Posted on 08/18/2009 9:06:24 AM PDT by freespirited
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak, one of the nation’s most influential journalists, who relished his “Prince of Darkness” public persona, died at home here early Tuesday morning after a battle with brain cancer.
“He was someone who loved being a journalist, love journalism and loved his country and loved his family, Novak’s wife, Geraldine, told the Sun-Times on Tuesday.
Novak’s remarkable and long-running career made him a powerful presence in newspaper columns, newsletters, books and on television.
On May 15, 1963, Novak teamed up with the late Rowland Evans Jr. to create the “Inside Report” political column, which became the must-read syndicated column. Evans tapped Novak, then a 31-year old correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, to help with the workload of a six-day-a-week column.
Evans and Novak were the od d couple: Evans a Philadelphia blue blood and Yale graduate; Novak from Joliet, Ill. who attended the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus.
Novak handled the column solo after Evans retired in 1993. The Chicago Sun-Times has been Novak’s home paper since 1966.
Robert David Sanders Novak, 78, was born and raised in Joliet and his first newspaper jobs were with the Joliet Herald-News and, while a student at the University of Illinois, the Champaign-Urbana Courier. Novak maintained a lifelong tie to the University of Illinois with the school creating the Robert D. Novak chair of Western Civilization and Culture in 200X.
Mrs. Novak said that her husband passed away at 4:30 a.m., returning home after being hospitalized between July 10 and July 24. Novak’s malignant brain tumor was discovered July 27, 2008.
One of a kind.
No doubt.
The most acerbic wit in politics.
Since I've lived in the Chicago area my whole life, I actually "know" that Fitzgerald is "from" New York. Indeed, he was selected for U.S. Attorney of Illinois in 2001 precisely because Fitzgerald was NOT from Chicago (Fitz said that he had visited Chicago only one day -- for a wedding in 1982 -- before being selected) and therefore had NO connections to the corrupt political establishment there. As such, Fitzgerald was appointed by Bush on the advise of a conservative Republican Senator, and vigorously opposed by the Daley machine (my guess is you have no idea who that is) and the combine (ditto) because they COULDN'T control him.
Thanks to having an independent outsider to oppose the Chicago machine, Fitzgerald has proven to be extremely effective at exposing Obama's gang here in Chicago and has indicted dozens of top-ranking Democrat officials, including James Laski, then the second highest ranking elected Chicago official (city Clerk), Tony Rezko (the top Democrat fundraiser in Illinois), and of course, Rod Blagoejevich. Not to mention just about every paid official in the HDO (Hispanic Democrat Organization) for the Hired Truck scandal (which is a major issue here in Illinois, but unheard of outside our state). NONE of which would have occurred if a Chicago insider had been appointed.
But thanks for proving my point that Fitzgerald haters on FR are ignorant of Chicago politics. Getting rid of Fitzgerald would be Obama's wet dream.
RIP, Prince of Darkness. Prayers for his family.
Prayers for his wife and family & friends...
Now that you posted his picture I know exactly who he is... I knew the name sounded familiar in the article, as I grew up “in Chicago” — actually the suburbs. It is a sad thing for me to hear, even though as someone posted above, I didn’t always agree with him... Thanks for posting his picture...
...and he sat quietly by and let Cheney and his people take the fall for it, while knowing all along it was not them that had leaked it.
Oh... That is a REALLY great story! Good for him! It’s always fun to see a liberal faced with their lies who are then caught speechless... And that he got to do that on air, must’ve felt really good to him, too!
Like you, I enjoyed the biography very much.
I thought it put his actions during the Plame Game in better context. The guy was a defended of the Right when the list was very short and that ought to count for a lot of free passes on later, smaller, items.
My point is that Bush did not defend himself, his people, and his policies as he should have in the face of all of the opposition leveled at his administration for eight long years, but rather let others carry the water for him. That was the ultimate downfall of Bush. Why continue to defend someone who won't defend himself? Rush made a huge point of that after 2006 when the Dems took over congress. Bush hurt himself more than anyone else did.
