Noam Scheiber at TNR, eviscerating reviewing Bob Woodward as “The Backscratcher“:
… So it goes with The Price of Politics. Critics have complained about the tediousness of this latest Woodward volume, which focuses mostly on the debt-ceiling negotiations between the White House and Republicans during the summer of 2011… But I didn’t find Woodward’s book unusually tedious. In fact, I learned a lot from it. What I found it to be was remarkably slanted.
This was all the more jarring because Woodward is famous for his distinct lack of slant. His books are scrupulously reported but annoyingly literal. At their worst, they read more like stenography than fully hatched stories. The only hint of a worldview he injects is the worldview of the establishment. He reflexively flatters those in power.
So in one sense the book is a departure: it is relentlessly biased against the president. Woodward argues that the White House and Congress failed to reach a major deficit-reduction deal last summer because Obama didn’t provide the necessary leadership, even though this thesis is untethered from Woodward’s own reporting, to say nothing of reality.
But, in another sense, the book is perfectly in sync with Woodward’s oeuvre. There is a body of respectable Washington opinion that considers Obama unworthy of the presidency: he hadn’t put in his time before running, didn’t grasp the majesty of the office, evinced no respect for the way things were done. He not only won without courting the city’s elders, he had the bad manners to keep his distance even after winning. This is the view Woodward distills…
…So, to review, the Republicans were theologically opposed to even the meagerest, mangiest revenue increases—even to the minimum amount of revenue Obama could have gotten without them, even in exchange for trillions of dollars in spending cuts—and yet Obama is somehow to blame for blowing up the deal because … why, exactly? Because he didn’t invite Boehner over for grilled cheese?… This reeks of the frozen-in-amber Sally Quinn lament that politicians don’t spend enough time bantering at Georgetown dinner parties, when in fact there are vast structural forces militating against collegial deal-making. Namely, that national politics has become intensely polarized over the last generation as the parties have sorted themselves along ideological lines. During that same time, the Republican Party has completely lost its marbles, having turned into a collection of anti-tax jidhadis bent on the upward redistribution of wealth. Sadly, the chances of solving that problem with a bit more schmoozing are exceedingly slim.
The irony is that the only way to overcome these massive obstacles is by doing the opposite of what Woodward recommends—by searching for leverage over the other side and exploiting it. Woodward, like any good Georgetown denizen, is scandalized that Obama gave up on bipartisanship in September of 2011 to browbeat Republicans over more stimulus… But, of course, all this attacking resulted in pretty much the only big legislative victory of Obama’s second two years. The Republicans crumpled. Obama signed a payroll extension worth over $100 billion in early 2012.
At this point any reasonable observer would conclude that more, not less, ruthlessness would have helped Obama work his will. Woodward doesn’t see it that way. Instead, he takes yet another opportunity to mourn the passing of the baronial style of congressional back-scratching. “Obama celebrated the bill’s passage on February 21 in the White House’s South Court Auditorium. Surrounded by individuals who would benefit from the payroll tax cut, but no members of Congress, he was the champion of the tax cuts,” Woodward writes. Then he quotes Obama: “With or without Congress, every day I’m going to be continuing to fight for them.” The quote is intended to be damning, of course—what species of cretin would stiff-arm Congress and then crow about it?
In truth, it is damning, except not in the way the author imagines. What’s damning is that the mythology of establishment Washington could exert such a powerful grip on its most famous chronicler. As it happens, “with or without Congress” was the most logical sentiment of Obama’s presidency. He could not be re-elected without it.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
The last time Woodward did any actual journalism was Watergate.
BGinCHI
Uppity, how does it work?
CW in LA
The president is worthy of the office because 70 million of us decided that he is. Insiders can, and should, fuck off.
Villago Delenda Est
Establish a perimeter to make sure none escape, then burn the fucking Village to the ground.
Bonus merit points for bringing us the head of Booby here.
schrodinger's cat
Is Kristol, Woodward’s more dumb and more evil twin? There is more than a passing resemblance between those two.
