The President doesn't just appoint the Secretary of State, he appoints the Secretary of State, and then the Congress votes. And if the Congress approves that person, that person becomes Secretary of State.

Authoritarianism and secrecy breed incompetence; the two feed on each other. It's a vicious cycle. Governments with authoritarian tendencies point to what is in fact their own incompetence as the rationale for giving them yet more power.

The further you get from power, the closer you come to the truth.

There's a difference, though, between being a political appointee and putting a political operative in charge of a U.S. attorney's office.

Success can be built on a strong relationship between a lobbyist and a single, powerful lawmaker.

For David Halberstam journalism was a calling, not a job. You couldn't fire him and he wouldn't quit.

The death of honest and courageous a reporter leaves America a little more vulnerable.