Jamie Rubin…
…surprises me. Pleasantly, I might add. He’s quoted in Thomas Friedman’s NYT piece today.
We also need to spotlight the “excuse makers,” the former State Department spokesman James Rubin said. After every major terrorist incident, the excuse makers come out to tell us why imperialism, Zionism, colonialism or Iraq explains why the terrorists acted. These excuse makers are just one notch less despicable than the terrorists and also deserve to be exposed. When you live in an open society like London, where anyone with a grievance can publish an article, run for office or start a political movement, the notion that blowing up a busload of innocent civilians in response to Iraq is somehow “understandable” is outrageous*. “It erases the distinction between legitimate dissent and terrorism,” Mr. Rubin said, “and an open society needs to maintain a clear wall between them.”
Indeed.
*emphasis mine
July 22, 2005 7:17 pm 
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Wow, Blinding Flash of the Obvious – but from a decidedly low-wattage source. About frickin’ time, Grey Lady.
I’m thinking Christianne beat the crap out of him when she read it.