Do I really need the sarc/ tag here???
You can indict a ham sandwich. How many confictions so far? We're still waiting on Rezko aren't we? Is Blagoejevich ever coming to trial?
What Mr. Fitzgerald knew, and chose to ignore, is troublesome. Despite what some CIA good ol’ boys might have told Mr. Fitzgerald, he knew from the day he took office that the facts did not support a violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act; therefore, there was no crime to investigate. Although he claimed in Mr. Libby's indictment that Ms. Plame’s employment status was “classified,” Mr. Fitzgerald refuses to provide the basis for that fact and, even if true, can point to no law that would be violated by revealing a “classified” (not covert) employment. It was this gap in the law that created the need to pass the act in the first place.
Yes, and this while Bush/Cheney were being attacked 24/7 month after month on Iraq as well.
I suppose Novak was sworn to secrecy by Fitzgerald. But the whole thing stunk to high heaven. Pile on after pile on while we were in the middle of war.
Well, that's my point. He didn't defend himself against the onslaught. He paid the price. (For irony, Obama has the media on his side and he is blowing chunks trying to defend himself!)
That is really weird. I knew it had been some time since his diagnosis, and it sounded so grim at the time, that I just assumed he must have died. I hope he was able to enjoy the time he had. It’s all any of us can ask for....
Novak has written that the Plame business caused him great agony as he was faced (at least for a while) with the dilemma of surfacing an informant or keeping silent. He had never in his long career given up an informant.
I feel sure that he did not know to what lengths the Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald would go to hound Libby. FYI, Fitzgerald has continued his rabid prosecutorial style attacking the author of Triple Cross and trying to stop publication of the book that was most critical of Fitzgerald’s activity during the 90s.
Yes, and it will get worse.
Clinton did the same thing. And they both look like fools.
Bush refused. He put his energies into the war and saving American lives. Perhaps he did the right thing. The war was likely won faster because he was not distracted (and distraction was definitely what the MSM was trying to do but Bush would not be baited) and we might still be discussing Plame in the media now day after day had he not done so because he would look attached and somehow guilty. As it is, hardly anyone in the public now relates Bush's persona to the Plame affair whatsoever.
That’s an excellent summary! I feel the same way sometimes around here... Like the ones who treated the Hillary supporters who knew how crooked Obama was (after witnessing the voting irregularities in their own primaries...) and having to dig up dirt on him. There were a good number of “PUMA” and Hillary supporters who have helped where it counted in fighting against Obama, too. Hillary at least had lived here all her life, and compared to Obama — had more than enough experience to run the country after watching Bill for 8 years. She wouldn’t have ruined our economy, although she would be trying to pass her form of gov’t healthcare, too. And yes, I KNOW about all her horrid attributes myself... But she’d STILL be the nicer one if we were voting “between two evils”... JMHO.
Anyway, Patrick Fitzgerald has tried to be like “Harvey Dent” in a place like Chicago, in his real life not some fictional escapade. Of course you are surrounded by liberals and can only do so much, but you do what you can, when you can... to keep politicians honest — especially in Chicago — is like trying to keep lions from their prey.
Good-bye Robert. I found your columns in the local newpaper when I was in High school during the Carter years. I really think you had a big influence on me.
He wrote a column asking for people to pray for him and I did. Now prayers for those who loved him. RIP
Novak said that Fitzgerald asked him not to reveal his sources until after the investigation was concluded, which took nearly 2 1/2 years. And after he was free to reveal his source, and knowing his history of not giving up informants (he would cite the 1st Amendment), it was no surprise he would continue to keep it secret.
If there are villains to be scorned and ridiculed, it is Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson, Patrick Fitzgerald, Colin Powell, and Richard Armitage. They are the true slime.
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