...now I try to be amused
Oy. How can Obama scratch a Congressional back that refuses to be scratched?
dr. bloor
Wait, what? Am I misreading this? Has Scheiber read anything Woodward’s written in the last three decades? He’s just now noticing this?
hildebrand
@CW in LA: Bingo. That is precisely why the beltway media is so pissed about Obama, and thus so fired up to spin Romney back into the race – the hoi polloi actually exercised their will, and that cannot stand. When folks like Woodward heard the Romney 47% bit, he likely applauded and had tears running down his face in gratitude that someone would kick the hippy out of office, and that order would be restored.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
While it could admitttedly be part of my own epistemic closure, or hte broader fragmenting of media, I was really surprised by how little attention Woodward’d latest act of stenography has gotten. His books used to be the blockbusters of political chit-chat. John McCain got bumped for whole hour interviews with Bob Woodward. Now they get him a seat on a panel on CNN.
the whole “Obama hasn’t reached out” thing drives me nuts. Besides the essential conservatism of all his legislation (which, before NR-type trolls start their usual caterwauling, has as much if not more to do with Conservadems than with Republicans), does no one remember the cocktail parties? Judd Gregg accepting and then backing out of a cabinet appointment (I still wanna know what offers were made to Olly Snowe, I’m sure she was the first low-hanger they went after), to say nothing of Bob Gates and Ben Bernanke? Obama tried, it didn’t work because the other side wouldn’t let it, so he stopped trying.
SatanicPanic
It might be a good thing for the country if the people paid to comment on our democracy actually thought of democracy as a good thing
Samuel Knight
Yes the TNR punchline is stronger. Just realizing that Woodward can’t think through anything.
“Maestro” was destroying the world economy. Bush was inarticulate, bumbling fool no matter what Bush at War said. Colin Powell was the obvious source of most of the drivel, covering up for a shameful United Nations speech, etc.
Woodward, like Richard Cohen or most of the denizens of the Post editorial page – just make stuff up, assert banalities, and more than anything try to defend the establishment. Which still is the old GOP guard. And that nasty Clinton and Obama are just interlopers.
Foxhunter
And so it became that Bob Woodward was really no different than Sally Quinn, just less Jesus and cocktail.
Woodrowfan
@Villago Delenda Est:
The only problem here is that they live in some historic buildings. Maybe lure them out with offers for a free luxury box at a Nats game…
Higgs Boson's Mate
WTF else did anyone expect from a man who has spent the last forty years marinating in the rich juices of the Village?
LGRooney
Give this to any jackass who still insists that there is little to differentiate between the parties. True, the GOP has largely been very successful in moving the political center to the right but for every step the Ds take to the right, the GOP base takes 2-3 leaps in the same direction.
muddy
@Foxhunter: And vagina with which to further his career.
piratedan
man, elections…. how do they work…. Nations Capital navel gazing…. sometimes I think those folks would be better served by spending a month down in the SE side of town, where all of those federal employees who handle the day to day of keeping the nation running and see what their jobs are like. Maybe even spend a single day at the Lincoln Monument and talk to real people instead of the ritual ass sniffing amongst the dingleberries of the body politik.
Shawn in ShowMe
We simply don’t have time to play the parlor games Woodward enjoys. There’s too much at stake economically and environmentally. If Bob wants to relive the glorious tales of the country club government, he should invite Boehner over for tea. Or Jack Daniels.
geg6
@Villago Delenda Est:
I’m with you. Is there anything more poisonous to this country than the Village and its mindset? I really don’t think so. Even the Tea Party and its denizens would never have gotten the traction they got without the Village’s approval and spotlight.
And it’s no surprise at all to me that Woodward was sucked into it, lock, stock, and barrel. He was never the heroic figure played by Robert Redford in the movie. He was a suck up then and he’s a suck up still.
And the Village captures everyone who steps foot in it. Witness Josh Marshall and, especially and most damning, Jon Stewart, who is as big a joke as anyone his writers skewer on his show every night.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@CW in LA:
Kudos for an excellent observation. If too many people start just making up their own minds rather than listening to the Village then the Villagers will find themselves recycling aluminum cans for a living.
Waynski
I also think that another part of what’s going on with Woodward is the President gave the kind of full access for a profile piece to Michael Lewis that used to go exclusively to Woodward. The Prince of the Post was not shown the respect he deserves and was very butthurt. I could be wrong but I think some of this is payback for that and the other things described in the review.
