Scarier than N-Pod

Josh Marshall has some apposite remarks of the announcement that Rudy Giuliani has signed Michael Rubin on as an advisor. I must say, though, that I think remarks like "You really might as well put Ahmed Chalabi as your top Mideast or Iran advisor" do a disservice to Chalabi. After all, even though at the end of the day Chalabi didn't succeed in getting the United States to install him as President for Life of Iraq, he did come damn close.

If you look at where Chalabi was in, say, 1993 and where he wound up in 2003, you've got to admit that you're looking at a shrewd and effective operator. His American allies -- guys like Rubin, in short -- just look like dupes or maniacs or whatever.