TPMDC
Broder: Reid Is Parochial, Uninspiring Leader
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and David Broder
Share
Send to a friend!
This past Saturday, at the beginning of a marathon health care debate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took a pot shot at Washington Post columnist, and liberal bête noir David Broder.
"To focus on a man who has been retired for many years and writes a column once in a while is not where we should be," Reid said.
Well now Broder, typically not much one for diving into the mud, is hitting back.
"I hope he's more accurate about the [health care] bill than he is about me," Broder told Politico. "And I'm not retired."
Broder didn't limit his critique to Reid's accuracy, and hammered the Nevada senator for his parochial approach to leadership.
"Maybe I have an idealized view of what a Senate leader ought to be," Broder said. "But I've seen the Senate when a leader could lift it to those heights."
"I think the Senate has, through different periods, had wonderful leadership," Broder added. "I wish it had that kind of leadership now."
"I've been very disappointed by what I'd call the parochialism of Sen. Reid's approach to his job and his responsibilities."
Comments (56) | Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
Most Popular
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2010 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
dswx
November 25, 2009 10:45 AM
For the record, Mr. Broder lives in a "condominium retirement community" in Arlington, VA. I see him and his wife frequently in the dining room when I visit my mother in the same building. And some of things he says are frankly absurd.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 12:51 PM in reply to dswx
Broder is a parochial, uninspiring bore.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
GayIthacan
November 25, 2009 10:57 AM
Reid's best answer?
"I have seen political commentary at a time when it rose to soaring heights of expression and relevance. I wish it had this kind of relevance now."
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
slb
November 25, 2009 7:21 PM in reply to GayIthacan
+1
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
cwnidog
November 25, 2009 10:58 AM
You know, I think they're both right.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
EastWest
November 25, 2009 11:33 AM in reply to cwnidog
Yep. It was probably just an accident, but Broder nailed it this time. Reid is parochial and uninspiring. He should've added, "weak".
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Richardxx
November 25, 2009 12:18 PM in reply to EastWest
The results a leader can deliver depend very much on the nature of those led. The Senate has never in the last 60 years been the center of the kind of intolerant atmosphere with such a high percentage of frustrated absolutist radicals attempting to change everything in America and in the Senate as it has been for the last decade.
No doubt Broder could step in, replace Reid, and solve the problems overnight. I wonder why he doesn't?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 12:53 PM in reply to Richardxx
He doesn't because no one would vote for him.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Steaming Pile
November 25, 2009 10:59 AM
Even a busted clock is right twice a day.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
gharlane
November 25, 2009 1:31 PM in reply to Steaming Pile
Ding ding ding ding ding ... nailed it.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
howie
November 25, 2009 11:00 AM
Broder is a parochial writer; caring only about the thoughts and opinions of the small "village" in which he lives.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
lovethesinner
November 25, 2009 11:08 AM
parochial |pəˈrōkēəl|
adjective
of or relating to a church parish : the parochial church council.
• having a limited or narrow outlook or scope : this worldview seems incredibly naive and parochial.
"What we say of others is usually best applied to ourselves" -Cal Ripkin
Of course, he's right about the "uninspiring" part, but talk about the pot calling the kettle...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
VictorLH
November 25, 2009 11:09 AM
For once I agree with Broder, Reid is a terrible Senate Majority Leader.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tmccarthy0
November 25, 2009 11:10 AM
Somebody probably already said this but "Broder is a parochial uninspiring writer", so the two have a great deal in common.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Saladin
November 25, 2009 11:26 AM in reply to tmccarthy0
well said
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
mattstan
November 25, 2009 11:12 AM
That picture of Broder always makes me think of David Cross in old-man makeup.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Rich in NJ
November 25, 2009 11:18 AM
At least Reid isn't full of shit, like Broder, whose assertions on the impact of the HCR bill on the deficit are provably false, as Ezra Klein pointed out.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Riesz Fischer
November 25, 2009 11:32 AM in reply to Rich in NJ
I don't think it's fair to say that Broder is "full of shit" on HCR. He's actually just too stupid to understand the issue.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
KlevenStein
November 25, 2009 12:02 PM in reply to Riesz Fischer
If one repeatedly and consistently pontificates about subjects on which they are short-sighted and frequently just wrong), and if they frequently propagate demonstrably false information, then "full of shit" is certainly an accurate and applicable phrase.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Richardxx
November 25, 2009 12:23 PM in reply to KlevenStein
I agree that "full of shit" is accurately applied to Broder. It's much too kind, however.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 12:55 PM in reply to Richardxx
Calm down boys and girls. He's both full of shit and stupid.