Bruce S
The thing that has always struck me most about Bob Woodward when I see him doing an interview or commentary on my TeeVee is that he doesn’t seem like he’s very intelligent. He’s proof of the Woody Allen adage that 80% of life is showing up. That’s obviously his forte.
mdblanche
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage: And that was because he was working with Bernstein. They were a team. Woodward had the carefully cultivated contacts looking to settle their own personal grudges with Nixon while Bernstein had the ability to read and write. Together they were an unbeatable combo.
Really, all you need to know about Woodward is that after pursuing the Watergate story for several months, on election day Woodward stayed home crying “both sides do it” into his pillow.
geg6
@Waynski:
I know this is how he is characterized everywhere, but isn’t ol’ Bob getting a bit long in the tooth to be the prince of anything? I bet Ezra gets more hits at the WaPo than Bob can stand. If he even knows what “hits” are.
pk
I hate all of them. Right now I hate Andrew Sullivan who is explaining the debate performance by saying Obama is lazy. True he is quoting Obama, but the implications are terrible. I guess a black man is never ever allowed to just have an “off” day.
sy
Game, set, match.
The Moar You Know
Obama trashed the place, and it wasn’t his place to trash.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
Actually these structural problems could be solved with a bit of schmoozing. You just invite all the principles to a big party, put poison in the food and drink, and don’t partake of any of it yourself. It’s what the Borgias would have done.
Waynski
@geg6: Well, Prince Phillip is still a Prince and so is Prince Charles. That said, I bet you’re right about Ezra.
wrb
@pk:
Lazy and asleep, sez Andy
tulip
Fuck Woodward. I’m so sick of this.
pk
@wrb:
Hate him utterly. Stupid drama queen needs to go back to being a republican!
TexasMango
@pk: No, they aren’t. Ever. The bar is always higher. Always.
Higgs Boson's Mate
It would be irresponsible not to speculate that Woodward’s ability to produce journalism evaporated in 1977. That’s the year when Carl Bernstein left WaPo.
PeakVT
Improved.
Foxhunter
@geg6:
Glad I’m not alone in that thinking. I used to read his blog because I enjoyed *his* thoughts. Not the musings of a team of 40. I really don’t visit as often as in the past and I can’t quite figure out what has turned me away.
I do know that TPM’s breathless foray into the ‘horse race’ and daily polling aspect of this election has been a bit off putting.
lamh35
here’s video. Stay classy Romneys
http://youtu.be/tVU9hMtzi64
TexasMango
PBO is terrible because he didn’t bother to ask to be a member of a club that he never wanted to be a member of and wouldn’t have had him as a member anyway.
The nerve! Uppity Negro is uppity.
pseudonymous in nc
@Foxhunter:
HuffPostification. They want you visiting three times an hour, not three times a day. As a result, the staff are just churn-churn-churning out material, with no reflection, just regurgitation.
There’s very little on TPM now that you can’t get elsewhere. That wasn’t the case a few years ago.
Bruce S
The mind of America’s Greatest Investigative Reporter: During an appearance on Larry King Live, he was asked by a telephone caller “Suppose we go to war and go into Iraq and there are no weapons of mass destruction,” Woodward responded “I think the chance of that happening is about zero…” (wiki)
leinie (iPad)
@CW in LA: This.
Bruce S
The mind of America’s Greatest Investigative Reporter: During an appearance on Larry King Live, he was asked by a telephone caller “Suppose we go to war and go into Iraq and there are no weapons of mass destruction,” Woodward responded “I think the chance of that happening is about zero…” (wiki)
mdblanche
@TexasMango: What’s the point of even having an exclusive club if it doesn’t make the blackballed jealous enough to submit membership applications for you to reject?
@Bruce S: You seem to be suggesting that Woodward’s contacts were lying to him. How gauche of you.
wrb
@pk:
Says he can’t. It is his duty to wake Obama “the fuck up.”
He, of all people, also blames Obama’s ego.
Today I am seething with animosity for the sanctimonious drama queen that is our Andy.
SatanicPanic
@lamh35: WOW, the nerve of this trust fund baby. At least he’s making a good case for raising the estate tax rate.
Virginia Highlander
@Foxhunter:
For me, it’s not so much that anything has turned me away, more that there is just no reason to go there. I want sharp and insightful reportage and analysis with a left-of-center slant. I haven’t seen that sort of thing at TPM since long before Obama was elected.
