Lost in the debate over Brennan’s comments is that he’s not just lashing out at critics on the right. As I point out here, his column today was written in response to criticism from the editorial board of USA Today, which declared the Obama administration’s handling of the Abdulmutallab case “amateur hour.” Also criticizing the administration is the editorial page of the Washington Post, which declared the handling of Abdulmutallab’s interrogation “myopic, irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

Are these two liberal newspapers engaged in “fear-mongering” in service to the “goals of al-Qaeda”?

When Dick Cheney, the Washington Post, and USA Today all agree, that’s about as close as you get to consensus here in Washington, D.C.