Only a person who had made their reputation as a fervent anti-communist could have made the overtures to China Nixon did. Ronald Reagan could have negotiated a superb disarmament agreement.

And some are considered essential. Richard Gehlen was a Nazi who was kept on by the US as an intelligence chief. His record was whitewashed in the manner of Wernher von Braun and his colleagues.

Yours is at least a plausible suggestion. The problem is that Bush - Cheney have been so odius, so un-American in their violations of civil- and human-rights that it's time to take the folks who participated in it out, not reward them. One does not become a credible centrist or moderate by incorporating the extremes. This guy was extreme.

Obama has moved from a position where I trusted every move he made while not liking some of them to where I don't trust him. The free pass, similar to that granted Bush and Cheney by Conservatives, has been revoked.

And I'm sure if he knew he wouldn't care. I hope your construct is true, I just doubt it.

Arf