Hysteria Watch

The rapid and public disintegration of a once-proud standard bearer of conservatism continues apace. As someone who grew up a fan of National Review and its founder, debacles like the following are painful to watch.

John Podhoretz on Thursday:

THE 9/11 COMMISSION IN MORTAL DANGER

I was very skeptical of this Able Danger stuff about Atta, thought it was just sme way Rep. Curt Weldon was trying to sell a book. No longer. This is clearly becoming the biggest story of the summer -- the fact that, as Andy McCarthy alluded to, the "intelligence wall" set up by 9/11 Commissioner Jamie Gorelick when she was in the Justice Department did, in fact, cause the linchpin of the 9/11 attacks to evade capture by American law enforcement.

John Podhoretz on Sunday:

WHAT HATH CURT WELDON WROUGHT?

From tomorrow's Time Magazine about Rep. Curt Weldon and his Able Danger claims, which arose out of a soon-to-be-published book: "In a particularly dramatic scene in Weldon’s book, Countdown to Terror, the Pennsylvania Republican described personally handing to then-Deputy National Security Adviser Steve Hadley, just after Sept. 11, an Able Danger chart produced in 1999 identifying Atta. But Weldon told TIME he’s no longer certain Atta’s name was on that original document. The congressman says he handed Hadley his only copy. Still, last week he referred reporters to a recently reconstructed version of the chart in his office where, among dozens of names and photos of terrorists from around the world, there was a color mug shot of Mohammad Atta, circled in black marker."

If Time's account is accurate, Weldon has done something very, very bad with this whole story -- something either knowingly dishonest, unknowingly crazy, or foolishly naive -- and he should be held accountable for it.

The "biggest story of the summer" went bad faster than a half-eaten fish at a picnic in August, didn't it? Beyond the credibility implosion at National Review, why is this important? Because this is the same stable of literary enablers that helped breathlessly push tales about mobile bioweapons labs, weapons-grade plutonium, and Iraqi links to 9/11. And it's the same group that's currently pushing warmed-over, recycled fare using the same tired playbook for Iran, as we see in this recent piece by Michael Ledeen. The Weldon/Able Danger debacle is only the latest example of why---instead of being read, enjoyed, and relied upon to inform---those who were once the "watchers" must themselves now be constantly watched, particularly as the issue of Iran comes to a head.

And by the way, Congressman Weldon is currently serving his tenth term and is one of the most senior elected officials in the nation. He's Vice Chairman of both the House Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee. And he's one of the most vocal hawks currently pushing for military action against Iran. Exactly how is this disaster by Weldon any less serious than what CBS News and Dan Rather got scalded for last year? What happened here? Will those who were so diligent in pursuing Rathergate demand answers about something that may have far more serious implications?

We may already have our answer. Podhoretz on Sunday night:

And an apology is due the 9/11 Commission staff at the very least, I think, because some of us were in effect contending that they were sloppy or dishonest or covering something up. Sounds like they were being professional to me.

How gracious of you, John. An "apology" and let it go at that, eh?