David Brooks Misquotes McCarthy and Maims Commas

Op-Ed Columnist

By DAVID BROOKS

Published: May 6, 2008

…as Mary McCarthy would say, “and” and “the.”

Mary McCarthy’s quote was “including “a” and “the.”

If elected, she’ll have the power to take the Hobbesian struggle she perceives, and turn it into remorseless reality.

The comma after “perceives” splits a compound verb: “perceives” and “turn.”