OK -- go at it about the percentages.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Dave Adams
November 26, 2009 2:44 PM in reply to JNagarya
(rolls eyes) Fine; have it your way...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 26, 2009 9:40 PM in reply to Dave Adams
I usually do.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
tlees2
November 25, 2009 11:27 AM
Well, Reid is not the greatest thing since sliced bread in my opinion, but David Broder is definitely a "parochial, uninspiring" writer.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
rbe1
November 25, 2009 11:28 AM
I'm not sure that the term parochial is the right term for Reid. I do believe he is uninspiring, as are the overwhelming majority of politicians in Washington, from the President on down, but I believe that a more accurate characterization of Reid's style is timid, if not downright cowardly.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
November 25, 2009 11:45 AM
Personally I think whatever happens with HCR in the Senate will provide history's verdict on Reid's leadership skills, or lack thereof. If he can get the Fulsome Four to stand down on their filibuster threats without substantially ruining the bill he will be seen as a subtle and wily legislator. If not, then yes, he will be remembered chiefly for his lack of testicular fortitude when the going got rough.
As for Broder, who gives a fuck what he thinks. I sure don't.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
runfastandwin
November 25, 2009 11:47 AM in reply to agio
Exactly.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
kenga
November 25, 2009 11:57 AM in reply to agio
Insofar as Broder's opinionating has contributed to the current political climate in this country - and how it has contributed to the people currently sitting in the Senate ... I'd say it is not negligible and has been largely negative.
He's among those "writing" the national narrative.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
November 25, 2009 12:06 PM in reply to kenga
Oh I agree that Broder is one of the more obnoxious villagers who has done much to contribute to the political climate these days. To that extent it's worth taking note what he writes.
But I still don't give a squirt of piss what he thinks.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Steaming Pile
November 25, 2009 12:18 PM in reply to agio
And if he screws this up, the silver-lining outcome will be that he and perhaps a couple of the traitors lose their seats. The cloud part will be the innocent bystanders. 1994 would be a Sunday picnic compared to having to put up with the Palin Republicans who would then run Congress.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Noam Sane
November 25, 2009 11:46 AM
I question Broder's intellect, frankly. But Reid has not been one of the great majority leaders, by any yardstick.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
decisivemoment
November 25, 2009 11:55 AM
Why do they keep running this 20 year old photo of Broder?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
decisivemoment
November 25, 2009 11:58 AM
Why do they keep running this 20 year old photo of Broder?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
November 25, 2009 12:07 PM in reply to decisivemoment
Because nowadays he probably looks like Benjamin Button.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
SleepinJeezus
November 25, 2009 12:11 PM in reply to decisivemoment
Because the mortician who usually does his makeup wasn't available for the photo shoot.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Cal Gal
November 25, 2009 12:18 PM in reply to SleepinJeezus
LOL
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
TJF
November 25, 2009 1:57 PM in reply to SleepinJeezus
The mortician's daily touch-up of Mitch McConnell ran overtime.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 12:59 PM in reply to decisivemoment
Do you really want to see a current photo?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JohnW1141
November 25, 2009 12:07 PM
Broder and the rest of the Washington/New York press corps live in a shoe box. Broder is the Dean of the Showbox. Russert apsired to be Dean but life interferred. These denizens of the Shoebox are an exclusive club, and as such, they attend the same soirees, dinners, fetes, etc. They commisserate and swap tales of their greatest moments. They live in exclusive neighborhoods, date one another, and sometimes marry one another.
Expect them to laugh uproariously at Bush as he pretended to search for WMD at their annual dinner, or dance a jig with Karl Rove, or invite Condi over to your apartment for an intimate dinner for two as Gwen Ifill did.
Criticize one of these Shoeboxers, a sacrilege in their eyes, regardless of how justified, and they circle the wagons, look down their collective blue noses at the critic and dismiss he/she as not being a "serious" journalist.
Don't expect originality from any of the Shoeboxers because as journalists they are slothful and they engage in group think, liking nothing better than superficiality and conflict.
Broder, Steph, Gregory, Cooper, Blitzer, Rose, King, Friedman, Richard Cohen, Fineman, Klein, Ignatius.... all live in the Shoebox.
Take this gang seriously at your own risk.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
agio
November 25, 2009 12:08 PM in reply to JohnW1141
Don't forget Chuck Todd, who seems to have become the new kid in the box.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Cal Gal
November 25, 2009 12:20 PM in reply to JohnW1141
I agree, except I think it was death that interfered with Russert's plans, not life.
And I still do have some respect for Jim Lehrer.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JohnW1141
November 25, 2009 1:15 PM in reply to Cal Gal
CalGal
Death is one of the things that happens when life happens. :-)
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Richardxx
November 25, 2009 12:45 PM in reply to JohnW1141
John, to support your statement:
Diane Rhem this morning had a discussion of a book about a family that came together from all over the country for a reunion at Thanksgiving, and much of the discussion pointed out how very different the memories of growing up each member of the family held. A major point was that those who lived close to each other and who spoke to each other regularly had memories that were similar, while those who were relatively isolated from the rest had memories that seemed quite discordant with what the rest of the family agreed was "true."
