> Leaving aside his published opinions or his appearance on Democracy
> Now, the fact that he has worked with the CIA makes him
> professionally unworthy as a scholar and teacher.
This is a smear.
Please retract it.
Cole went to some low-level Federal seminars where some CIA staffers asked him about the politics and culture of the Middle East. Period. End of discussion. He is one of our best public intellectuals, with invaluable insights into the Middle East and the Arab Spring. He's also moved sharply to the Left over the past few years.
-- DRR