Rush Limbaugh gets, in effect, fired by ESPN for going off the reservation with some ill-timed racial comments. Robert Novak, however, still plays the cartoon conservative on CNN’s “Crossfire” and “The Capital Gang” despite his despicable outing of a CIA operative.
Obviously some indiscretions are judged more harshly than others. Limbaugh was easily labeled a racist and had to go. Novak, however, was only guilty of selfishly putting an agent at risk and compromising the credibility and safety of all her contacts.