The friends of David Brooks

A rather odd construct in David Brooks's column in today's New York Times. The piece - an ode to Judge Michael McConnell, whom Brooks would like to see named to the Supreme Court - includes this sentence: "McConnell (whom I have never met) is an honest, judicious scholar."

Whom he has never met? Okay. Then I guess we have to assume Brooks has met everyone else he names in the column: Harry Reid, Arlen Specter, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Mary Ann Glendon, and George W. Bush. And yes, I imagine he has. But so what?

We can probably rule out three others named by Brooks (whom I have met): Jesus, Rousseau, and Jefferson. The question remains: What was the point of this particular disclosure?