Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein has been pushing his Hillary Clinton biography, a mission that took him to a Connecticut school. Kids whose parents may not have been born when Watergate happened, had a chance to hear the man himself blame the public for failing to be interested in what journalism offered them.

He addressed a familiar Bernstein theme – “idiot culture” – although no one seemed much concerned that he was recycling old material. Still, here is a flavour:

“You can’t separate the appetites and demands of the people themselves and what they are given,” Bernstein said. “The blame simply can’t all be put at the feet of those who present news.”

When the New York Times and other newspapers reported on the prisoner torture scandal at Abu Ghraib prison and wiretapping of American citizens in the name of national security, the public outcry was minimal, Bernstein said.

“Whatever you think about George Bush and his presidency, there has been little or no accountability for him and his administration by Congress,” Bernstein said. “Unless there is going to be some outrage in this country, we are going to deserve the kind of systemic failure we get.”

So far, so predictable.

The response of one of the young people present:

David Levy, an 18-year-old senior at the school, said the lecture was interesting, but questioned Bernstein’s opinion that reporters should be able to report information that government officials believe is sensitive to national security.

“He implied we have a right to know information that is classified and I guess I have a different view of what is good for the people,” Levy said.

Now that is the quote…