The Able Danger hearings yesterday were of considerable interest to many.Here's some background explaining why. Among other things, it is likely that they will highlight serious intelligence problems during the Clinton Administration, shortcomings which helped make 9/11 possible. Many expected that C—SPAN would cover these important hearings. Alas, that was not to be.   C—SPAN instead concentrated on anti—Bush Katrina hearings and an interview with an ex—CIA critic of the President, Paul Pillar, of whom I've already written. Pillar is one of those men who think terrorism is not important, can be contained, and that it's an outrage that this Administration didn't defer to the mandarinate of which he was a part in the prior Administration. And he's been trotted out on commercial network shows for over a week. There was also a lot of coverage on Warren G. Harding and a report on the 2007 Department of State budget.... Call me skeptical that...(Read Full Post)