Carl Berstein Calls Bush Most Radical President of This Century [The whole 21st Century?]

St. Petersburg Times ^ | 3/19/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer
Published March 19, 2004

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TAMPA - Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein riffed Thursday night about President Bush, the Martha Stewart trial, the war in Iraq and his affection for Florida.

But mostly he talked about an epidemic that troubles him deeply these days. He calls it "the triumph of idiot culture."

Speaking to a crowd of about 200 at the Wyndham Westshore, he placed most of the blame on modern media outlets.

Bernstein, the former Washington Post journalist who, along with fellow reporter Bob Woodward, unearthed the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, said much of today's news has deteriorated into gossip, sensationalism and manufactured controversy.

That type of news panders to the public and insults their intelligence, ignoring the context of real life, he said. Good journalism, Bernstein said, "should challenge people, not just mindlessly amuse them."

He said the modern press lacks true leadership, citing such examples as AOL Time Warner and mogul Rupert Murdoch as media owners that have increasingly abandoned the principles of meaningful reporting.

"Their interest in truth is secondary to their interest in huge profits," Bernstein said.

Still, he said people can change that trend by exploring the Internet and piecing together from reputable sources their own news about important world matters.

He offered another solution to avoiding the trash that fills the airwaves: "Change the damn channel. Simple."

Bernstein also turned his attention Thursday to the coming election, calling President Bush "the most radical president of my lifetime and perhaps in the century."

Bernstein said Bush "is radical in every degree," from a favoritism of the wealthy to a pre-emptive foreign policy to a lack of concern for civil rights.

"He certainly seems more ideological than any of our presidents," Bernstein said.

Even so, Bernstein said he hopes a genuine debate can take place this year about the future of the country, rather than the petty quarrels and meaningless accusations that so often dominate campaign coverage.

"Let's move beyond the absurd name-calling and sound bite journalism," he said. "It is our job ... to force a real debate."

Try as he might, Bernstein could not escape the ghosts of Watergate, even for one night. A man stood during the post-speech question-and-answer session and asked if Deep Throat, the anonymous source used by Woodward and Bernstein, was a real person.

Bernstein smiled and broke into an impression of Nixon, grumbling to an assistant and wondering himself about Deep Throat's identity.

"It is one person," Bernstein said, finally. "We did not make it up."

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

[angkor]

Before there was a Jayson Blair, there were Woodward and Bernstein.

It's amazing that Woodward gets aways with his contemporary fictional journalism, where he seems to be transcribing from a seat in the Oval Office and getting the realtime secret ruminations of the entire Cabinet. We know he's not there, we know those quotes aren't accurate, yet there they are in his books.

Compare Woodward's reporting today, with the secret ruminations of "Deep Throat" yesterday, and you see some very clear stylistic parallels.

It's fake reporting. Made up, not true, fictional journalism.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

The following article was written by Cal Thomas in 1998:

"Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet shake-up has elevated a woman whose sexual history rivals President Clinton's for daring and lack of concern for others."

"MARGARET CALLAGHAN, the new leader of the House of Lords, has also been named to Blair's cabinet as minister for women. She might have been better suited as minister for men, with whom she has far more experience."

The 58-year-old Baroness Jay, as she is known because of her one-time marriage to Peter Jay, the former British ambassador to Washington, was the subject of a Hollywood film called 'HEARTBURN,' starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson."

"The movie was based on a book by Nora Ephron, who was once married to the Washington Post's Watergate co-celebrity reporter, Carl Bernstein."

"Ephron's novel was a thinly veiled account of Bernstein's affair with Margaret Callaghan Jay while Ephron was seven months pregnant with Bernstein's child."

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/thomas073198.html

[Toskrin]

Ugly truth. There never WAS any "Deep Throat".

Bingo. Woodward and Bernstein had only single sources for their Watergate info. They pieced it together but needed someone to corroborate it. Thus, they invented "Deep Throat."

Woodward has already shown himself to be a liar - ICU coversations with the comatose Bill Casey, George Bush quotes that never happened, etc.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

"Sally Quinn used to go to parties for a living as a reporter for The Washington Post, and she's thrown a few soirees herself."

"In fact, in one of the many star-studded anecdotes collected in her book, she relates that it was at a lobster dinner at Quinn's house that the conversation turned to the absolute impossibility of knowing whether or not one's spouse was having an affair."

"Guest Nora Ephron rose, requested a bottle of red wine (white was on the table, what with the lobster), and poured it on her then-husband Carl Bernstein's head."

"Later, in her best-selling 1983 novel and movie, Heartburn, she changed the wine pouring to a pie in the face," reports Quinn.

http://www.familyhaven.com/cooking/hostessmostest.html

[international american]

People like Bernstein and other left wingers who make these statements only help Bush.

