A GIANT TRIPPED BY PYGMIES.

Good Night, David: America's Solid Anchor (Tom Shales, Washington Post, 6/13 /03).

Brinkley's tenure at ABC unfortunately did not end happily. On Election Night 1996, apparently thinking he was not on the air, Brinkley reacted to Bill Clinton's victory speech by calling it "the worst thing I've ever heard." He characterized it as "goddamn nonsense" and said of Clinton, "He's a bore, and will always be a bore."

Nothing if not astutely political, Clinton still accepted an invitation to appear on the Brinkley show the following Sunday morning. Brinkley apologized, but his career at ABC News was essentially over.

This is a fine obituary of David Brinkley, but Orrin has flooded the zone, so I wouldn't ordinarily post it. I had not, however, heard before that his "doing a Kinsley" (making the mistake of telling the truth) about Clinton contributed to his leaving ABC. Posted by David Cohen at June 13, 2003 12:56 PM