May 5, 2008 Issue

Copyright © 2007 The American Conservative

Mr. Zbig

Brzezinski brings wisdom—and controversy—to Barack Obama’s campaign

by Philip Weiss

To meet Zbigniew Brzezinski is to have no doubt that he is an important man. The morning of our appointment, I was informed that I would have 15 minutes, and 14 minutes and 30 seconds into the interview Brzezinski glanced at his watch and said, “One more question.” Cordial, aristocratic, precise. He wore a fine pinstriped suit and black boots in a hunter’s style, with a black strap crossing the throat. The famous hooded eyes gazed out at the street.

It was a couple of days before Brzezinski’s 80th birthday, but it didn’t seem like a landmark to him: “It doesn’t look much different from anything else.” When I asked whether he didn’t feel a sense of satisfaction, he shrugged. “I honestly don’t have any feeling about it.”

His voice crackled with age, but he was immune to all pressure, especially when the name Obama came up.

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