Krugman verses CGEORC!

Paul Krugman's latest editorial finds him swept up in the unholy power of CGEORC (Cant Get Enough Of Richard Clark)Syndrome. Let's see what happens.

"The truth is that among experts, what Mr. Clarke says about Mr. Bush's terrorism policy isn't controversial. The facts that terrorism was placed on the back burner before 9/11 and that Mr. Bush blamed Iraq despite the lack of evidence are confirmed by many sources — including "Bush at War," by Bob Woodward.

And new evidence keeps emerging for Mr. Clarke's main charge, that the Iraq obsession undermined the pursuit of Al Qaeda. From yesterday's USA Today: "In 2002, troops from the Fifth Special Forces Group who specialize in the Middle East were pulled out of the hunt for Osama bin Laden to prepare for their next assignment: Iraq. Their replacements were troops with expertise in Spanish cultures."

That's why the administration responded to Mr. Clarke the way it responds to anyone who reveals inconvenient facts: with a campaign of character assassination.

Well, what can I add to that? Except that you should go read the entire article.

Incidently, I don't want anybody to mistake my enthusiasm for the acronym CGEORC for a lack of interest in the story or in Richard Clarke. On the contrary, I am just as enthralled by the buffoonishbehaviorr of the Bush White House in their attacks on Mr. Clarke as anybody.