Brit is a class act, his great crime was the audacity to ask Clinton real questions - and then follow up to challenge Clinton's usual meely-mouthed lie. Served with a smug blow off, of course.
It's a shame that there are so few journalists, and especially interviewers, who have a working knowledge of their guest, his/her biography and issue positions from a historical perspective. Brit does. I'd want to see him interview Tom Daschele or Terry McAullife for 60 minutes. The medium is being wasted. 75% of the TV guys/gals have no involvement in the discourse (i.e. actually listening to the answer) and totally lack the ability and knowledge to challenge inconsistencies or move into unplanned territory with a solid foundation of insight and skill. I hate the Today show/Bill O'Reilly crap - Couric is the most incompetent, scripted hack in the field, and O'Reilly is only interested in presenting his opinions. The guest is a prop. The guest is a tool for Matthews, Savage, the CNN "Capital gang", McLaughlin, and Donahue etc. to show their brilliance. Snow, Zahn, Imus, King, Lehrer, all the morning zombies ... they're all just potted plants or working the shill slot. Martha Stewart nicely tells Jane Clayson she's there to make summer doilies and not to discuss her shareholder lawsuits and Justice Department investigation into insider trading ... and Jane firms up and challenges that insult to her professional duty: "Y'know, these doilies would be acceptable at a leisure picnic or a more formal sit down dinner ..."
Brit Hume is a true professional. He can deconstruct the position of a Newt Gingrich, John McCain, David Brock or Jesse Jackson in a methodical, skillful and neutral way. Michael Medved is the best around at that. Jason Lewis here in Mineapolis is really good, Gwetta Van Susteren listens too, so does Hugh Hewitt, Hannity, Neal Cavuto (and really all the Financial reporters - they are fearless interviewers). The guy who hosts the Fox media-analysis panel is great. The C-SPAN hosts, Brian Lamb for one, are terrific interviewers on Booknotes and absolute Druids during their interviews with political guests - and especially those idiot callers. That damn "non-partisanship" facade - right. That morning show is a trip into contrived, organized disinformation. "Republican Line from Manhattan, is the caller there?" "I'd direct my outrage at President Bush, but he didn't really win the election ..."
Laura Ingraham, Ann Coulter, the late Barbara Olson, Mary Matalin, Victoria Tensing, E.D. Donahay ... the Pubbie/Fox women rock and they are smarter and have bigger "ones" than the men. Except for Mark Levin. I'm amazed he's got "them" the size of canned hams, and I'm amazed he can stand upright with that ballast below. He's a guy you'd like to sit next to on a barstool and rip people for a few hours. Ingraham and Coulter would be quite the twosome to club-hop with. I'll bet that's a scary good time.
Brit Hume is INDEED a class act: an old time journalist who gets to know his subject via srtingent research. His questions are intelligent, and he knows the subject behind the question well enough to catch any "what is is" prevarcation.
Also, I agree with your assessment of other honest journalists...with the exception of Van Sustrin, who turned me off while she was still with CNN, during the OJ trial. Maybe I should re-think my opinion and watch her more often.
My hat is off to your excellent post. OK...I'm not wearing a hat, I'm drinking a beer before bed, so I raise my can and salute you. BUMP.