Farewell and Thanks (Al Hunt's Last Wall Street Journal Column!)

Wall Street Journal (subscription required) ^

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In 1993, I had lunch with The Wall Street Journal's editorial-page editor, Bob Bartley, to discuss launching what he envisioned as a contrarian column.

With Bob, who passed away a year ago, small talk never was easy. But he was very smart and had lots of views about column writing and what would work. It made sense, I replied, but noted there were areas where I shared the editorial page's viewpoint, free trade for example. "In all due respect," my taciturn luncheon partner replied, "if I want a column on free trade, I can do better than you."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Strangely, there was nothing in the column, or anywhere else in the news that I could find, that explained why Hunt was giving up his column. I always saw Hunt as the prototypical 'wet' liberal, who I suspected tried to stay in the good graces of his wife Judy Woodruff by dutifully toeing the liberal line.

[Jacquerie]

I stopped reading his column shortly after it first appeared. He was a standard 'rat liberal unworthy of an otherwise great newspaper.

[Larry381]

I always looked at him as a major league assh*le.

[huac]

"who I suspected tried to stay in the good graces of his wife Judy Woodruff by dutifully toeing the liberal line." Would you cross that bit@#? She's scary. True evil never dies, it has to be exorcised. They are going to need a wooden stake and cross when they try to show her the door.

[jalisco555]

His column was a waste of perfectly good op-ed space. I never read it and I doubt many other Journal readers did, either.

[Cincinatus]

"In all due respect," my taciturn luncheon partner replied, "if I want a column on free trade, I can do better than you."

Or one on any other subject. Vale, Al Hunt -- and good riddance.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Agreed. Don't think the column made much of a ripple anywhere.

[Jhensy]

In response to the news, Hunt's legions of fans take to the streets in tribute...

[OldFriend]

Odious best describes Hunt and his wife.

Whenever we were called to take a subscription to the WSJ I would always tell them to call back when Al Hunt was gone.

[uncbob]

Hunt and his column were banal to be chaitable

A real light weight in the brain department

A walking liberal cliche

He and Margret Carlson made a great pair on Capital Gang

Put both of their intellects together and you couldn't come up with a decent political thought

[jalisco555]

Agreed. Don't think the column made much of a ripple anywhere.

Hunt's real influence was as Washington Bureau Chief, giving the news reporting a leftist slant.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

LOL. Well, at least according to the column, he had two regular readers. Then again, they disagreed vehemently with him!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Hunt's real influence was as Washington Bureau Chief, giving the news reporting a leftist slant.

Important point. I read an analysis of the major papers that showed that, amazingly, the WSJ's news pages was the most left-slanted - even worse than the NYT. Thanks for nuthin' Al.

[aShepard]

LOL

[keysguy]

Good riddance to bad rubbage.

[sr4402]

Just another liberal Dinosaur facing extinction. Sound like he is joining Dan Rather, in getting out while the getting is good.

[sr4402]

'What do you mean? We are the mainstream media and you should believe us just like you believed in my National Guard documents against the President.'

/Sarcasm OFF

[ProtectOurFreedom]

This news really made my day...and it's only 5:19 on the West Coast. As a long-time WSJ subscriber, I can only say "it's about time!"

[OESY]

As the inmates led by Hunt had taken over the institution that is the Wall Street Journal in Washington, I shudder to think what's next. At least with Hunt in Fantasyland misdiagnosing the real causative factors of most problems, we could be assured that the Dems would never get it right.

[ml1954]

Good riddance, Al. And please don't write or call.