I can see the can o'worms opened up by the discussion of how much commentary you should provide around the link. I went as directed to the end comments, but since, in the case of the second document particularly, they're massive, I had to skim. Maybe I'll get a chance later to read more slowly...and maybe then I'll come to the conclusion you hope I'll come to. [;-)].

What I noticed about the Democratic dissent is that it consists of long lists of the public statements by Bush and his minions, statements that were not only demonstrably false or highly dubious, but based on the Committee's investigation into what the Administration knew and when it knew it, they knew at the time to be either false or highly dubious. I can feel your pain...those damn Democrats embarrassing Republicans by quoting what their Glorious Leader said, the nerve!

It also stood out like a sore thumb how the Republican remarks were untouched, but the Democratic remarks were hacked to pieces with redaction. That was a little heavy-handed even by Republican standards. One Democratic rebuttal to a redaction gives the game away:

[The Committee was told that the decision to classify the information in the above paragraph explaining the existence of an Intelligence Community document about the claims made by INC Source #2 was made by the Office of the Vice President. We have concluded that there is no justifiable basis for classifying this information.]

(Underlining added)

(Except to try and protect the Republican White House, of course.) I have to say, c'mon, the Administration official under investigation got to decide what documents would remain classified? Are you kidding me? The sheer cojones!

Or how about this one:

[similar boiler-plate as above]...We believe that the decision to keep from the public this revealing information about the use of intelligence prior to the war represents an improper use of classification authority by the intelligence community to shield the White House.

(Underlining added)

Oh but wait there's more:

During the declassification review of these additional views, the intelligence community determined that the paragraph above was entirely unclassified. On the day the Committee met to release the report, the intelligence community reversed itself and made the indicated redactions. We believe this last-minute decision is without merit and represents an improper use of classification authority, the effect of which is to shield the White House.

Republicans have almost raised to a fine art the tactic of conducting a coverup while calling it an investigation, but there are limits, and they've obviously reached the end of their rope trying to protect the White House. The desperation is showing, and I'm happy to say, the end is near.

Priceless stuff, Tom, thanks!