The right sphere had a great deal to say about Joe Klein’s quote in the Politico piece by Ben Smith. The quote:
“He became ground zero among the neo-cons, but he’s vastly smarter than most of them,” said Time’s Joe Klein, an admirer and critic who praised Krauthammer’s “writing skills and polemical skills” as “so far above almost anybody writing columns today.”
“There’s something tragic about him, too,” Klein said, referring to Krauthammer’s confinement to a wheelchair, the result of a diving accident during his first year of medical school. “His work would have a lot more nuance if he were able to see the situations he’s writing about.”
Klein’s response at Swampland:
The usual neoconservative malingerers have been hammering me about a quote I gave to Politico, regarding Charles Krauthammer’s limitations as a columnist.
Obviously, I didn’t mean to imply second-class status for disabled people. On the contrary, the distance and perspective that comes with physical deficits often leads to enhanced insight and abilities. The greatest President of the past 150 140 years–(Thanks, commenter flownover!)– sat in a wheelchair.
James Joyner has a great round up of links and quotes: Tom Maguire, Michael Goldfarb at The Weekly Standard, John Podhoretz in Commentary, Betsy Newmark, Jules Crittenden. Joyner writes:
Upon first reading the quote, I was prepared to believe that Smith was reading between the lines about what Klein meant. But in his non-apology apology, it’s clear Klein is in fact referring to Krauthammer’s inability to travel to conflict zones, a byproduct of his disability. That’s not quite the same thing as making fun of Krauthammer for being paralyzed but it’s dangerous territory.
Crittenden’s “cripplehawk” comment and Podhoretz’ bit about the “passport stamps” come closest to capturing the essence of Klein’s argument. Is it a fair one? Do those, like Bill Roggio and Michael Totten, who actually travel to war zones that they’re writing about have an added perspective that those of us who write from the confort of our armchairs don’t? Sure.
For more, we have Allah Pundit.
Joe Klein has now entered the fray. This is not exactly a big moment. Joe is one of those people who pretends that it takes bravery to beat up on Israel when what it does is get you invited to the smuggest soirees in New York and Washington. Joe, you are a success. But you haven’t had a single idea half as interesting as those that drop off of Charles’ lips twenty times a day.
We already knew, thanks to his role in Primary Colors, that Joe Klein was a liar; he is now becoming quite unhinged.
And isn’t only the right that’s smacking their heads. Wonkette:
Maybe that “came out wrong,” but no? C’mon JOE KLEIN. Charles Krauthammer isn’t blind, and the country is rather wheelchair accessible. Oof.
Spencer Ackerman takes issue with Podhoretz:
Something ludicrous that Jon Podhoretz said. What starts off as a strained read of a quote Joe Klein gave to Politico’s Ben Smith about Charles Krauthammer (“Is it conceivable that Joe Klein is saying a man in a wheelchair is incapable of understanding the nuances of Iraq and the war on terror because he can’t get on a plane and go there like Joe Klein can?”) becomes something taken for granted by the end of Podhoretz’s post. Look, John, we get it. You and Joe have differences about policy. That animates everything you write about Klein. No one is going to believe you are reading Klein’s quote in good faith. Let’s give the whole thing a rest.
I’m sure there’s more that I haven’t found yet. Will update.
UPDATE: Peter Wehner again
UPDATE #2: Via Scott Lemieux, Jim Henley
UPDATE #3: Mary Katherine Ham at TWS.
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May 21, 2009 at 9:53 pm
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