Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist Colby King on Friday jokingly accused Charles Krauthammer of writing Mitt Romney's talking points.
Appearing on PBS's Inside Washington, Krauthammer responded, "Well, it’s better than what you guys do is to receive the talking points" (video follows with transcript and commentary, file photo):
GORDON PETERSON, HOST: His political opponents have been charging that he’s weak on foreign policy, Colby.
COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: Well, I think he’ll be able to, he ought to be able to hold his own on that. He’s going to get attacked. The line of attack is already known. You saw last night from Paul Ryan. You’ve heard it before from Mitt Romney. Now it’s up to Obama to respond to that. There will be no surprises. You know if you read Charles Krauthammer, you know what Romney is going to say because he gives Romney the talking points. So all you have to do is be ready. Now this is the test for…
NINAT TOTENBERG, NPR: [Laughs]
PETERSON: Wait a minute. When do you do that, Charles? Is that first thing in the morning or what?
TOTENBERG: You get up and you do those talking points every morning?
KING: Well, it’s right there in his column
KRAUTHAMMER: Well, they call me at 6:00 AM every morning. They say, “What should the candidate say?”
KING: Yeah, they say, “What should I say, Charles?”
KRAUTHAMMER: I tell them, yeah. Well, it’s better than what you guys do is to receive the talking points. I'm sorry. I couldn’t resist. That was a low blow. And I retract.
PETERSON: We don’t mind low blows.
KRAUTHAMMER: I retract.
PETERSON: I’m used to your low blows.
For those reading the transcript and not watching the video, this was all in fun between people of differing views that have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.
On the other hand, off the cuff jokes often betray what people are really feeling kind of like a Michael Kinsley gaffe.
That said, which would you rather do: echo talking points or write them?
