The American Spectator

br> Aberdeen, Maryland /p>

Mr. Babbin’s “All the President’s Spies” is a colossal disappointment and another nail in the coffin for “conservatives” as TAS spirals toward GOP groupthink and away from thoughtful analysis. It is an intellectually lazy exercise for Mr. Babbin to blame the leakers (and, of course, the news media) while giving a pass to the Bush administration for their questionable and puzzling behavior regarding foreign gulags and going around FISA.

p>Mr. Babbin compares the GWOT to other real wars when it would be more appropriate to compare the GWOT to the war on drugs — neither have a tangible set of criteria for an end and both seem to epitomize the “ends justify the means” thinking by the administration. It is shocking to see how completely unconcerned “conservatives” are about civil liberties. Mr. Babbin states, “Our Constitution and laws set broad bounds for intelligence gathering. We should do everything within those bounds. Everything.” I disagree. Personally, I would much rather take my chances with a possible terrorist attack than with the government intelligence leviathan spying on everyone and everything in the United States (which is what will happen). Mr. Babbin’s article and the general response by “conservatives” are antithetical to what this great nation stands for. When did we become the nation of whiny, afraid people that were willing to risk our freedom and our way of life to torture our enemies and unlawfully spy on our own people all in the name of safety? br> — Ben Berry br> Silver Spring, Maryland /p> p> Jed Babbin Replies: br> I’ll be glad to pass your recommendation that your community absorb the next terrorist attacks to the bad guys next time I speak to them. /p> p> On Jed Babbin’s article, “All the President’s Spies,” who are the three U.S. senators suspected of leaking this information? br> — Jack Fisher