Second Prize is a Set of Steak Knives. Third Prize is You Have to Talk to Hugh Hewitt.

I'm not finished with it yet, but so far I haven't found much merit in the autobiography of former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe. If you start the book wanting to hear dirt on Democrats in the 1990s, you're out of luck; if you want comprehensive lists of all the VIP boxes McAuliffe shared with Bill Clinton, buy two copies. But if the book's only legacy is this promotional interview with Hugh Hewitt, it will be worth it. It's a 20 minute inquistion about trivia that reads like a lost Mamet play.

HH: You’re an Irish Catholic kid from Syracuse, from St. Anne’s school, right?

TM: Yes.

HH: Now did you do eight years or twelve years of Catholic education?

TM: I did eight years at St. Anne’s grammar school, I did four years of Bishop Ludden High School, I did four years at the Catholic University of America, and three years at Georgetown University Law Center.

HH: Can you name your K-8 teachers?

TM: Yeah.

HH: Give them to me.

And he does, to the delight of pedantic radio fans everywhere. This exchange is the obvious highlight:

HH: Okay. Now Dick Morris, he’s not in the book.

TM: You want me to tell about him with a prostitute, sucking her toes?

HH: Yeah, during the DNC Convention over…

TM: This is a family book that I want to have kids buy in high school. I want to talk about Dick Morris sucking a hooker’s toes?

HH: Yeah, I do, because he was working for you.

TM: Well, he got fired for that.

HH: Weren’t you paying his bills?

TM: I mean, I’m not…listen, I’m trying to get this into high schools. I don’t want hookers sucking toes.

HH: Oh, I want it read in high schools.

TM: I’m not going to put that in there.

HH: You betcha. But that’s why, because you were embarrassed by Dick Morris?

TM: I’m embarrassed to have hookers sucking toes, and he’s sucking a hooker’s toes in my book.

HH: And you were paying for him.

TM: I’m embarrassed.

HH: But you were paying for him?

TM: Who’s paying for him?

HH: You were. The DNC was paying for him, weren’t they?

TM: No, no. How were we paying for his hookers?

HH: I think…as I recall, he was the consultant to the Clinton White House for political affairs, and the DNC was paying him.

TM: I honestly don’t know the answer to that, but I’d be very upset and ask for my money back that I raised if he was using that to have hookers…sucking some hooker’s toes.

HH: Let me give you a compliment, by the way.

Another day, another reason to hope this is the last campaign we ever have to hear about the Clintons. We can keep Hewitt, though. (Back in October I assessed what good, if any, the Hewitts of our politics were doing for conservatism.)

Comments

Jesus Complex | January 30, 2007, 11:21am | #

I’m going to try to say this in a non-combative fashion. Weigel, there isn’t much difference between you and Hewitt. Sorry if you think there is. The only difference is, unlike Hewitt that hates democrats, you hate everybody.

You are clever, no doubt. Perhaps infinitely smarter than Hewitt, but you are still playing the same game as he.

Give information. Your view. Your thoughts, without tearing down someone else’s. If your light is that bright, we will be drawn to it. And you will be playing a different game.

Trash me if you must.

steveintheknow | January 30, 2007, 11:28am | #

This is a family book that I want to have kids buy in high school

Is he like, all serial, or something?

Autobiographies, especially ones about recent political figures, were the last things I could have given a shit about in high school. However, someone sucking on the toes of hookers...that might have been interesting.

Number 6 | January 30, 2007, 11:39am | #

Hey Jesus- Are you suggesting that we should never criticize the ideas of others or tear down their work? Is that the point of the criticism you just offered?

Josh | January 30, 2007, 11:52am | #

That's not fair, Jesus. Weigel doesn't hate Jim Webb.

dagny | January 30, 2007, 12:27pm | #

Dude, if he wants high schoolers reading it, it should be ALL ABOUT prostitutes sucking toes.

ed | January 30, 2007, 12:34pm | #

I'm thinking Hewitt is the new H&R whipping boy now that Santorum is gone.

Madpad | January 30, 2007, 12:45pm | #

The only difference is, unlike Hewitt that hates democrats, you hate everybody.

I don't know...Weigel seems to actually be fairly liberal and downright gracious to most liberals.

I really like your writing, Dave. But I'll be honest, you remark about "the Clintons" comes off a little insincere...kinda like a lot of liberals who knock Clinton to avoid being derided by conservatives.

Not being critical, mind you. I've done it myself when I was younger and just wanted some Conservative loudmouth prick to shut up and leave me alone.

Fortunately, the last 4 years have pretty much shut up most of my conservative friends and made Clinton doesn't look so bad compared to George W, Rick Santorum and Tom Delay.

Warren | January 30, 2007, 1:27pm | #

Hugh thinks a little toe-sucking would make his book family unfriendly? His idea of kinky must be switching to his left hand.

Eric the .5b | January 30, 2007, 1:43pm | #

I vaguely wonder what reader posted as Not-So-Complex.

highnumber | January 30, 2007, 4:20pm | #

You are clever, no doubt. Perhaps infinitely smarter than Hewitt, but you are still playing the same game as he.

Which Bond villain is he misquoting?

Elliott | January 30, 2007, 6:08pm | #

"You are clever, no doubt. Perhaps infinitely smarter than Hewitt, but you are still playing the same game as he.

Which Bond villain is he misquoting?"

I just spit bong water all over my computer screen.

Gene Berkman | January 30, 2007, 7:32pm | #

"I just spit bong water all over my computer screen."

Which Bond hero is he quoting?