Not sure there was a moment I turned on Josh, or anything like that. One day I just realized I hadn’t visited his site in months.
Foxhunter
@pseudonymous in nc: Great points. And the latest ridiculous push to ‘Prime’ was enough, even though it’s only .15¢ per day. /snark/
Foxhunter
@Virginia Highlander: ‘Turned away’ was probably a poor choice of words. Like you, I just sort of drifted away and never felt like anything was lost.
The Ancient Randonneur
Isn’t it interesting that Sally Quinn and crowd felt much the same way about those bumpkins from Arkansas. Those Clintons just weren’t quite worthy of being in the White House because they did things so differently. I see a pattern here. Alas, W, the half-bright C student was from a proper DC insider family and would kiss the appropriate rings when necessary. So evidently he was worthy of the office given to him by the Supreme Court.
burnspbesq
There is a Federalist Society teleforum call (being recorded for a future podcast) on the Hedges case starting right now. One of the presenters is plaintiffs’ counsel, so this could be good.
If you’re interested in dialing in, the number is (888) 752-3232.
Virginia Highlander
I learned about Josh from a Brit journalist friend, soon after the website launched. We were discussing how to squeeze money out of the Internet and Joel suggested TPM as a good example of a young man busily making a name for himself through online political comment. My friend’s insight seems almost prescient now, since making a name and making money were, in hindsight, indeed the goal.
Bobby Thomson
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage:
Woodward got Mark Felt and others to talk to them because of his establishment contacts. But Bernstein was the heart and soul of that team.
sneezy
@wrb:
FWIW, I suspect that’s perfectly fine with him. Sullivan and his ilk are essentially in the celebrity biz. They don’t care what you think of them, only that you think of them; they don’t care what you say about them, only that you say something about them.
Don’t read them. It’s the only solution and you won’t miss a single worthwhile thing. You’ll just eliminate a lot of pointless self-aggrandizing noise.
Scott
@Bruce S: That’s always been my impression of Woodward. He writes like a stenographer because that’s all he’s got.
To think that a writer like him has been feted for forty years and become a millionaire author, while we have writers like Charlie Pierce toiling away for what is likely a pittance(compared to Woodward)makes me fear for the sanity of my fellow countrymen.
Napoleon
@Virginia Highlander:
And what is wrong with that? It has nothing to do with the merits of his site.
scav
@Waynski: “The Prince of the Post”?
Funny, I was thinking he’d gone all Rosencrantz and Guildenstern over power, a Woodwind, as it were.
Here is the Prince
askew
The best thing about Talking Points is their livewire. It gives you a quick snapshot of political stories. The rest of TPM is worthless. If I could find another quick livewire type site, I would never go there. Their analysis is horrible and I hate how they have embraced Huffington Post’s hysterical and misleading headlings for their stories.
Bobby Thomson
@Foxhunter:
Oh, I dunno. How about the fact that he has admitted he has three flat screen TVs in the office tuned to the news channels? Drudge rules their world, so he also rules Marshall’s. All that TPM does is regurgitate the same old shit, or publish it with breathless headlines contradicted by the actual articles. And they clearly don’t understand polling at all. Back in the day, Josh used to do some actual reporting himself. Nowadays, he just has a team to mail it in for him.
And I can’t believe some people are actually willing to pay for that crap. There’s nothing on there of any substance you can’t get from Political Wire.
Yeah, yeah, poor form to attack one website from the comments section of another. Once Marshall and Kurtz have the balls to allow commenting under their own bylines, I’ll do it there. Which is to say, never.
kindness
I was hoping Jesus’ General would do a review of the book on Amazon. His reviews kill as in he’ll rate the book highly and then do his over the top routine to show what trash it really is. This predictably sends the wing nuts into a frenzy because a high rater is actually trashing the book and/or it’s premise.
Haven’t seen one sadly.
Bobby Thomson
@askew: Politicalwire.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@lamh35:
Um… did Mitt’s spawn basically just call Obama “boy”?
Big fucking words from someone who’d be just another nobody without Daddy’s money & connections.
