That's Despicable

A while back my conservative friend Peter asked me in the comments section why I always refer to the despicable Robert Novak with the leading apposition. Mark Thoma had a very nice reply, also in the comments section, detailing all the despicable things about Novak.

Well, here's one more:

Robert Novak, whose "confidential" sources helped him light the match that set off the Plamegate wildfire, is now on the Internet blithely hawking "confidential" sessions with Washington's power elite. He's only asking $595 a person. The invitation says: "This meeting is 100% off the record." The e-mail letter goes on to explain that the secrecy is necessary so that the speakers can speak candidly and tell the truth. The truth, in the nation's capital—that's certainly worth $595.

Actually, the truth-dedicated Novak has been running these one-day conferences for decades. Sources believe it's an effort to supplement the paltry income from his syndicated column, his political talk shows on television, and other entrepreneurial sidelines. You've all heard of cottage industries. Novak's conglomerate is more of the gated-community variety. You've probably guessed: He's very much in favor of reducing taxes on the rich.

Needless to say, the absurdity continues. You might as well read the whole article---it's not very long. But it is despicable.