Bob Novak Retires After Grim Diagnosis

Chicago Sun-Times Say Prognosis Is "Dire" For Conservative Political Commentator

(AP)  Conservative political commentator Robert Novak announced his immediate retirement Monday because of his diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor.

Novak told the editor and publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times that he plans to focus on his treatment and recovery, said Sun-Times spokeswoman Tammy Chase.

Novak told the newspaper his prognosis is "dire," the Sun-Times reported on its Web site.

"The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy," Novak said.

Chase confirmed Monday that Novak's tumor is malignant. He was discharged from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston on Saturday, said Kevin Myron, a hospital spokesman.

Novak announced that he had a brain tumor late last month, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian with his Corvette in downtown Washington and drove away. He received a $50 citation for the accident.

Novak, editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report, has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades. He is perhaps best known as the longtime co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" from 1980 to 2005.

He was the first to reveal the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame. His 2003 column came out eight days after Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, said the Bush administration had twisted prewar intelligence to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[dnamj]

Wouldn''t wish a brain tumor on anyone, even a lying treasonous old nutter like Novak.

[bobnjersey]

not a big fan of mr. novak ... but the best of luck to him and his family in this difficult time.

[darkdennis]

I feel bad that I don''t feel bad. Lying *** that he is. (I am a republican so don''t start with the "you liberal" ***)

[ksjeff-2009]

Good riddance to the foul ***. One down, countless more to go.

[clovisbuford]

karma happens

[zykracosmos]

Wishing Mr. Novak good fortunes in his treatment for this very serious condition, just as I also wished the same for Mr. Kennedy. Remember folks, we are all humans first. Mr. Novak was always a gentlemen, and to those who disagree with his viewpoints and general ideology, remember that open debate, if at least kept civil, is what helps us identify what we truly believe in. Political debate, like scientific debate, is an essential process on the pathway to truth and sound judgement.

[antoniof123]

Good luck Mr. Novak, hope you do heal from this.

[rafterman1]

Best of luck to Robert Novak. Whatever your political viewpoint, no one deserves this fate.

[heuristic1]

I have a lot of respect for Robert Novak, even though I disagree with some of his opinions. He%u2019s a first rate investigative journalist. I wish him the best.

[rev_hellhorn]

May this traitorous rat never find peace before his slide down the long gray tunnel to forever darkness.

[Michael Arnold]

Hmm... feels suspicious to me. Sounds like he''s copping-out after running down that guy in his car. "Uh, I was brain-damaged"!

[jumkey]

Uh-huh. Sorry, but that''s a pretty convenient tumor, isn''t it?

Sorry ZykraCosmos, but you attempt to equate Kennedy and Novak is laughable. Kennedy is the posterboy for rightwing irrational bile and hatred toward liberals - Novak is actually an evil person.

Big difference, but a distinction that always seems to
be missed when wingnuts embark on their endless jihads against their endless imaginary enemies.

[artie-joe68]

Attn: ZykraCosmos

Novak was always a gentleman? Was he a gentleman when he outed CIA Agent Plame as retribution for her husband''s patriotic actions in telling the truth about the lies that led to war? Was he a gentleman when he got angry with James Carville and dropped the BS bomb live on CNN-TV?

I do agree with you though that we''re all human and have our shortcomings and I''d not wish his fate on my worst enemy. But don''t resort to puffery when everyone knows that Novak is no Prince Charming...You might even say he''s the "Prince of Darkness."

I wish Mr. Novak all the best as takes on the biggest fight of his life. May God bless our fellow American-whether we agree or disagree with his positions...

[rickstas]

As a humanitarian, I hate to see anyone get sick and die. Politically, it''s a good riddance. The guy never produced anything of value in his miserable life.

