Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist David S. Broder has died

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Washington Post

David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday in Arlington of complications from diabetes.

Mr. Broder was often called the dean of the Washington press corps - a nickname he earned in his late 30s in part for the clarity of his political analysis and the influence he wielded as a perceptive thinker on political trends in his books, articles and television appearances.

In 1973, Mr. Broder and The Post each won Pulitzers for coverage of the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard M. Nixon's resignation. Mr. Broder's citation was for explaining the importance of the Watergate fallout in a clear but compelling way.

As passionate about baseball as he was about politics, he likened Nixon's political career to an often-traded pitcher who had "bounced around his league." . . .

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030902821.html?hpid=top

---

WAY too inside-the-Beltway for my tastes, but news worth reporting, nonetheless. Edited to add link to story now up.

[CTyankee]

1. Was wondering this just the other day. I hadn't seen him around on the talk shows.

I figured he was just very old and maybe sick...

I hated his politics but I certainly don't dance on his grave...

[leveymg]

2. I'll say nothing, which is about as much Broder has had to say for years.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. what you said.

[defendandprotect]

33. I'll add to that saying "nothing" by saying he was a glaring example

of the insanity of our corporate-press -- as it went further downhill

over the last decades.

[PDittie]

4. link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030902821.html?hpid=topnews

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. David Broder dies; Pulitzer-winning Washington Post political columnist

David Broder dies; Pulitzer-winning Washington Post political columnist

By Adam Bernstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 9, 2011; 12:56 PM

David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday in Arlington of complications from diabetes.

Adam Bernstein is one of the WaPo's obituary writers. Like that of every prominent person, Broder's obit has waiting been in a file cabinet - OK, on a disk drive - for a long time.

[bigdarryl]

6. He was a Conservative but not a crazed one like the ones you see now

[Joe Bacon]

32. No he just believed Republicans are infallible.

I just recoil in horror at all the families whose lives were destroyed by Broder and the other liars Fred Hiatt cultivates on the editorial page of the Washington Post.

[tularetom]

7. I'll miss the "clarity of his political analysis"

Sure I will.

I'm sorry he has passed on but he really had no idea WTF was going on in this country for at least the last 20 years.

[joeybee12]

8. Daid Broder...the king of pushing the wisdom of bipartianship...WHEN Dems are in power...

Clearly a republican, clearly wanted to see war with Iran before he died.

[displacedvermoter]

9. Let's see if he can find a way to blame Bill Clinton and the

"change in tone" he brought to Washington for this!!!

[47of74]

10. David Broder dies; Pulitzer-winning Washington Post political columnist

Source: Washington Post

David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday at Capital Hospice in Arlington of complications from diabetes.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030902821.html?hpid=topnews

---

RIP Mr. Broder.

[joeybee12]

11. i will stop myself from saying what I thought about his neo-con leanings...

hope his family finds peace in all this.

[DURHAM D]

12. I never understood why this was always said about him -

"one of the most respected writers on national politics"

I ignored him for the most part until the Clinton impeachment. Then I came to despise him. He was arrogant and totally out of touch with everything but the D.C. cocktail crowd.

[hlthe2b]

15. RW press types called him the "dean" of the press corps...

but when one thinks of WHO was on the Nixon enemies list, (Daniel Schorr, the last of Edward Murrow's CBS team, later of NPR),it should be clear who was the REAL dean of the press corps.

[hlthe2b]

13. Being respectful of the loss of someone with whom you vehemently

disagreed, while acknowledging how fervent the disagreement, is something I can do. RIP, Mr. Broder. Compassion to your family. I only wish you had found that compassion, in terms of your political views towards others, during life

[JuniperLea]

14. Very well said...

I second that emotion.

[HereSince1628]

17. +!

[JackRiddler]

20. I vehemently disagree with Iranian President Ahmedinejad.

I bet you can think of a hundred nasty characters whose demise you would not bemoan with solemn words of how we should respect the dead and feel their family's loss. Is that how you would talk about Anwar al-Awlaki? The "American al-Qaeda cleric" on the president's list of people to be assassinated is not known to have ever killed anyone. He is merely said to have endorsed killing. Just like David Broder. Except that I can more easily link to Broder's endorsements of mass murder than al-Awlaki's.

