(cross-posted at TPMCafe...)
The right-wing blogosphere is going crazy over the fact that Bob Somersby of the Daily Howler's has accepted the basic premises of the efforts to discredit Joseph Wilson, and is trashing anyone who actually bothers to understand the dynamic at work here. Most prominent on Somersby's hit list is Josh Marshall himself, whom Somersby accuses of proposing some sort of vast conspiracy including all eight Democratic Senators who "concocted" a cover story which explains why Cheney was never briefed on Wilson's mission.
The problem with Somerby's analysis, of course, is that Democrats are a minority on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, and in order for those Democrats to get certain facts and conclusions into the report that they wanted in there, it was absolutely necessary to "compromise" on less crucial issues, like the specific details and descriptions of events surrounding Joseph Wilson's trip. Trashing Wilson was a high priority for the GOP members of the committee, and maintaining the credibility of Joseph Wilson was a much lower priority for the Democrats.
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