I don’t know if David Brooks had a couple of drinks at lunch or not, but he went on MSNBC this afternoon and claimed that he had once sat through an entire dinner with a Republican U.S. Senator’s hand in his lap.
BROOKS: You know, all three of us spend a lot of time covering politicians and I don’t know about you guys, but in my view, they’re all emotional freaks of one sort or another. They’re guaranteed to invade your personal space, touch you. I sat next to a Republican senator once at dinner and he had his hand on my inner thigh the whole time. I was like, ehh, get me out of here.
HARWOOD: What?
BROOKS: I can only imagine what happens to you guys.
O’DONNELL: Sorry, who was that?
BROOKS: I’m not telling you, I’m not telling you.
Now, I understand that certain situations can be awkward and no one wants to correct people of a certain age, particularly those that have a lot of power or whom you are trying to please. But I’m not letting some old man put his hand on my inner thigh for ten seconds, let alone throughout an entire meal. The only way I would do that is if I wanted to give them the impression that I would let them sleep with me.
Even if the old pervert is a valued source who you feel you need to do your job as a journalist, you have to have some self-respect. Politely state that you have to use the little boy’s room and when you come back put a napkin on your lap and use a stiff forearm if you have to. There are ways to deal with such things without allowing yourself to be violated for thirty minutes straight.
David Brooks is a strange dude.