[voltaire333]

Best of luck to Robert Novak. Whatever your political viewpoint, no one deserves this fate.
Posted by Rafterman1 at 04:57 PM : Aug 04,

And no one deserves the fate Novak would deal to the poor and oppressed in this country. Sorry to sound calloused, but I''m a humanist and a realist. This comes not a moment too soon. He leaves a legacy of hatred and contempt for his fellow human beings, and this world will be a better place without him. It really is that simple.

[real1413]

I pray to my Lord,and Saviour Jesus Christ that all conservative republicans who are destroying our Constitution,and our nation get slow,lingering,painful cancer.
Please join me in prayer that this comes to pass.......

[vincan-2009]

I don''t like this guy, but I never wished him something awful. There are many who are in our administration I do wish them something awful, please.

[credibility2]

To Real1413 and others with their hate-posts: How wicked and evil for you to actually pray for something like this and to also ask others to join you. You are neither a Christian nor a God fearing or loving individual, because if you were, you would never pray for something like this nor ask others to do the same. May God have mercy on your soul and the souls of all who think as you, whether they''re Republican or Democrat, Independent or non-voter, Christian or not.

[bobnjersey]

[Politically, it''''s a good riddance. The guy never produced anything of value in his miserable life.]
[Posted by rickstas at 05:22 PM : Aug 04, 2008]

whether he produced anything of value is questionable ... but i recall the early days of the mclaughlin group w/ bob novak ... it was during reagan''s admin ... and novak was quite the firecracker on that show ... w/ pat buchannan, fred barnes, mort kondracke, elenor clift, and jack germond.

it was only after he left the show that it came out that he and john mclaughlin hated each other ... w/ many off camera confrontations and the like.

his differing world view always provided some interesting contention on the show ... so he did produce some entertainment for some in the early mclaughlin group days.

[credibility2]

To ozilot: it doesn''t matter; it is evil and sinful to pray for ill to befall others; so what if there are those that detested him and others of his ilk; with that mentality, there''d be no one left standing since each side would pray for the annihilation of each other; using prayer and one''s religion for such purposes is not what especially being a Christian is about; God remembers the soul''s stirrings.

[nextgenman]

To Real1413 and others with their hate-posts: How wicked and evil for you to actually pray for something like this and to also ask others to join you. You are neither a Christian nor a God fearing or loving individual, because if you were, you would never pray for something like this nor ask others to do the same. May God have mercy on your soul and the souls of all who think as you, whether they''''re Republican or Democrat, Independent or non-voter, Christian or not.

Posted by Credibility2 at 05:35 PM : Aug 04, 2008
-------

I''m sure you feel the same about Ted Kennedy''s Tumor.

[credibility2]

To nextGenMan: I never prayed for his ill health and tumor, either; perhaps in you''ve ill-concluded based on my comments that I''m a Republican and gleefully did the sappy dance when Senator Kennedy took ill and took satisfaction in his set-back?

[brundage3]

I have been called a "Communist, pervert and athiest" by super Conservative, right wing "religious leaders."

I have seen my Mother and Father targeted by Joseph McCarthy and hound by government agencies of state and federal levels for the following 20 years.

I have also seen my Grandfather and my Mother die of brain cancer.

Both of them had flaws. None as large as the leaders of the super conser vative ilk which Mr. Novak has praised. BUT,,, we all have flaws. Every one of us. And to someone else somewhere, they are major flaws and we are strongly disliked, even hated for them.

So... WE are in effect, Mr. Novak to some.

Still, I feel deeply for him in his most awful predicament. I know from experience the pure hell he is suffering. Greater hell even than he has EVER had a role in inflicting on me or other people.

I hope fervently that he can defeat the odds. And when he does that,,, THEN I will fight against his stated beliefs with the same vigor.

But ONLY then will I fight him for his beliefs.
Scott

[smurfcrusher]

"He was the first to reveal the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame. His 2003 column came out eight days after Plame''s husband, Joseph Wilson, said the Bush administration had twisted prewar intelligence to exaggerate the threat posed by Iraq."


I never understood why he was not prosecuted for outing the name of Secret Agent Valerie Plame.

