I didn’t know Bob Novak personally. I did, like most people, develop some perceptions of him over the years.

So, here’s the deal:

1. I admired his passion for his work. Whether I agreed with him or not, I always got the feeling he believed what he said.
2. I always thought he was an egotistical bastard.
3. He made an egregious, unforgivable error when he outed Valerie Plame. Outing any active, undercover operative of any U.S. intelligence agency is a morally and ethically reprehensible act, and he should have been indicted for it.
4. I feel a little sorry for him, because his ego ultimately got him played by the Bush Administration.
5. He forgot the Prime Directive of his profession: Never let yourself become the story.