Minute Hate”. Truly abhorrent. How do people stand it?

    2 Minutes Hate is exactly the point. Every day, Foxbots tune into their favorite TV station and discover the existence of a half dozen new examples of Obammunist Tyranny and other things that, if true, should be enough to provoke a revolution. Hence the perpetual rage.

  109. 109.

    dance around in your bones

    Also, forgot to mention the excellent sax work by Bobby Keyes (that’s how his ex-wife spelled it; I worked with her at some point in my pointless life) on the Catholic Boy album.

  111. 111.

    Sparky Satori

    So, Woodward spent the Bush years watching war atrocities committed against civilians and merely farted into the Oval Office cushions, but now sees “madness” in the White House? Yeah, because he’s part of the biased “liberal” media, right?

    This guy would have you believe (incorrectly, natch) that he went eyeball to eyeball with Nixon without hesitation, but is “threatened” because an Obama official warns him he’ll regret being proved wrong on facts?

    As for co-conspirator Lanny Davis, hasn’t this attention whore already used up his fifteen minutes? Because if he’s still in any way relevant, why is he not working for a real media operation, rather than at the Moonie Times?

  112. 112.

    dance around in your bones

    @Sparky Satori:

    Since I spent this whole thread off-topic, I have to agree with you. Woodward – I used to have some respect for him from the whole Nixon/Watergate thing, but nowadays?

    He’s a useless fuck. Manufacturing outrage in some random tweet. So pathetic.

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