Regarding Richard Fords' comments on John Yoo and the Rule of Law, I have a slightly different take on what the Rule of Law is, and why it's important. The isn't a disagreement, I just think it's important to flesh out this idea a little more.

There is an old saying that "democracy is the worst form of government...except for all of the others." I think that what sets democracy apart from "all the others" is the fact that we have willingly and collectively agreed to settle our differences in court rather than on the dueling grounds or on the killing fields.

Even though we gripe and complain about $1M verdicts for old lady's who get burned by McDonalds coffee, we generally respect the fact that if we're wronged, we'll a least get a shot at justice in a court of law.

This is, I believe, a social contract. It's one of the glues that holds our society together. This is why the Rule of Law is important.

John Yoo's offense is that by so obviously manipulating the justice system at it's very highest levels, he undermines our confidence that the system works. He undermines our confidence that justice is possible. (And my confidence has been sorely undermined over the past 7 years.) I think that the day that we reach a consensus that the system no longer works is the day that we lose our respect for the social contract and it's the day that we'd all better start looking for a safer place to live.