In Defense of Nina: Tom Goldstein
To balance out our recent tales of diva-licious behavior by a celebrated legal journalist, Nina Totenberg of NPR, here's an opposing viewpoint -- a "But see," if you will -- from Thomas Goldstein. Goldstein is a partner at Akin Gump, a top Supreme Court advocate, and founder of SCOTUSblog.
Tom Goldstein also knows Ms. Nina well, since he's a former intern for her and a longtime friend (see here). He writes:
I admit to being the world's biggest Nina partisan, except maybe for my daughter (Nina) and wife and sister (who also were interns). The diva reputation makes for good press but honestly isn't deserved; the seats in the press gallery are assigned.Totes actually spends tons of time worrying about and caring for friends, including several who are recovering from cancer. She's a sweetheart.
We thank Tom Goldstein for his thoughts on La Totenberg -- but we're disappointed to hear them! There are precious few divas in this world. When you find a true diva, or even a potential one, you should hold on to her for as long as you can.
With respect to Goldstein's comments on the press gallery, that's true -- in part. The situation is actually a bit more complicated. If you're just DYING to know how seat assignments work for the SCOTUS press corps (and we know you are), we'll provide a detailed report in a subsequent post.
Names & Faces: Totenberg's Courtside Seat [Washington Post]
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Nina Totenberg (scroll down)
(17) Comments
I don't know if I would say "good press" (although I suppose Totenberg comes across well in the Washington Post article). It's more like "good copy" - entertaining, fun to read.
Why does NPR get an assigned seat? Who listens to NPR? I hope FOX News has a good seat.
I guess it's good to be the (pssh!) "Dean" of the press corps.
This also explains why her speech for GULC was so bad - she was too busy caring for and worrying about her friends to write a good one!
"Totes"? How pretentious. I wonder if she asks to be called that while ordering "a Starbucks."
Totes also seems to spend tons of time worrying about and caring for her hair helmet.
9:49, I and every other civilized American listen to NPR. Some of us like to hear the news when we listen to the news.
Only morons watch Fox news..
10:32 - is it NPR or being "civilized" that inspires you to generalize so rudely?
Oh, jesus, not the "her friends have cancer" defense. I suppose she also cares very deeply about children.
"Get out of that chair. My friends have cancer."
Good for you Lat. It's nice to see you posting differing perspectives. Perhaps all my shrillness regarding your partisanship is overblown.
If you want conflict, why don't you try and find out about the conflict between Chief Justice Roberts and Mr. Goldstein.
The following is taken from the April 10, 2006 issue of The New Republic:
"Roberts, a former Supreme Court advocate himself, is on the record deriding the practice of Supreme Court cold-calling. If you needed a heart surgeon, Roberts once mused to a reporter, you wouldn't hire the one who called you out of the blue";
"Part of the discomfort Goldstein arouses among those in the Court's orbit stems from the conservative, establishmentarian instincts one finds in people who've succeeded along a well-worn path. And there is no one more establishmentarian within the Court than Roberts. Though the justices are notoriously aggressive questioners, he seemed to pack an extra bit of pique during Georgia v. Randolph this fall. Roberts had proposed a hypothetical to test Goldstein's logic: If the police showed up at a ten-bedroom apartment and all but one of the roommates agreed to let them in, would the police be turned away? Goldstein responded by reversing the question: What if nine people objected and only one agreed? 'What I'm saying,' he concluded, 'just to return to the basics, is ...' At which point Roberts testily cut him off: 'What--well, what is your answer to [my] case?'"
Now that looks like a cat fight.
Seriously?! She's a good person because she cares about friends with cancer?! That's what we call morally obligatory, not praiseworthy!
You just let it pass without comment that Goldstein named his daughter after her?
Goldstein makes that point himself, with the parallel parentheticals:
"except maybe for my daughter (Nina) and wife and sister (who also were interns)"
Res ipsa loquitur. What else is there to add?
11:11 - If Lat is so pro-conservative, then why does he like Dahlia Lithwick so much?
http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/07/who_is_the_dean_of_the_supreme_1.php
As SCOTUS commentators go, Lithwick doesn't hide her liberal bias (nor should she, since she's an opinion rather than news writer - unlike Linda Greenhouse).
"If Lat is so pro-conservative, then why does he like Dahlia Lithwick so much?"
I would like to think that it was my post that changed his heart. You'll notice that his Lithwick post was after my comment.
No applause, just throw money.
Lat has always liked Dahlia Lithwick:
http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/06/bong_hits_4_jesus_a_guest_post.php
(His colleague John Carney, not so much.)
"Lat has always liked Dahlia Lithwick"
I stand corrected.