Adam Clymer (April 27, 1937 – September 10, 2018) was an American journalist. He was a prolific political correspondent for The New York Times.
Career
Clymer worked for the New York Daily News for a short period.[1] Clymer worked for The New York Times from 1977 until July 2003, and served as its national political correspondent for the 1980 presidential election, and polling editor from 1983 to 1990.[2] As polling editor, Clymer collaborated with CBS News. He worked as political editor for George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1988, and chief Washington correspondent from 1999 through 2003.[2]
Clymer covered the 2000 presidential campaign for the Times and wrote at least one article that was considered unfavorable by the campaign of George W. Bush. Clymer wrote an analysis of Cheney's tax returns, including his conclusion that he only gave 1% of his $20 million earnings to charity.[3]
Clymer may be best known for an incident on September 4, 2000, when Bush and running mate Dick Cheney appeared at a campaign event in Naperville, Illinois. While on stage before the event, Bush said to Cheney, "There's Adam Clymer, major-league asshole from the New York Times." Cheney responded, "Oh yeah, he is, big time." The remarks were picked up by a live microphone, causing a minor campaign controversy. Bush subsequently remarked, "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice presidential candidate made it through the public airways. I regret everybody heard what I said," but declined to retract the comment itself.[4][5]
While he never apologized for the comment itself, Bush made an attempt to smooth it over, making light of it at the next Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner by referring to Adam Clymer as a "major-league ass...et."[6] For his part, Clymer noted that Bush sent him a nice letter of condolences when his mother died in 2001.[7]
Adam Clymer was married to Ann Clymer (née Ann Wood Fessenden) from 1961 until her death on February 10, 2013. They had one daughter, Jane Emily Clymer, who was killed at the age of 18 by a drunken driver in September 1985. The Clymers established a memorial scholarship at the University of Vermont in her name.[9] As of 2013, the scholarship had aided fifty women in attending the university.[1]
Clymer died from pancreatic cancer on September 10, 2018, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 81.[1][8]
The Washington Monthly's Monthly Journalism Award, 2003, for his January 3, 2003 Times article, Government Openness at Issue as Bush Holds On to Records
Smith, Hedrick; Clymer, Adam; et al. (1981). Reagan the Man, the President. Pergamon Pr. ISBN0-08-027916-3.
Clymer, Adam (1986). "The New York Times" Year in Review 1987. Three Rivers Press. ISBN0-8129-1632-8.
Clymer, Adam (2000). Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography. Perennial (HarperCollins). ISBN0-06-095787-5.
Clymer, Adam (2003). Journalism, Security and the Public Interest: Best practices for reporting in unpredictable times. Aspen Institute, Communications and Society Program. ISBN0-89843-387-8.
Clymer, Adam (2008). Drawing the Line at the Big Ditch. University of Kansas Press. ISBN0-7006-1582-2