Praetorians in the news

A while back I warned that the revolting generals raised the specter of the formation of a new Praetorian Guard. In the American Spectator, Jed Babbin argues along the same lines, but reaches the conclusion that elements of a budding Praetorian Guard are already in place within the CIA. The coordinated series of leaks, the all but open war against the White House, the behavior of the very visible, very vocal former CIA agents taken together point to that scenario.

The only victories the CIA has achieved since the Cuban Missile Crisis have been in the arena in which it is legally forbidden to operate: in the domestic politics of the United States. The Joe Wilson Niger trip was set up to produce publicity adverse to the Bush administration and its case for war in Iraq. Wilson was sent to Niger without a security agreement, which is normally required of everyone working in intelligence. It's a hard contract that also reminds you of your possible criminal liability if you divulge secrets. But Wilson wasn't required to sign one, because the CIA leaders he worked for wanted the predictable results to be made public in the most embarrassing way. Their media pals took the non-story of the Plame name leak and increased the benefit of the CIA's Wilson scam tenfold.

He wonders, as I have also, whether the rot is so deep that the CIA is beyond salvaging. People in the media and on the left are so blinded by their hatred of Bush that they do not see what they are heading for. If the CIA does pull off the overthrow of the office of the president, nobody, regardless of political party, will ever be able to hold that office without their consent. Eventually it will be they who determine who will hold the office.

Those who embrace this treachery for short-term political gain are setting up a long-term disaster for this country. The real story the press should be covering is how far some elements of the CIA have moved toward setting themselves up as a new Praetorian Guard. The left should be more afraid of the CIA's motivations right now than joyously embracing them.