Gaffes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-political-gaffe-will-be-fodder-in-general-election/2012/06/10/gJQAwZaSSV_story.html

Though presented parenthetically, one truthful sentence sums up the story: "(The point Obama was trying to make, however inartfully, was that the private sector was performing far better than the public sector.)" The reporting that follows should include (if any further reporting is necessary) such clarity of completeness. Instead, the media will feed the Republican propaganda premised on the president's statement unchallenged, uncorrected and unedited to the public. Honest, complete and truthful journalism, reporting and editing, has almost fully succumbed to the greed of market share. Repetition of any political rhetoric from the Right or Left without inclusion of "the rest of the story," i.e., the full truth available, makes a mockery of the First Amendment privilege of the Press.

Of course, spin, twist and alteration is expected from political opponents in situations such as this. However, it will be the allowance of such distortion and retention of viability by the Press (exclude commentators and bloggers from that definition) that ends in deception destructive to a democracy.

draft dodging hypocrite

"Draft dodging hypocrite."  These words may not have significance to generations of Americans too young to recall personally the war in Viet Nam. These words will have continuing significance to the men who served in the 1960's after having been drafted and especially those who served in Viet Nam.  They should also have meaning to the men and women who have served in uniform then and since.  Mr. Romney is a draft dodging hypocrite.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/06/05/romneys-lack-of-military-service-faces-scrutiny.html?ESRC=eb.nl

CIA Memoirs

  
"CIA memoirs offer revelations and settle scores among spies"  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/cia-memoirs-offer-revelations-and-settle-scores-among-spies/2012/06/04/gJQAVGTVEV_story.html

"[T]he ex-spies want a little credit, even if it means dabbling in public self-glorification, something seemingly antithetical to the agency’s ethos."  The "silent boots on the ground" of the CIA, as I have called them, whether in paramilitary or classic intelligence gathering roles appear to be performing well in the defense of our country.  Yet, the distinguishing character of the clandestine service of quiet, personal pride in duty honorably performed has given way to "public self-gratification" to a degree not seen in the past.  This article can only point to isolated past writings and fails to show that they generally were viewed with contempt and not as precedent by professionals at the time. 

The ethos may have degraded because of growing disdain among career professionals directed at the agency bureaucracy brought on by evolution (from the Soviet Union) or corruption (to Iraq) of mission identification and value.  A cause may be the dangerously enhanced use of contract personnel who, though sitting side by side, by definition have chosen the moneyed rather than the principled path of direct government service into and within intelligence work.  Assuredly, a cause is the changed culture from which many of these current writers came into the agency.  The direct line has broken from generations who appreciated and sought to emulate the selfless service of those in the clandestine service of the OSS or, for example, the case-officer who in Prague in 1967 bent to pick up an agent's dead drop emplaced prior to the Soviet tank and squad moving near.  These were men and women who served as Director Patraeus recently said, "never for acclaim, always for country."   

It may be somewhat unfair to brand the whole service because of these memoirs yet, if the ethos within were still strong in "never for acclaim," it would be that compact of silent duty which should have been the greatest dissuasion from self-aggrandizement.   If the ethos of the clandestine services has so changed it does not just signal a sad day for America it manifests a dangerous degradation of character within the agency and America itself.