Caveat lector

HUNTING TRIP! Last night, we saw Harry Thomason’s film. We suggest that you go see it too:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2004

HUNTING TRIP: Last night, we hobnobbed with the Arkansas Hollywood set, taking in the Washington premiere of The Hunting of the President. It’s true–the red carpet at Visions was a bit frayed, but everyone-who’s-anyone in the knows-what-really-happened set was there to see Thomason, Lyons and Conason show and discuss this new film. That even includes David Corn’s mother, Ruth “The Answer” Corn, who raised David up on the mean streets of New York (well, OK–in White Plains), and helped him develop his admirable values. Some people get a head start in life, we told Corn after meeting his mother.

But all the excitement chewed up our day; indeed, we were still helping one extremely big-name principal find a hotel in the very wee hours, and we will therefore postpone the incomparable “Part 2” of our review of Tim Russert’s new book.

David got his values from Ruth. Tim got his values from his father, Big Russ. Or did he? By the time we reach Part 4 of our series, we’ll be asking NBC’s squire of Nantucket to stand on his own two feet for once and explain one part of his past, puzzling work. The values he praises in his book convince us that he’ll want to do this for you–unless the swells in his Nantucket “clique” have changed Mr. R for all time.

At any rate, take a look at yesterday’s post (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 6/22/04). Tomorrow, we return to the hunt. Will the real Tim Russert ever stand up? More specifically, will he ever stop hiding behind his dad–a man whom you clearly should admire?

Oh yes, The Hunting of the President! We thought the movie starts a bit slowly, for reasons we may discuss in a later post. And the overall story is so complex that it can’t be “explained” in a 90-minute movie. But we thought The Hunting was pretty danged good, and a climactic interview scene with Susan McDougal is one of the most dramatic scenes we have ever seen on film. It’s very rare, is this celebrified age, to see moral reasoning laid right out before you. Murmurs of appreciation and surprise rolled through the audience during this scene. If you’re in New York or D.C. (where the film is now showing) we strongly suggest that you see it.

Yes, we strongly suggest that you take in this film.. But if you’re not in New York or D.C., just read the lead editorial from this morning’s Post to see this endless hunt roll on. “The tangled real estate investments that became known as Whitewater merited investigation,” the editors write, scolding Clinton for his remarks about Kenneth Starr, “and the inquiry produced numerous convictions.” Good Lord! The eds weren’t decent enough to tell their readers that these “convictions” didn’t involve the Clintons, or that the Clintons were flatly exonerated in the Whitewater mess. (More on this point tomorrow.) But then, people like this paper’s eds have long kept the rubes in the dark about this. We saw it last night in a sparkling film. You can see it today: Just click here.

P.S. You can see The Hunting of the President in Little Rock too.