http://turcopolier.typepad.com….._tyrannis/

Playing the piano…

From my understanding, she’s a classical pianist. To the degree that classical music admits interpretation, there is an institutional reliance on the interpretations of others, especially those who are more established pianists and musicologists. She is playing back the work of others, and not just with the ivories.

people argued against his analysis because it didn’t accord with that of other intelligence agencies

‘Lie about it, because we can’t disagree with Cheney.’
Ouch.

AJ’s description of events leading up to the 2005 Iraqi election gets to the core of the problem with the Administration’s efforts to invent its own reality. The byzantine vetting process for intelligence virtually guarantees that when you conclude something counter to the Administration’s grand hopes, those conclusions will–at a minimum–be watered down long before someone in power ever sees them.

Or they “out” your wife…if they do see the counter intelligence.

Perhaps Plame explains why the intelligence process is broken.

Playing the piano…

“[Other agencies] are predicting something totally different and we need to make sure we’re not too far off message with this.”

Group think, conformity, total absence of intellectual curiosity or intestinal fortitude. Follow Dear Leader in lockstep.

Why Bloggers Are Better Informed than Condi Rice

i’d have to add that she shows no signs of even one bit of intellectual curiosity.