NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman made news this week when he travelled to North Korea to meet with leader Kim Jong Un.
Rodman made more news Sunday telling George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week that the Korean despot wants President Obama to call him (video follows with transcript and commentary):
DENNIS RODMAN: What I saw in that country, I saw in that country and I saw people respect him and his family and that's what I mean about that.
(CROSSTALK)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Huh?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Aren't they forced to?
RODMAN: Well, I say no because I think he's -- (INAUDIBLE) something because this is a different view because I sat with him for two days. And one thing he asked me to give Obama something to say and do one thing. He wants Obama to do one thing, call him.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He wants a call from President Obama?
RODMAN: That's right. He told me that. He said, if you can, Dennis, I don't want to do war. I don't want to do war. He said that to me.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did you say, why don't you pick up the phone and call President Obama?
RODMAN: No, you know, it's a different story. It's a different story because, guess what, the kid is only 28 years old, 28. He's not his dad. Not his grandpa. He's 28 years old.
So, it appears that much like Venezuelan despot Hugo Chavez has useful idiot Sean Penn to help him spread propaganda to the United States, Kim Jong Un now has Rodman.
How nice.
That said, for those that watched the entire interview, Stephanopoulos did a good job of exposing Rodman's lack of knowledge concerning North Korean policies and the hypocrisy inherent in appearing to support a regime that is a sworn enemy of the United States.
None of that seemed to bother Rodman, though, because in his words, "He's a good guy to me. Guess what, he's my friend."
When Stephanopoulos pushed back on this absurdity saying, "Someone who hypothetically is a murderer who is your friend is still a murderer," Rodman actually replied, "It's just like we do over here in America, right? It's amazing that we have presidents over here do the same thing, right? It's amazing that Bill Clinton could do one thing and have sex with his secretary and do one thing and really get away with it and still be powerful."
In Rodman's mind - such as it is - sending innocent people to prison camps is the same thing as having an affair in the White House.
Makes you wonder why ABC and Stephanopoulos gave him any time at all.
On the other hand, I actually wrote about him a few weeks ago crying about the death of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.
As such, maybe he's a car wreck we just can't look away from.
