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• Thursday, May 10, 2007 08:53 AM

  Joe Klein responds (bizarrely)

  See http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/05/a_question_for_glenn_greenwald.html#comments

  He asks the strangely confused question, Is [Greenwald] saying that people like Broder and Ron Brownstein and me shouldn't talk to people outside the Beltway?

  My replies to Klein:

  Joe, Greenwald is not criticizing Broder for trying to learn what ordinary people think. Greenwald thinks this would be a good thing to do. Rightly or wrongly, what Greenwald is criticizing is your view (and that of Edsall and others) that Broder has been effective in this and really is qualified to represent what ordinary Americans think.

  That's why Greenwald writes:

  "I would be willing to wager that the vast majority of Beltway journalists agree with Edsall -- that Broder is a real, true, salt-of-the-earth representative "of the people."

  In other words, Greenwald thinks that Broder is not "a real, true, salt-of-the-earth representative". Somehow, you've conflated this with thinking that Greenwald thinks that being "a real, true, salt-of-the-earth representative" is a bad idea.

  Now Greenwald may be right or wrong. You're perfectly entitled to say that his column is outrageous bunk and you know Broder and he does not think of ordinary Americans as "farm animals". Feel free to make that case if that's what you believe.

  But for now, you're attacking a straw man. Greenwald is in favor of real reporting, he just doesn't agree that's what Broder does.

  and

  Joe, have a look at the context of your original comments. It's pretty clear that the only people Broder spoke to -- if anyone -- to inform that particular piece were Republican oppo researchers. He managed to find a creative angle to bash Clinton and boost McCain without himself endorsing the unpopular Iraq War. To do so, he blasted Clinton for doing something that every Senator does from time to time (using her time to make statements rather than asking questions) without addressing any of the substance of the matter.

  —Crust1 Read Crust1's other letters
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