Omigod I've never seen such a thing a Washington Post journalist is reacting to a former bureaucrat the way teenage girls reacted to the beatles.

I didn't see and hear Clarke testify because I live in Rome. I know what I want for my birthday -- the Clarke on TV DVD (don't think it isn't coming out soon).

I thought Clarke's handling of the background briefing issue was a slam dunk, but I had no idea that
it was released just before he testified and stupidly I didn't realise that to release it was to break a longstanding policy. This means, in particular, that they broke a rule sacred to journalists, which is obviously very a high risk operation.

The first exchange was nothing compared to the second

"During a second round of questioning, Thompson returned to the subject, questioning Clarke's "standard of candor and morality."

"I don't think it's a question of morality at all; I think it's a question of politics," Clarke snapped.

Thompson had to wait for Sept. 11 victims' relatives in the gallery to stop applauding before he pleaded ignorance of the ways of Washington. "I'm from the Midwest, so I think I'll leave it there," he said. Moments later, Thompson left the hearing room and did not return. "

his interrogator Gov James Thomson "left the hearing room and did not return."

This was not a slam dunk. This was a purple lightning smash the back board slam dunk.
Some of the shards are going to wound the president.