Great Woodward Stuff From Arianna and Jane

From two of the people topping my most-like-to-have-cocktails-with list, Arianna Huffington and Jane Hamsher, I want to pass along a couple of excellent pieces on the whole Bob Woodward imbroglio – in which my childhood journalism hero, seems to have lost his way.

In 15 Questions for Bob Woodward, Arianna asks the questions that need to be asked of the formerly-intrepid Mr. Woodward, such as: "Why were you afraid of being subpoenaed in 2003? Subpoenas of reporters didn't begin until 2004" and "On October 27, you were on Larry King saying you had no big scoop. Was that true or a lie?"

Go to the Huffington Post for more...

In Plan of a Hack – damn! why didn't I think of that one? – one of my favorite writers, Jane Hamsher, addresses a lot of the seminal issues in the Woodward affair and handicaps where she thinks this will all shake out, vis-à-vis the name of who spilled Valerie Plame's identity to Woodward. An excerpt:

"Woodward's cast-iron refusal to act like a journalist and name a source he has now testified about most assuredly and permanently bestows upon him Chief Stenographer status. His mea culpa was even more embarrassing than Judy Miller's (at least the Times named Libby as Miller's source upon her release from jail -- who thought that sordid affair would ever be invidiously compared to anything?) The Post's up-and-comer status as the "paper of record" to replace the NYT was dealt a serious blow as they refused to buck their star reporter's desire to play White House suck-up. Woodward verily laughed at any suggestion that he bore some professional obligation to the Post that might compromise his prized, self-serving 'access.'"

You can find the rest at Jane's blog, FireDogLake.

Read and enjoy!