(quote)
"As one who had to deal with the Carter-Stanfield Turner days, I can only say "The Boys are Back in Town".

Then God help us all.
I don't know to what capacity you "had to deal with the Carter-Turner days" , but one so well read must be acquainted with the CIA term-of-art "Blowback " as in the CIA's training of the Afghani-based mujahadeen ,the support for Saddam which is academic now ,and Reagan's turning tail after the Lebanon truck bombing of those 265 marines in their beds. Reagan's "Boys" certainly sent a clear message to the terrorists that the U.S. could *not* take a bloody nose and ,thus, terrorism grew emboldened as a direct result. As if the distraction of the Granada police action addressed this clear and present danger. Get real.
And lest we wax to proud from the Woodward piece on Bush, which I have yet to read , one should remember his piece about Reagan's hand-picked man for C.I.A. William Casey as outlned in "Veil" which the Repub's dismissed as fiction.

(quote)
"I must say that Woodward, who has hated every Republican..."

Oh get real. His "The Commanders" about the Bush,Sr. decision makers behind the Gulf War was no poisoned piece at all. Meanwhile more times than not it "takes" one from within one's party to blow the whistle when its called for.

Witness the career of journalist David Brock: He was 'the" darling of the Repubs and lauded with credability because of his admirable hatchet work reports on "liberals" during the Clinton investigative-mania Congress ( rom '94 to 2000 ) but when he then turned and began reporting out of school about the internal agendas of the right wing that supported his writing when it served them that ame right wing immediately stripped him of all of the redability they buttressed him with before.

(quote)
"...hated every Republican since Nixon (his meal ticket), ...

What unadulterated Bush-wallah. Too bad when your ox is gored by one of your own , but then whom better to know where the bodies are buried ? ;-)
I respect someone who does *not* withhold whitsle-blowing on thei so-called "meal ticket". It takes more guts to not pander to one's master when their doing wrong. It's called "integrity".
Repubs like to use that word alot until whenever its shown that one of their own is "integrity-challenged" ( I don't imagine you'd like a list ).

" ( Woodward)...has done what appears to be a rather complimentary work on Bush. "

I love this "What appears to be " line. I guess you still harbor suspicions that ol' Woodward may yet turn the other hand he's holding and balance his report ...starting with Bush's tin-eared " warmed-over "Supply-side" retreads Economic team whom are blasting up the Budget deficit just like it's the reagan 80's all over again. Guess where interest rates will be heading next once too much capital is drained away for the "Borrow & Spend " Repub's turn at the hog-trough. Wait for it. ;-)