Compare that with the experience of the D.C. Villagers.
The Villagers live close to each other and synchronize their stories, and "know" the synchronized stories to be "true." They have history with each other and keep each other synchronized and on track.
Then the members of the journalist community and the TV commentators spread that synchronized pablum to the airways as "the Truth." and they are shocked, shocked I tell you, that the DFHs and bloggers and others in the hinterlands dare to disagree with what they all know to be "true" because they have so closely synchronized their stories.
They all agree to a large degree, so they know their stories are "true." So those who disagree with them simply much be "wrong."
Broder used to be a reporter, but he doesn't seem to get out much now. He just talks to Villagers and reads what other Villagers report. He is an old and very isolated man in his safe perch at the top of the Village journalistic community. He's had half a century of being told how right he was. It's all he knows.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JohnW1141
November 25, 2009 1:14 PM in reply to Richardxx
Richard,
I see Broder as a republican friendly anachronism. He's like Obama in that he's obsessed with bipartisanship feeling that a centrist Democratic party must reach out to right wing Republicans for all to be well.
I remember Broder saying of Clinton; 'he came in here and trashed the place and its not his place.' I'm sure Broder sees "the place" as belonging to him and the rest of the Shoebox denizens. Broder obviously didn't mind the Bush/Cheney/DeLay/Abramoff/Republican party corruption of 8 years trashing the place, not to mention the C Streeters.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JohnW1141
November 25, 2009 1:20 PM in reply to Richardxx
Richardxx says:
"synchronized pablum"
heh heh, excellent description.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Odel Roo
November 25, 2009 4:05 PM in reply to Richardxx
"The Villagers live close to each other and synchronize their stories, and "know" the synchronized stories to be "true." They have history with each other and keep each other synchronized and on track."
Sounds exactly like quite a few commenters here!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
wellstone
November 25, 2009 5:10 PM in reply to JohnW1141
Don't forget Stephanopoulos, who recently has been getting ideas from Sean Hannity as to what constitutes a proper question, and whose Sunday panels are shining (dull?) examples of Villager-think.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Bill E Pilgrim
November 25, 2009 12:52 PM
Yes but by "parochial" Broder means that Reid is "enslaved by the far left wing" of his party.
I might criticize Reid using the same word but I'd mean something entirely different by it.
Reid's failing in Broder's view is that he hasn't just agreed to whatever Republicans (a tiny fringe group once known as a major political party) want.
Broder calls this pandering to this small fringe group of extremists "bipartisanship", and criticizes anyone who doesn't do it.
I absolutely lurve this part of that Politico piece:
"The fact that Reid was so annoyed by Broder’s column shows if anything that “the Dean,” as he is sometimes known, remains a continuing influence in Washington, revered by his peers for his hard work and reporting instincts"
Yes, Reid's ridiculing and dismissive comment about Broder showed how seriously "Dean" Broder is taken "in Washington", since Reid is the leader of the Senate, which I think is in DC.
I've actually never heard Reid be that snarky, or snarky at all. I took it as a sign of how utterly ridiculous Broder is and how even mainstream politicians like Reid now think so too.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 1:08 PM in reply to Bill E Pilgrim
Yeah, yeah, yeah -- I get tired of all this carping against the media.
Broder is "revered by his peers for his hard work and reporting instincts".
You and I might not fit in with them, because we operate by intellect rather than lizard-brain instinct. But Broder is the dean of something or other. Are you a dean of something? I know I ain't.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Bill E Pilgrim
November 25, 2009 1:35 PM in reply to JNagarya
Since I can't make any sense of what you wrote there's a possibility that it was snark. So I won't really try to respond except to say that no, thank god no one would ever confuse me with David Broder.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
JNagarya
November 25, 2009 5:08 PM in reply to Bill E Pilgrim
It's a genial and wide-eyed-innocent snark.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
rstephen
November 25, 2009 1:16 PM
As per usual, Broder has it exactly bass-ackwards. It's not that Reid is too "parochial" (ie partisan) and not bi-partisan enough.
It's that he's allowed the Republicans to effectively block everything by refusing to enforce party discipline in the same way that Republicans always do. If Reid were any less parochial he'd have to join Joe LIEberman and effectively join the Republican Party.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
jamzo
November 25, 2009 1:49 PM
i am 68 years old and i have never heard anyone call david broder a liberal, or even liberal bete noir!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Rockridge
November 25, 2009 3:55 PM
Reid is not a great Senate leader and not even a very good one, at least from the point of view of PR and perception. If he gets this job done, he's got my praise. Mr. Mitchell, recall, was not a huge help to Mr. Clinton, was he.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
expatjourno2
November 25, 2009 7:56 PM
They're both right.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ns
November 26, 2009 10:41 PM
Who's Broder?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?