Loyalty vs. Competence

I just got a press release from G. Gordon Liddy's people, informing me that the erstwhile plumber had this to say about the appointment of Condi Rice to fill Powell's shoes:

Condi is an excellent choice because she has the complete confidence of the President -- she's totally loyal to him.

I spoke to Sy Hersh this weekend, who made a similar comment—absent the positive connotations—about Alberto Gonzales. David Brooks and the Spectator, meanwhile, are up in arms over "mutiny" at the CIA. As Hersh put it, watch for the transformation of the executive branch into a "yes men's paradise."