Politics - Tap Dancers In The Executive Branch

Wow, journalists actually doing their job? Who knew?

This must be the second time in as many days that some talking head has actually asked a tough question. Hold me someone, I think I'm gonna faint. Call the papers. No, scratch that. Call the TV ... no, scratch that. Call the blogosphere!

That anorexic painted harpy yonder is one Frances Fragos Townsend, National Security Advisor, or, more accurately, National Security Spinmeisterin. Yesterday, Chris Wallace actually did a pitbull on her, asking her some tough questions and refusing to let up:

MR. WALLACE: Two years ago, President Bush said that we were beating al Qaeda. Let's take a look.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: (From videotape.) We have put the enemy on the run, and now they spend their days avoiding capture.

MR. WALLACE: But the new National Intelligence Estimate out this week says things have changed. Quote, we assess the group has protected or regenerated key elements of its homeland attack capabilities, including a safe haven in the Pakistan federally administered tribal areas, operational lieutenants and its leadership. As we a result, we judge that the United States currently is in a heightened threat environment."

Ms. Townsend, why was al Qaeda getting weaker two years ago, and now it's getting stronger?

MS. TOWNSEND: Well, I think we have to step back for a moment, Chris, and understand what the NIE says in the paragraph just before the one you read is that the U.S. worldwide global counterterrorism operations have constrained al Qaeda's ability to attack, and al Qaeda believes the homeland is now a more difficult target to attack.

He continued in that vein for several minutes, putting poor ol' Fran's fanny on the hotseat. Hey, it's a start. Video and transcript here.

Yes, it is a sad day when we have to be grateful that the Fourth Estate does its job, however anemically, but considering the last 6 years of a lickspittle press, I, for one, am grateful.

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