[sergeantdave]

From - AUTHORITARIANISM IS LEFTIST, NOT RIGHTIST
By: John J. Ray



"The theory that would seem to have the widest explanatory power is that Leftist advocacy serves ego needs. It is submitted here that the major psychological reason why Leftists so zealously criticize the existing order and advocate change is in order to feed a pressing need for self-inflation and ego-boosting -- and ultimately for power, the greatest ego boost of all.

"They need public attention; they need to demonstrate outrage; they need to feel wiser and kinder and more righteous than most of their fellow man. They fancy for themselves the heroic role of David versus Goliath. They need to show that they are in the small club of the virtuous and the wise so that they can nobly instruct and order about their less wise and less virtuous fellow-citizens.

"Their need is a pressing need for attention, for self-advertisement and self-promotion -- generally in the absence of any real claims in that direction. They are people who need to feel important and who are aggrieved at their lack of recognition and power. One is tempted to hypothesize that, when they were children, their mothers didn't look when they said, "Mummy, look at me".

[auboy]

Maybe a better title would have been Heartbern.

[NYCVirago]

That type of news panders to the public and insults their intelligence, ignoring the context of real life, he said. Good journalism, Bernstein said, "should challenge people, not just mindlessly amuse them."

I think he has a different idea of challenging people than we do....

He said the modern press lacks true leadership, citing such examples as AOL Time Warner and mogul Rupert Murdoch as media owners that have increasingly abandoned the principles of meaningful reporting. "Their interest in truth is secondary to their interest in huge profits," Bernstein said.

It depends on what the meaning of "truth" is, doesn't it? Murdoch has made huge profits by courting (Bernstein would probably say "pandering to") conservatives. In fact, Murdoch's critics say that he's put his politics above profits. You can't have it both ways.

[NYCVirago]

It's amazing that Woodward gets aways with his contemporary fictional journalism, where he seems to be transcribing from a seat in the Oval Office and getting the realtime secret ruminations of the entire Cabinet. We know he's not there, we know those quotes aren't accurate, yet there they are in his books. Compare Woodward's reporting today, with the secret ruminations of "Deep Throat" yesterday, and you see some very clear stylistic parallels.

I just thought of something -- shouldn't Carl Bernstein feel partly responsible for the state of the media today? After all, thousands of people went to journalism school to emulate him and Woodward, because they were considered "cool."

[jwalsh07]

Another lefty has been. They all grow old and bitter and dream of "final solutions" for conservatives.

[LiteKeeper]

If President Bush is the most radical president in the 20th Century, then "bring it on." Let's have more radicalism...he has the fortitude to stand up to the "idiots" of the world - French, Germans, etc.

[gg188]

And when Deep Throat dies, he said, "We will reveal him."

...when, conveniently, that person won't be able to confirm or deny it...

Reminds me of Kerry's "world leaders" who have endorsed his candidacy, but whose identity is none of your business.

[FrankR]

"Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein..."

Only in the mind of the writer of this peice, and in Bernstein's mind...frankly, I never heard of him.

"Bernstein said Bush "is radical in every degree," from a favoritism of the wealthy to a pre-emptive foreign policy to a lack of concern for civil rights."

Well, he's right...Bush doesn't try to blame all of America's problems on the rich...as liberals do; he doesn't stand still when threatened by foreign policy or aggression; and he doesn't knee-jerk every time there is the inevitible "wahh wahh" from some civil rights group (follow the money).

What Bernstein has essentially said is..."We finally have a President with some Cajones!"

[FrankR]

"Legendary reporter Carl Bernstein..."

Only in the mind of the writer of this peice, and in Bernstein's mind...frankly, I never heard of him.

"Bernstein said Bush "is radical in every degree," from a favoritism of the wealthy to a pre-emptive foreign policy to a lack of concern for civil rights."

Well, he's right...Bush doesn't try to blame all of America's problems on the rich...as liberals do; he doesn't stand still when threatened by foreign policy or aggression; and he doesn't knee-jerk every time there is the inevitible "wahh wahh" from some civil rights group (follow the money).

What Bernstein has essentially said is..."We finally have a President with some Cajones!"

[FierceDraka]

Bush? A radical?? He's referring to President George W Bush, correct?

I would hardly call him a radical.

Now if I was the man in the White House, that might be a fitting description. And believe me, if that was the case the liberals and socialists and communists would REALLY have something to cry about as I ruthlessly dismantle the regulatory bureaucracy and put the Fed back in its Constitutional cage.

[hattend]

Bernstein, the former Washington Post journalist who, along with fellow reporter Bob Woodward, unearthed the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon

Still living off Watergate, Carl? What have you done lately?