CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2008

Bob Novak Retires After Grim Diagnosis

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

  • An April 19, 2006 file photo shows Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak in Chicago.

    An April 19, 2006 file photo shows Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak in Chicago.  (AP)

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(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.



© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 131 Comments
by babooph August 5, 2008 10:35 PM EDT
AS a conservative ,disgusted with fakes like little Bush & Reagan,dismayed by the ties to whaco Christains& embarassed by bitter fools like Novak, I still hope we can have a sensible spokes person arrive.
Reply to this comment
by hasher471 August 5, 2008 2:54 PM EDT
What goes around, comes around.
Ying, Yang.
Poetic Justice.
This renews my belief in Karma.
Reply to this comment
by hasher471 August 5, 2008 2:53 PM EDT
What goes around, comes around.
Ying, Yang.
Poetic Justice.
Reply to this comment
by navyvet77 August 5, 2008 2:29 PM EDT
Blah, blah, blah. Boo Hoo Hoo. Where were you when the psycho right wingnuts were trashing Ted Kennedy''''s Brain Tumor?

You''''re dismissed.

Posted by nextGenMan at 05:32 AM : Aug 05, 2008
------------------------------------------------------

So your saying that 2 wrongs DO make a right? Your justifying all of this hate with %u201COh yeah! Well you started it%u201D. I suggest you try to bring your level of maturity above a 5 grader. I will agree with you that anyone who said anything hateful about Senator Kennedy is an A$$, who much like yourself and others here, does not understand the difference between disagreeing with someone and hating them. And one more thing%u2026.dismiss this.
Reply to this comment
by inmo-2009 August 5, 2008 1:46 PM EDT
I do not kow how you all can be so cruel. Yes he dropped Ms Plame - but look honestly the wheels were in motion waaaay before he REPORTED what it appreaed the country wanted. You followed the case - you read his column - I bet that one at least. Have some humanity the man is very ill and most likely will not make it.
I do not want backlash from this - all I am saying is you call him inhumane - so do one better DO NOT act like you are too.
Reply to this comment
by mecury69 August 5, 2008 12:56 PM EDT
"Has anyone or anything been compromised because of Novak''''s story?
Posted by greengrasgal at 08:59 AM : Aug 05, 2008"

The leaking of any intelligence agents name regardless is treason.

Intelligence is not one person with one bit of info. It''s the combination of lots of data large and small and then compiled by intellegence analsts. Most informants have no idea what they report is useful or not.

But instead the little minds only think of revenge. Nothing of the impact on other intelligence agents who think, "Should I continue if my cover might be leaked at any moment?" or even worse "Should I even get into this business?"
Reply to this comment
by navyvet77 August 5, 2008 12:43 PM EDT
I love it when libs say how tolerant and open minded they are and how folks on the right full of hate, close minded and has no tolerance towards anyone. Then I read this garbage and I get to see who really is filled with hate. Do I need to spell it out for you%u2026.Ok then%u2026H Y P O C R I T E.
Reply to this comment
by gramto7 August 5, 2008 12:28 PM EDT

There is no such thing as a "benign brain tumor".

You can have a benign polyp on your colon, but ANY growth in your brain is not benign. snip?Posted by Nancy_Naive at 06:48 AM : Aug 05, 2008


Actually one can have a benign tumor in the brain, if you use the medically recognized difference between benign and malignant. Malignant is "Tending to metastasize; cancerous" and benign is "not recurrent or progressive".
Reply to this comment
by micma-2009 August 5, 2008 12:26 PM EDT



I hope that this unfortunate situation causes him to take pause and look at the dishonorable way he''s lived his life including and especially his betrayal of his country.

He is one of the many modern conservatives who has chosen his party over honor, truth, country and even humanity.





Reply to this comment
by micma-2009 August 5, 2008 12:22 PM EDT



greengrasga


The CIA said that she was covert and that her outing destroyed an ongoing investigation in to WMD proliferation and endangered other operatives who were cooperating with the United States. The Republican prosecutor and judge said she was covert and that her outing was extremely damaging to U.S. intelligence and security.

The way the law is written you have to prove intent to prosecute, therefore it is extremely difficult to prosecute.
Reply to this comment
by greengrasgal August 5, 2008 11:59 AM EDT
If Valerie Plame''s identity was such a big secret I don''t understand why the press didn''t indict Novak for blabbing in the first place. Instead the liberal media went on a witch hunt for anyone connected to the GOP who may have mentioned her name in passing. Has anyone or anything been compromised because of Novak''s story? Anyone besides the Bush administration officials who''ve been hauled into court over a ridiculous non-story?
Reply to this comment
by apprxam August 5, 2008 11:19 AM EDT
Can he be indicted now? Such a small, morally corrupted imp.
Reply to this comment
by chimpyout August 5, 2008 10:27 AM EDT
"Prince of Darkness?" That fat p.o.s. ain''t nuthin'' but a lil devil. Mephistopheles
Reply to this comment
by clestes-2009 August 5, 2008 10:10 AM EDT
CarlyLaine,

are you like IGNORANT of the political affairs this pathetic sleaz ball has partcipated in??

This is called justice.
Reply to this comment
by clestes-2009 August 5, 2008 10:07 AM EDT
well, well, what do you know. Seems there is a system of justice after all. I wonder what the future holds for Miller??
Reply to this comment
by pirmin3 August 5, 2008 8:37 AM EDT
"Fat man karl rove is probably next on god''''s hit list."

We live in hope.
Reply to this comment
by nextgenman August 5, 2008 8:32 AM EDT
Posted by CarlyLaine at 04:38 AM : Aug 05, 2008
----------

Blah, blah, blah. Boo Hoo Hoo. Where were you when the psycho right wingnuts were trashing Ted Kennedy''s Brain Tumor?

You''re dismissed.
Reply to this comment
by carlylaine August 5, 2008 7:38 AM EDT
Most of the people who write their opinions in here are nuts. Since I am NOT one of you I will commence my opinion on Robert Novak.

First and foremost Robert N is a human being. He has many thoughts leaning from a conservative point of view. I listen or read, although I do not always agree with him. I am Libertarian-leaning to the right-at least..and quite open.

But the venom from the left liberals is disconcerting and all you do is show everyone what fools you are.

This particular article is concerning a fellow human being that is dying and this is sad. I wish Robert well and good health.
Reply to this comment
by andrew_693 August 5, 2008 7:24 AM EDT
this man will die a terrorist, since revealing the name of an agent in public is helping terrorists, and a traitor to his country like a good old conservative scum. Fat man karl rove is probably next on god''s hit list.
Reply to this comment
by neoconrcrazy August 5, 2008 7:18 AM EDT
novak is a jewish neocon hit-man for the bush regime and did his job well - passing on the Reich''s messages to the unwitting American public. He wasn''t alone but he was old enough to know better.

A bitter end for him, not a sympathetic figure.


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