The fact that he was used as a tool to harm National Security by this administration is no excuse.

Since he was the first to report her name, HE was the one who should have spent prison time, not the lady reporter who did, instead.

This does still matter, because there may be future Robert Novaks who abuse media confidentiality to serve as an arm of an extreme government hell-bent on revenge against the citizens it disagrees with.

It''s amazing that this government would risk the lives of those who worked with Valerie Plame by outing her publicly, in a misguided lust for revenge against her husband.

Her outing is treasonous conduct by this administration, which we now know lied about her outing.

Their actions serves to discourage other foreigners from working with our agents, fearful of being revealed in a similar manner, thus harming future National Security as well.

Worst president ever.

[zerato-2009]

The prince of darkness will meet the real prince of darkness. Karma''s a _itch

[sushied]

malignint thoughts fester and grow I hope it is dehumanizing

[mycomment-2009]

And no one deserves the fate Novak would deal to the poor and oppressed in this country. Sorry to sound calloused, but I''''m a humanist and a realist. This comes not a moment too soon. He leaves a legacy of hatred and contempt for his fellow human beings, and this world will be a better place without him. It really is that simple.
Posted by Voltaire333 at 05:22 PM : Aug 04, 2008

You sir are NOT a humanist by its very definition. Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people. Try going and peddling that somewhere else.

[voltaire333]

I pray to my Lord,and Saviour Jesus Christ that all conservative republicans who are destroying our Constitution,and our nation get slow,lingering,painful cancer.
Please join me in prayer that this comes to pass.......
Posted by Real1413 at 05:23 PM : Aug 04, 2008

I''d join you, but prayer doesn''t work. It''s a well-known fact that god gets really ticked off when you bug him with your own little wants and needs that threaten to interfere with his divine plan. He prefers that you just let him handle things the way he was before you started badgering him with your arrogant requests, and he really hates it when you bother him on Sunday, his day off. But hey, if you want to p*ss off the arbiter of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, be my guest and pray away!

[tulcak]

it should have happened sooner... with all these conservative a-holes... they are like a disease...

[jimfinster]

WF Buckley, Tony Snow, now Robert Novak. They are dropping like flies.

I wish illness on no one, but maybe this is some type of cosmic justice?

[stn_sage]

And no one deserves the fate Novak would deal to the poor and oppressed in this country. Sorry to sound calloused, but I''m a humanist and a realist. This comes not a moment too soon. He leaves a legacy of hatred and contempt for his fellow human beings, and this world will be a better place without him. It really is that simple.
Posted by Voltaire333 at 05:22 PM : Aug 04, 2008
----------------------
You sir are NOT a humanist by its very definition. Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people. Try going and peddling that somewhere else.
Posted by Mycomment at 06:25 PM : Aug 04, 2008
----------------------
Mycomment, you are WRONG! What planet are YOU living on?! ...the dignity and worth of all people?! Oh,
puh-leeze! Americas'' streets are loaded with people who have no dignity or worth! Who''d rob & murder you for the change you have in your pocket! Humanism like most everything else, is RELATIVE! I agree with Voltaire333, excellent post!

[cdfoxtrot1]

WF Buckley, Tony Snow, now Robert Novak. They are dropping like flies.

I wish illness on no one, but maybe this is some type of cosmic justice?



Posted by jimfinster


Novak wouldn''t disclose who gave away Valerie Plume''s identity and for that alone he deserves no sympathy. He put ideology ahead of America''s national security and who knows how many people have died as a result of his actions?

[stn_sage]

WF Buckley, Tony Snow, now Robert Novak. They are dropping like flies.
I wish illness on no one, but maybe this is some type of cosmic justice?
Posted by jimfinster at 06:40 PM : Aug 04, 2008
--------------------
Yes! Isn''t it lovely?! If it''s cosmic justice, than it''s the will of God! And I hope HE, ''let''s the good times roll''! Afterall, the damage these men did to the nation and the world is immense!

