[Sandy]

why the hostility?

You're surprised? She's criticizing the government, and that might somehow make the President look bad, so she needs to be defamed (sort of like what the left did with Linda Tripp).

[self_evident]

You're surprised?

I am. I haven't seen a more digusting thread on FR in a long time. The Tripp analogy is dead on, although she was taking on a greater power at greater risk. Clearly, though, the majority of the criticism here is that she wasn't entertaining enough, or overtly polical enough. Part of the blame belongs to the press, though. The blew the memo WAY out of proportion. It appears some people here actually believed the press and expected shocking (and entertaining) revelations by her.