Yes, the Democrats have shown their usual instinct for the capillary. While worrying about minor bits, they've missed that the real harm is simply the reminder of the terrorist threat, which they've tried to downplay, but which they've magnified in people's minds by making a stink. Going on the offensive like this just reminds people that they've been downplaying it for over a decade.If they'd kept their mouths shut, this would be about the terrorists, which would be bad enough. Now it's about the terrorists and the Democrats.
MORE: Best line so far: "War is about killing the enemy and destroying his property. It's not about sitting around in a conference room and coverying your own asses." From 1998.
Clinton looks very bad. So does Sandy Berger.
Massoud: "Are there any men left in Washington, or are they all cowards?"
Madeleine Albright looks pretty bad, too, on the question of informing the Pakistanis that we were trying to kill bin Laden in time for him to get away.
Tenet looks like an ass-coverer. So, so far, I'd say it's pretty accurate . . . .
Upside for Clinton: Osama's jihadis emptying pistols into a TV screen showing him, and shouting "Clinton is Satan!"
FINALLY: I'll try to roundup critiques tomorrow. But I think it was a big mistake for Democrats to draw attention to this film by attacking it and trying to block its broadcast. I wouldn't have watched it without the hype, and I'll be that's true for a lot of people.
Meanwhile, Richard Clarke seems to be ass-covering in the after-show news segment. But George Tenet is getting hammered.