Mansoor Ijaz has come out swinging against disgruntled former "White House terrorism czar" and book salesman, Richard Clarke. (via LGF)

NewsMax: Ijaz: Clarke Blocked bin Laden Extradition

I care little what guys like Richard Clarke say. Why? Because I can't trust it. All these so-called revelations so far, when looked at more closely, end up disolving into nothing - that, or they come off as just the rantings of people who, to their credit, took their jobs very seriously, and just can't handle the fact that they were not able to convince the rest of the bureacracy to take their point of view. So they quit with hard feelings, but rather than just fading into the twilight, or biding their time and waiting for circumstances to change and the opportunity for vindication, they look for the quick shot of vengeance. In our high-stakes world of politics, there are only too many opportunities for the disgruntled to cash in - whether it be in book deals today, or the hope for better position with a new administration tomorrow. Where in the past, people might have put propriety, a sense of honor and class ahead of gain, today the temptations are too great, and their are only too many people ready to whisper in your ear just what you want to hear, "You owe to the People to speak out. We need you to do the right thing..." Never mind that those voices have their own profit to be gained from this perfidy. Never mind that by these self-serving turncoats donig what they do, it makes it even more difficult for those in power to govern under already difficult circumstances. The ego of a guy like Clarke must know no bounds. He must not understand that, contrary to his own inflated sense of self-importance, no one in their right mind would ever trust such a person again.

Anyone who's ever been involved in an effort with more than one other person knows there's politics in everything, and that means compromise, and that means you may not always get everything you want. Sometimes you may even run afoul of the boss and end up on "the outs." That's true in everything from coaching a Little League team right on up to the White House. Richard Clarke's sour grapes are absolutely nothing unique, and you know what? He may be right, but we don't have enough information to know. And maybe the people he's stabbing in the back had information and plans that he himself wasn't aware of.

I'm not going to worry over-much about it in the mean-time. For now, I'm backing the people on who's shoulders the burdens fall, and that isn't Richard Clarke any more.

Update: Viking Pundit has several good links on Clarke, and Roger L. Simon says, "Books For Sale! Get Your Hot Books!"

Update2: Hat tip to mal for the pointer to this Mansoor Ijaz piece in NRO with seven questions Ijaz would like to see the 9/11 Commission ask Clarke...