[cdfoxtrot1]

All these conservative a-holes oppose stem cell research and using government funding of cancer research. Instead of backing the illegal war, if they''d pushed to put the same amount of money into funding cancer research, their sorry a$ses might be saved now. Fu(k ''em all.

[stn_sage]

It should have happened sooner... with all these conservative a-holes... they are like a disease...

Posted by tulcak at 06:37 PM : Aug 04, 2008
-----------------
Yes, I agree. But, better late than never! :)

[stn_sage]

I pray to my Lord,and Saviour Jesus Christ that all conservative republicans who are destroying our Constitution,and our nation get slow,lingering,painful cancer.
Please join me in prayer that this comes to pass.......
Posted by Real1413 at 05:23 PM : Aug 04, 2008
--------------------
I''''d join you, but prayer doesn''''t work. It''s a well-known fact that god gets really ticked off when you bug him with your own little wants and needs that threaten to interfere with his divine plan....
Posted by Voltaire333 at 06:35 PM : Aug 04, 2008
--------------------
Fact?! Who says, the authority figure who''s abusing the public?! I believe God listens to all prayers, assesses their merits, and then decides to act or no.
After enough people had suffered he sent Moses to lead his people out of Egypt! HEY, real1413, I''ll join you in a prayer, at what time?! It''s worth a try! :)

[tapsettle]

cdfoxtrot1 - quite right. Novak is a catalyst of the current plague that is turning america into a morally bankrupt nation of pure greed. I will not part with a shred of sympathy for this man, and I hope he reflects on what he has done and makes appropriate reparations in what time he has left.

[demwatcher]

Liberals once again show their petty, bad-loser mentality.

I know your mother is ashamed of you, because no loving mother I know taught their children to revel in the misfortune of others.

Oh, that''s right, Liberals have no mothers. They are wards of the Democrat welfare programs.

It is well that your boy Obama is losing ground rapidly to McCain. America has realized that that empty suit is nothing more than a media darling, and is ill-prepared and completely unqualified to be President of the United States.

Even with the full backing of the Liberal Media, Obama can do no better right now than tie McCain in the (grossly liberal biased) polls.

Obama will be nothing more than one more failed Liberal to fall before Conservative America.

[stn_sage]

Anybody else want to join Real1413 and me in a silent prayer at your location and time, to appeal to God for mercy and help against the dark prince and his minions who rule over the earthly plane, hurting SO many and devastating the planet!? It''s worth a try!

[tapsettle]

Anybody else want to join Real1413 and me in a silent prayer at your location and time, to appeal to God for mercy and help against the dark prince and his minions who rule over the earthly plane, hurting SO many and devastating the planet!? It''''s worth a try!
------------
Posted by stn_sage at 07:08 PM

I''m in, but can you make the prayer a little simpler?

[stn_sage]

Obama will be nothing more than one more failed Liberal to fall before Conservative America.

Posted by DemWatcher at 07:07 PM : Aug 04, 2008
----------------------
WHOA, I''m scared! Keep your socks on, Jake! We haven''t even voted yet! It''s TOO EARLY to be declaring,''mission accomplished''! Why is it, demented neocons always seem to prematurely declare success?!

[justsane-2009]

not a fan of novak''s. don''t understand why he wasn''t charged with treason for his role in the valerie plame business. won''t miss him at all. at the same time, i can''t find it in my heart to wish him ill. those of you you are doing so, you might want to remember your karma...i''m pretty sure that robert novak could tell you that you never know when it might turn around and bite you.

[jumkey]

It''s idiots like DemWatcher that reaffirm the superiority of thoughtful, intelligent liberalism over mindless conservative bigotry stupidity.

Obama''s a "boy" and a motherless empty suit?

He''s going to be your next President so you''d better shape up. We have no need for your kind in our liberal country pal. Maybe you should make plans to get out now. You''re no longer welcome here.