GG has written a pair of superb articles. Please also remember it took the NYT and David Barstow, even as GG acknowledges to have all the spadework done to get this story out.

As a subscriber to the NYT print edition since 1998, I have a love-hate relationship with the newspaper, and several times have suspended my subscription for weeks at a time because I get annoyed with them. But I don't yet see a replacement for what they can do; and therefore continue to support them because of stories such as this one.

In this internet age, when I can get government press releases and video without the intermediary of the media, the real value-add by a newspaper or TV channel is this kind of investigation. I don't know how to encourage it except by writing to them, continuing to subscribe and expressing appreciation in forums wherever I write.

I also think we should try, to the extent possible, to make our best journalists have as much name-recognition as the Russerts, O'Reillys, Limbaughs, Williams etc. If for nothing more tangible than a psychic reward for them to know that people appreciate their work and discuss it.

Patrick Morgan asked - how to get India, Pakistan, Israel to sign on to the NPT, etc.?

The case of India is simple (and Pakistan may follow suit) - demonstrate a real commitment to global nuclear disarmament, i.e., the "big 5" - US, Russia, France, UK, China - must agree to undergo nuclear disarmament in a finite amount of time.

I cannot speak for what it would take to get Israel on board.

Am dismayed by the Israeli government's action.

While old people may be the main news watchers, that does not appear to be the "key" demographic for the news executives.

e.g., this news item is typical

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6529850.html

Super Tuesday Superior to 2004 for Cable News Networks

CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC Post 2008 Super Tuesday Ratings that Dwarf Those of 2004

By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/6/2008 10:34:00 PM

Super Tuesday was a windfall for the cable news networks.

CNN averaged 3.64 million viewers (1.52 million in news’ key demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds) during the primetime hours of 8 p.m.-11 p.m., followed by Fox News Channel with 3.49 million viewers (1.09 million in the demo) and MSNBC with 2.11 million viewers (1.02 million in the demo).

Those numbers far outdistanced what the cable news networks pulled in on Super Tuesday 2004, which took place in March.

.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert_at_the_2006_White_House_Correspondents'_Association_Dinner

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0501-30.htm

" I am appalled to be surrounded by the liberal media that is destroying America, with the exception of Fox News. Fox News gives you both sides of every story: the president's side, and the vice president's side.

But the rest of you, what are you thinking, reporting on NSA wiretapping or secret prisons in eastern Europe? Those things are secret for a very important reason: they're super-depressing. And if that's your goal, well, misery accomplished. Over the last five years you people were so good -- over tax cuts, WMD intelligence, the effect of global warming. We Americans didn't want to know, and you had the courtesy not to try to find out. Those were good times, as far as we knew.

But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put 'em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction!"

Truth remains truth and falsehood remains falsehood no matter who utters it and what the motives. McClellan told untruths and then now truth. If we live in a society where truth-telling about past lie-telling pays dividends, it is better than a society where never telling the truth is more profitable.

The only issue about McClellan's motives in writing his book is whether he has a motive to continue lying. Is he concealing big lies amidst small truth-telling?

A trusted person is presumed to be telling the truth until proven otherwise. One should be so lucky as to have a lot of trusted persons in one's personal life. But isn't the lesson of the last many years that there should be no trusted person in government? One should be skeptical even of a George Washington. Unlike personal life, our political system is designed to be, meant to be adversarial, and that requires perpetual skepticism; or perpetual trust but verify.

Whatever McClellan's future career - if he is in public office, one must at most trust but verify; and if he is in private office, that decision is upto the people who chose to deal with him. Re: confession versus redemption is currently a moot point because the choice to keep him in public life is not before us. Time enough to discuss it if that circumstance should come up.