David Broder: Columnist was a reporter at heart

Editor's note: David S. Broder, the dean of national politicalreporters and a columnist whose observations have appeared in TheSun for many years, died Wednesday at 81 of complications fromdiabetes.

Broder was the Washington Post Writers Group's first feature. Thegroup began operations in September 1973 to represent his columns.

Here is a tribute to Broder written by fellow columnist RuthMarcus.

By Ruth Marcus

When Fred Hiatt, the editor of The Washington Post editorialpage, offered me the chance to write a weekly column, the firstperson I turned to for advice was Dave Broder.

I headed to Dave's glassed-in cubicle in the midst of thenewsroom. Back in the days when I used to lead tours of The Post formy kids' preschool classes, this site was always the biggest hitwith the moms - not because Broder was such a journalistic mega-star, which he was, but because the office was so astonishingly,dangerously piled with books and papers it cried out for "cleanuptime."

As always, sitting amid the chaos, Dave had a minute. As always,Dave demurred at the thought that he had any wisdom to offer. Asalways, he did. "I can't tell you how to write a column, but I cantell you what works for me," he said. First, he said, you can onlyhave one big thought per 750-word column. Second, he said, hecouldn't simply sit in his office and conjure up Big Thoughts. Hehad to go out and report.

That was classic Broder, indeed a reporter at heart.

Before I moved back to the solitude of the editorial page staff,I spent years ensconced at a desk right outside Broder's office.When he was there instead of out on a reporting trip, he was awhirlwind of reporting activity. "This is Dave Broder," he would say- and, after a pause, you would hear, "Oh, yes, senator," "Thanksfor getting back to me, governor." The clutter of Broder's officewas matched by the orderliness of his mind. He returned all thephone calls, cranked out the columns, knocked on the doors - allwith an energy that would have been astonishing in a 20-year-old.

To be out on the campaign trail with Dave was to receive a lessonin modesty. He was a celebrity; people would line up to shake hishand and take his picture. And his response was always gracious andself-effacing: Where are you from? Tell me something about yourself.

To sit at the table in the Post cafeteria with Dave was toreceive a different lesson in modesty. What do you think is going tohappen about X, someone would ask. In an era of instantpontificators on every subject imaginable, Broder was willing tosay, "I have no clue." When Dave did allow as to how he had a clue,you quickly learned that it paid to listen.

In the age of the Internet, Broder became a favorite target forleft-wing bloggers who disdained his willingness to see both sides'point of view, his aversion to invective and his instinct formoderation. "High Broderism" was their term of derision. Over theyears, a few snarky bloggers applied it to me, intending insult. Itcould not have been a higher, if undeserved, compliment.

Ruth Marcus writes a column for The Washington Post. Write her atruthmarcus@washpost.com.