Scott
The childish silliness of the DC crowd is truly absurd. President Obama has a FAMILY that he is allowed to spend time with when he’s not being PRESIDENT and making sure that the world doesn’t go to hell!
He does not WANT or NEED their goddam cocktail weenies.
They put me of a mind of what Sam says at the intro of “Burn Notice”- “They’re just bitchy little girls”.
And he didn’t pay his dues? This attitude from the same people who thought Paul Ryan should head the Republican ticket?
Again, it’s only bad when Democrats do it.
Fuckers.
askew
@Bobby Thomson:
Thank you! I’ll check that out.
Stooleo
Wasn’t this the same complaint about Clinton?
gnomedad
Ironically, one of the wingnut block-letter-on-photo memes is that Obama is living it up at taxpayer expense.
japa21
Democrats have always been seen as outsiders, not part of the clique. That was supposedly the real downfall of Carter. Definitely it was an issue for Clinto. And now Obama. LBJ was considered crass. JFK aloof. Truman was a hick.
Only Republicans really understood the Beltway.
Culture of Truth
Republicans bash Washington and they love them for it.
Napoleon
OT, Bibi has called for elections.
Foxhunter
@Stooleo:
That’s the Sally Quinn reference in the comments. Check out this American Prospect article.
Edited to add: What japa21 @comment 65 said in a nutshell if you don’t want to wade through the link.
nellcote
@askew:
http://politicalwire.com/aggregator/
piratedan
OT: apparently the Az Republic (Conservative bastion that it is) has aparently endorsed Sheriff Joe’s Opponent (Penzone)for this coming election.
Bob In Portland
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage: Woodward landed on the WashPo after his years of top-secret clearance at the Office of Naval Intelligence. His version of how he first met Mark Felt involves him trundling papers to the White House basement from the Pentagon.
That is, his Watergate “reporting” was undoubtedly what was fed to him from the intelligence community whence he came. He’s just a representative of that industry.
PeakVT
@Napoleon: Interesting, but I don’t see what the advantage might be, off hand.
Suffern ACE
@Stooleo: Yes. The whole “men with long hair and earrings running the place without wearing suits” was one of the many ways the village assumed that Clinton was trahing it up. Not that anyone actually ever saw men with earrings, but…you know, they would wear earrings if they could.
rikyrah
OT: where is Kay to comment on that piece of shyt Husted
lol
@nellcote:
Political Wire is a little too high noise to signal for my taste.
Napoleon
@PeakVT:
Nor I – apparently they are looking at an electioon in the spring and you have to wonder how the whole “lets bomb Iran” thing figures into it.
Mike G
I have more respect for a president who is disdained by the Beltway Barnacles. The entire DC prissy parasite class can go piss up a rope.
mdblanche
@rikyrah: Man, this guy doesn’t know when to take no for an answer, does he? Oh and to get further off-topic I clicked over to HuffPost since that was the first link I could find about Husted’s latest appeal. Somebody over there didn’t get the panic memo. Their electoral college predictor has Obama above 270 with a 90 vote lead over Romney, who still doesn’t lead in any swing state.
Butch
@Virginia Highlander: I’m interested in the TPM comments because the same thing has happened to me. I haven’t spent a lot of time meditating about the “why,” but I went from multiple daily visits to TPM to almost none.
rlrr
@lamh35:
If the son or daughter of a Democratic Presidential candidate had said that about sitting Republican President, the howls of outrage would be deafening.
Ash Can
@lamh35: I just saw that at LGF. For everyone who’s been running around wailing that the “new, improved” Romney is going to take the nation by storm, the show’s over — the Romneys are back to their normal hateful selves.
Omnes Omnibus
@rikyrah: The decision to appeal or is there something else?
...now I try to be amused
Well, well, even Mitt’s progeny have mastered the art of projection.
amk
@Villago Delenda Est: I will provide the gasoline and the stake. My gifts.
Hill Dweller
@Butch: I quit going to TPM last year. That decision, along with giving up HuffPo and Sullivan, has made reading blogs far more enjoyable.
Following our politics is enough to infuriate the most calm person, but adding hysterical analysis and “balanced” opinions just makes it unbearable.
Southern Beale
OT but did y’all see “The Queen Of Versailles”? The guy from that movie just sent a letter to his employees threatening to fire everyone if Obama is reelected. You know, just as a little reminder of what’s at stake this election.
