Joshua Micah Marshall, "though not a great supporter of the President," says that Bush's proposed security and intelligence reforms sound like a step in the right direction. He really has a point here:
Would this be happening without the political heat being generated because of the embarrassing intelligence failure revelations? Of course not.And how willingly did the administration leap forward to get these investigations underway? Enough said on that count.
The point is clear. Do politicians try to reap political gain through aggressive investigations? Of course, they do. Get used to it.
But they also help the nation. In Smithian fashion, impure motives nonetheless create a public good. Especially when a recalcitrant administration puts secrecy -- which is too often the hand-maiden of &$@-covering -- above all else.