You seem to suggest that I am somehow being “unhelpful” by describing the undocumented and unsourced explosive testimony of a single Naval intelligence official as “blather and palaver” because he is “a guy the country deems stable enough to trust with its most sensitive information.” Come on now, Andy. You worked for years with people entrusted with sensitive information, and I’ve known many people with code-word clearance. There are more than a few I wouldn’t trust any farther than I could throw them (as Jim Geraghty would say, COUGHgergenCOUGH). And since when is the standard for being a serious person dealing with serious matters that “until something is proved or debunked conclusively, we have to assume the truth of allegations to discuss them intelligently.” I really can’t believe you mean that we HAVE to ASSUME the truth of allegations to discuss them — how about an Oliver Stone allegation?