What a dick.
Nina
I think that the true downfall of the Romney campaign will be the moment that unpolitical America realizes that a Romney win would mean that uninteresting stories about the creepy Romney kids and a steady stream of Romney grandchildren will now start taking up airtime in their Entertainment Tonight minor celebrity gossip viewing time.
Whereas the eldest Obama daughter is about to hit puberty and could be the fodder for all sorts of celebutante speculation if Obama wins.
Which stories would they rather deplore?
cckids
@lamh35: Jesus. They make me just incandescent with rage. Entitled, lazy, clueless pricks.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@cckids: Spoiled one percenters getting cocky. I’m sure that will fill those “working class whites” with all sorts of warm fuzzies.
In the meantime, the Village is up in arms about Obama’s ‘tone’. Talking about Big Bird is “demeaning”, saying that Romney lied is uncouth.
mdblanche
@Nina: I much prefer outsourcing such things across the pond and letting the British public pick up the tab. So, which member of the royal family do you think will be photographed without any clothes on next?
Napoleon
@Southern Beale:
I don’t know if you are in swing state but hear in Ohio on a similar vein the Republican Jewish Coalition (or some similar name) is running ads from a guy who started Home Depot whining about how he couldn’t have gotten past opening 6 stores if he had such an anti-business president as Obama at the time when he was growing Home Depot. What a flaming a-hole. I wonder if those ads are actually counterproductive for them.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Napoleon:
Only Jimmy Carter can save them!
Ed Schultz had a story last night about an auto parts supplier sending a similar threat to his employees. Contacted by the (I think) Detroit Free Press, the guy explained that he didn’t benefit from the auto bail out. He had lots of cash in reserve and could have survived the total collapse of his only customers.
cckids
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
With all the hysteria about what Obama didn’t do during the debate, it seems to be forgotten that no matter how he called Romney out for lying, he’d get smacked around for it. It just “isn’t done”. Honestly, even reporters dance around the word LIE. Oy.
TexasMango
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: But R-Money spawn get to call Obama a boy and it’s OK because he used a big word like obstinate.
Fuck these people. In the meantime Obama’s supporters get more riled up to beat these rich racist assholes.
Napoleon
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Marcus is the guy in the ad.
Napoleon
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Only a wingnut could say something that stupid. I guess he was goint to start selling parts to the Martians.
mdblanche
@Napoleon: Or the Confidence Fairy.
TexasMango
@Napoleon: He would’ve used his cash reserves to buy parts from himself because he’s such a rugged individualist he could be his only customer.
Napoleon
Sounds like something The Most Interesting Man in the World would do (BTW, who happens to be an Obama supporter).
trollhattan
@lamh35:
Ugh. With each successive generation, the Romneys become more like the Palins. George would not be pleased.
hildebrand
The only reason anybody listens to Woodward is because Robert Redford played him in All the President’s Men. Most people couldn’t pick the real Woodward out in a lineup.
Davis X. Machina
@gnomedad: If it doesn’t mention loose shoes I want my money back.
burnspbesq
@rikyrah:
Surely this doesn’t surprise you.
rlrr
@trollhattan:
George Romney had the guts to stand up against the GOP and them Mormon church, something I can’t imagine Mitt doing…
burnspbesq
FWIW, a quick search of the Supreme Court’s docket doesn’t show that Husted has filed anything yet.
danielx
@Stooleo:
Exactly the same, except that it was easier to refer to Clinton as jumped-up white trash than it is to complain about uppity negro being uppity.
As for Woodward’s reportorial bona fides, all one really needs to know is that his multivolume set of books about the Cheney Regency fails to note until the third volume that what was occurring in Iraq was Olympic-quality suck and fail, and that it wasn’t exactly classified knowledge.
Marshall
@The Ancient Randonneur:
They felt the same way about Carter. The condescension back then was astounding.
Triassic Sands
Not reaching an agreement on the budget was 100% Obama’s fault. He refused to compromise.
Webster’s Wingnut Pre-School Dickshunary:
compromise n. 1) Any agreement in which the Republicans get 100% of what they want and the Democrats get nothing in return.
Rex Everything
Woodward sucks. He always kinda sucked.