As always, it is astonishing to observe how the same human brain can accommodate those two opposite thoughts only a few months apart without even realizing that it is doing so.

I'm guessing that this was simply an unfortunate rhetorical flourish, because I'm pretty sure Glenn knows that few, if any, of the high-level hypocrites of the right believe their own BS. Having followed Hugh Hewitt (at a safe distance) for decades, I know with great certainty that everything he says and does is calculated, and every position he takes at a given time is based strictly on those calculations. He would gladly and persuasively argue that black is white or that up is down if he believed it would help his glorious cause (and his own bottom line). If only 3 people out of 10 are willing to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride he has done his job well.

I expect that virtually everyone else who has risen to the top of the right-wing BS machine knows exactly what they're doing. They sold out their intellectual integrity a long time ago. The reality-based community needs to stop allowing that people like Hewitt, Limbaugh, Malkin, or Hannity might be anything other than intentional liars and flim-flam artists. Because that's all they are.

You wrote:

Actually, you don't know this with "great certainty." This is what you are merely speculating is true.

Very few people wake up and consciously think: "What I am saying today I know to be false, but I am saying it anyway to advance my interests." I know it makes people seem more evil and cunning to attribute such Lex Luthor-like manipulation to them. But many advocates -- including many on the Right -- convince themselves that they are right and honest every bit as much you do.

I don't expect anyone to accept on faith that I know what I purport to know about Hugh Hewitt, but during the 1980s and 1990s we both worked in the land-use policy arena in southern California. Mr. Hewitt was the high-powered attorney most in demand by unscrupulous land developers. I know how he thinks from having worked on the opposite side from him on many projects. In that cut-throat legal milieu he was widely regarded as the ultimate power player -- a specialist in finding creative ways around the endangered species act and other land-use regulations on behalf of some of the biggest developers in southern California. That's just a fact, one I suspect you could confirm without much effort.

My suspicions about his lack of intellectual integrity were proven to my satisfaction when The Irvine Company proposed to build Shady Canyon -- now Orange County's highest-end residential development -- next to his neighborhood in Irvine. Hugh morphed into a NIMBY protester, writing letters to newspapers and decrying the loss of native plants and wildlife! But his gifts were for ramming projects through the system, not blocking them, so his lame protest letters had no effect (other than to leave many of us shaking our heads at his utter lack of shame).

Anyway, it's your prerogative to think I'm full of it, but I do urge you to research Hugh's background as a land-use attorney -- you'll find that your Lex Luthor comparison is actually quite apt.

Another oft-ignored precept of Christianity is stewardship of the earth. As with true "family values" and other matters of principal mentioned in the comments, all Christian Republicans should be all for it, and would be all for it, except that it doesn't come free.

As always, the League of Conservation Voters highlights the stark difference that exists between Republicans and Dems with regard to environmental policy:

http://www.lcv.org/scorecard/

I love everything you write, Glenn, but I still think you're off base with your repeated assumptions that people like Klein don't know what they're doing when they write their power-serving garbage. You wrote:

If Klein really does know what the NSA is doing -- rather than throwing around the phrase "data mining" because it seems complicated and smart -- then he ought to write about it, since that would be a major scoop.

What makes you think that Joe Klein, of all people, is looking for a "major scoop"? He's looking to hold on to one of the least demanding, most ego-boosting, highest-paying gigs in journalism. Shouldn't we assume by now that he's not looking to do the serious work that it would take to really figure out what's going on, expose it, and then deal with the fallout when the vicious wingers try to make his life hell?

Dear Mr. Stengel,

I'm sure you know better than I do that Time's brand of propaganda relies on maintaining a veneer of credibility so that your readers think they're learning something of value rather than being fed a diet of complete bullshit. Now that Klein's veneer has been shattered so completely, how can you keep him on? You must see that it's in your own best interest to throw him overboard. Just wait a few months, so that it will be less obvious that Glenn Greenwald and other fact-based bloggers capped his ass.

The disgust I felt for Obama for lauding Ronald Reagan last week has dissolved to nothing after the Clintons' performance in South Carolina. Bill has just undone the best part of his reputation and put the future viability of Democratic politics at risk by purposefully and systematically playing the race card there.

This morning I listened to Hillary's communications director trying to explain away Bill's post-election comments -- all the poor guy could do was try to change the subject to the pressing needs facing our great nation at this critical juncture in history. I hope there's a lot more whities out there like me who are ready to put Hillary and her race-baiting spouse out of our misery.