A friend writes:

On the Times “kill list” story–has anyone asked what the hell David Alexrod was doing in the room in the Tuesday sessions when they picked the people to kill? Karl Rove was nearly indicted for picking U.S. attorneys who should be sacked; this seems far worse. From the Times story [emphasis mine]:

David Axelrod, the president’s closest political adviser, began showing up at the “Terror Tuesday” meetings, his unspeaking presence a visible reminder of what everyone understood: a successful attack would overwhelm the president’s other aspirations and achievements.

And look at this spooky little interchange on Morning Joe–all the liberals approving of Obama’s kill list, and praising his deeply moving assumption of “moral responsibility” for the drone strikes (with no oversight, no positive and public rules, hence no chance for any but symbolic responsibility). John Heilemann is wired and giggly, Mika Brzezinski has no doubts at all, the third guy just talks about how well it will spin and Tina Brown is selling her magazine. Only Scarborough is troubled– and he doesn’t back down. He has the guts to make the comparison with torture, and keeps slowly shaking his head. He makes it a point about the decisions being taken in the wrong office; he neglects the lack of oversight and accountability, which matters more. Nevertheless, I think this is the real division in American politics, under all the other divisions. The morally dead who only care about “blowback,” against those who care about injustice itself and see some relation between injustice and unchecked power.