Legendary New York Times reporter Adam Clymer, a longtime political and congressional reporter featured in “Boys on the Bus,” has died. He was 81.
Clymer covered several presidential campaigns, including the the 2000 race between George W. Bush and former Vice President Al Gore.
During a Labor Day rally in Naperville, Ill., Bush was seen pointing Clymer out to running mate Dick Cheney. With live microphone in front of him, Bush chuckled, “There’s Adam Clymer, major-league asshole from the New York Times.”
Cheney agreed, “Oh yeah, he is, big time.”
According to the Times obituary, “The Times did not publish the vulgarity, but it was widely reported. Mr. Bush never apologized. His campaign spokesman said Mr. Bush had been upset by ‘very unfair’ coverage by Mr. Clymer.”
Several of his fans and journalists tweeted their condolences.
As a reporter, his favorite dateline was with an article for The Baltimore Sun, quoting Richard M. Nixon in 1973 during the Watergate scandal as telling a convention of newspaper executives, “I am not a crook.” The dateline was Disney World. https://t.co/XMOGFFBXfw
— NYT Obituaries (@NYTObits) September 10, 2018
#RIP Adam Clymer, a NYT political reporter who was transparent about how he voted. He told C-SPAN @cspanwj July 10, 1997: “I think I voted for Clinton in ’92, but I voted for Dole in ’96…. I think probably the press does more often vote for Democrats.” https://t.co/Fdox0Msq48 pic.twitter.com/Wsjlu8WDup
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 10, 2018
Sorry to hear of the passing of Adam Clymer of the @nytimes. Was a neighbor of his a few years back and admired how he plowed ahead despite age. He was a “major league”….mensch and Timesman.
— Matthew Cooper (@mattizcoop) September 10, 2018
RIP my friend. You gave me a lesson in downright stubborn courage this summer. Glad you got that fish. Happy we saw Max pitch. Adam Clymer, Political Reporter, Editor and Pollster, Dies at 81 https://t.co/hdH4UidfOH
— JohnAloysiusFarrell (@jaloysius) September 10, 2018
The thing about Adam Clymer; he was a very kind and generous man. He just hated to admit it. Requiescat in Pace pic.twitter.com/MKVyh2pwxZ
— Stephen Crowley (@Stcrow) September 10, 2018
