Citizen Jake

Point, Brian Williams (via):

On the other hand, one sparkling piece of journalism (which touched on a lot of themes frequent readers of this space will recognize) was by Peggy Noonan in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal. Curl up with this one and give it the quality time it deserves. I’ll say it again: Peggy is doing the work of her career and must be considered an early favorite for next cycle’s Pulitzer for commentary.

Counterpoint, Timothy Noah:

An exception must be made for conservative pundits like Noonan who make their living by imagining the United States to be overrun with xenophobic, bigoted morons; who pretty up that misapprehension by calling it patriotism; and who then try to foment culture war in the name of these make-believe “real Americans.” As to this latest litmus test, I doubt Obama has strong feelings one way or another about the prospectors who overran Sutter’s Mill in 1849, though he may now be forced to pretend that he does. Why a grown woman, much less a member of the working press, should pose such an idiotic question is not easy to understand.

To be fair Williams is not talking about the same article as Noah but still, Noonan is a moron and everyone should know that, especially if you lead a national newscast. I feel like its under-appreciated how much of a tool Brian Williams is. Someone should do something to call attention to this fact.