What's the difference with Broder? That he's (really) American?

When as the influential Dean of Pundits at one of the most important newspapers he proposes to the President the deaths of thousands of Iranians in firestorms as a worthy price for domestic political gain, is his bloodthirst somehow okay because it's an acceptable position on the American political spectrum?

[hlthe2b]

23. That you would lump in the likes of David Broder with these truly

horrendous dictators, says more about you. Acknowledging that even a detested political foe might not have been without honor and those that loved him is hardly the same as justifying the overt murderous behaviors of terrorists, dictators, or the similar.


If you see no difference, then, it is you, who has the problem.

[JackRiddler]

24. Al-Awlaki is not a dictator. Just a propagandist advocating murder -- exactly like Broder.

Broder was never my "political foe." He never existed for me except as a horror remote from human feeling, just like "these truly horrendous dictators."

To the bitter end, he was an advocate for mass murder. History will render the same harsh judgement on him as it does on all propagandists of aggressive war, whether or not he was "American" or the system he served was called "democratic."

[Lastactiongyro]

26. After Growing up in a Repuke controlled world, watching opportunity

and mobility evaporate. Seeing little future, unless we bring the war to the Rethugs. I no longer care if I compare them with dictaors. They want us crawling on our bellies as it stands.

[hlthe2b]

28. I can appreciate this feeling towards the current crop of

Repubs that appear to lack any sense of compassion, honor, or concern for anyone but themselves and ensuring their own power. They are quite a different breed than the old school Republicans, that I believe included Broder.

[Lastactiongyro]

29. Interesting, what you said. Well not sure about old school Republicans. From

what I read they seemd to go out with Goldwater, but I could be wrong

[placton]

16. I too hope he, and his family, find peace

but I won't miss his column one bit

[sinkingfeeling]

18. I had no idea he was that old. RIP

[JackRiddler]

19. Should we give a rest-in-peace when Kissinger meets his overdue date?

Just a few months ago, David Broder proposed in his Washington Post column that it would be good domestic politics and a boost to President Obama's 2012 campaign to launch a war on Iran.

I don't usually have nice words for people who advocate mass murder for political gain, whether in public or private, even if they're dead. In this case, from natural causes in old age. That's too bad.

I've seen some DU members celebrate immediately after the deaths of many people before their naturally alotted time, long as they were designated foreign enemies and on the wrong end of United States military ordnance.

One might say that David Broder, and the thousand other courtiers-to-power willing to play at Machiavellian, "pragmatic" rationalizations for mass murder, are the problem.

For thirty-plus years I've been reading this man write in favor of global rape and plunder, long as it was "American," and wondering what the difference was supposed to be to the right-wing radio barbarians we're supposed to hate? The venue? The Pulitzer?

He'll rest in peace, which is to say he'll be as dead as everyone else ultimately will be, with or without our precious wishes.

[hlthe2b]

21. I bemoan the loss of opportuniy for the individual...

to recognize the horrific outcomes that accompany their "pragmatic," xenophobic, selfish attitudes/political philosophy and to make amends.

[JackRiddler]

22. Now there's an epitaph I can agree with -- in the best love-thy-neighbor tradition.

While I don't support prosecution of propagandists -- they have free-speech rights -- I also bemoan that David Broder didn't live to see the government murderers he supported brought to justice before an international war crimes court, and all of his evil words forever discredited in the court of history.

[Lastactiongyro]

25. Thank you David Broder for putting a smile on my face!

I am now having a good day. Oh yeah, condolences or whatever to his family who profited from his lies. K&R!

[Aerows]

27. I didn't care for his politics, but RIP and peace to your family Mr. Broder n/t

[GeorgeGist]

30. Good riddance.

[Raine]

31. Peace to the Broder family

I'll leave it at that.