Mike McConnell, Booz Allen and the Privatization of Intelligence

* Meanwhile, here's democracynow:

Mike McConnell, Booz Allen and the Privatization of Intelligence
Mike McConnell, the man President Bush tapped to replace John Negroponte as National Intelligence Director, has been a leading figure in outsourcing U.S. intelligence operations to private industry. McConnell is a former director of the National Security Agency and the current director of defense programs at Booz Allen. We take a look at McConnell and the privatization of intelligence with journalist Tim Shorrock.

* froomkin:

"In the meantime, many of us here in Washington are trying to figure out just what Bush had in mind Wednesday night when he asserted that "Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops" and promised: "We will disrupt the attacks on our forces.""

* frank luntz:

"If the president had his verbal ups and downs, the Democrats' response wasn't brilliant rhetoric either. They should probably consider themselves fortunate that the networks didn't want to delay or preempt even a minute of fare such as "Deal or No Deal." Their stringent rhetoric and unwillingness to compromise highlights their continued inability to put forward a comprehensive, credible alternative.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's spokesperson told USA Today that her boss would subject Bush's proposal to "harsh scrutiny." Words like "examination" or "accountability" would have been a more objective and less political approach for a party desperate to demonstrate that it isn't too partisan or too negative.

Similarly, "We're not going to baby-sit a civil war" — Sen. Barack Obama's sound bite — ignores widespread American concern that a civil war today could spin into a regional war tomorrow, with worldwide consequences. The image of "baby-sitting" lacks the gravitas that a conflict that has taken thousands of American lives, and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives, deserves.

In times of war, the American people have the right to expect a president who is straight with them linguistically, whether he's delivering good news or bad news, and an opposition party that uses words to unite and explain rather than divide and attack. Too bad we haven't had enough of either."

* scott's website is back up. yay. he interviewed larisa about John Negroponte’s departure from the Director of National Intelligence position to be Deputy Secretary of State, his replacement, McConnell, and the liars who are pushing for war with Iran. and he also interviewed bob parry.

* shorter tony snow: 'the iran war rumours are nonsense'

* laura: "How close will the country step to the edge of Constitutional crisis in the coming months?"

* laura: " I bet Rice leaves in the next few months."

* kleiman:

'In addition to the historic achievement of losing two wars at once, GWB may have finally succeeded in overestimating the gullibility of the American electorate: the first time that feat has ever been accomplished."