It was May 1995, and President Clinton gave the commencement address at Michigan State University. In it, he essentially blamed Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio for the Oklahoma City bombing. That was the clear implication of what he said. I thought that was just about the lowest thing a president could do: indict his legitimate political opponents for the mass murder of our fellow citizens.
What I most wanted, that week, was for Charles Krauthammer to write a column about it, saying what needed to be said. On the morning his column regularly appeared, I picked up my Washington Post and turned immediately to the op-ed page. He had indeed written about the subject. I had to hop in the car to drive to work. (I was living in Washington at the time. I haven’t taken a car to work since moving to New York many years ago.) I could not wait to get to the office to read the column. I read it en route, mostly at stoplights (but not entirely at stoplights). The column was everything I was hoping it would be.
I wrote Krauthammer a fan letter, that day, I think — thanking him for what he had done. He wrote me back: “Sure thing, but next time, stoplights only, please.”
Why am I recounting this ancient history? You know why: because, today, Krauthammer has done the same thing. He has come through for us once again, when absolutely necessary: here. Thank you, Dr. K.