A few thoughts laid out very quickly. . .as I’m chasing down a story.
First, thanks to all who have helped me see that an “open thread” does produce great debate and discussion among TWN readers. We’ll keep that feature going. I also want to thank the many people who have chosen to support TWN through our new “Paypal” donation feature on the site. It is working, and resources are now building to broaden what TWN does. Your support is ‘much’ appreciated.
Secondly, I am so beyond “fed up” with progressive pundits who tend to concede defeat before the battle has been started that I do feel that some of us could tilt the other way in the fight over Bolton. Here is something I posted this morning at TPM Cafe, and I’ll have more up here later on the subject of DNA analysis of Republican misplaced triumphalism and Democratic defeatism.
Lastly, as a nation we owe W. Mark Felt some serious thanks. Yes, he approved lots of bad things — including spying on Americans, breaking into their homes, and various other bad “black bag” operations. The bad stuff needs to be noted, but doing what he did against Nixon’s imperial presidency took some kind of stomach.
TWN has long supported the notion that those “in the know” should help leak some of the classified “foot thick” files in their offices and reveal some of the nefarious things that unfolded in our build-up to the Iraq War, in the contracting for the War, in the dealings with Chalabi, etc.
We depend on the heroism of those working in the shadows of government not easily seen by civil society. And we should definitely applaud W. Mark Felt — no matter his fundamental motives at the time — for saving American democracy.
— Steve Clemons
