I suppose nothing that the Bush Crime Family did should surprise me.

But you would think that after Watergate and the revelations about Nixon's enemies list that no one would try to use official resources to try to dig up damaging personal information about a critic.

But a story on the NY Times website tonight quotes a former CIA official saying that's exactly what was ordered with regard to Professor Juan Cole, whose Informed Comment website has been an invaluable source of insight and analysis on Iraq and other Middle Eastern topics.