Over-reacting?

Is Ashcroft over-reacting to the threat of new terrorism? Newsweek has a web exclusive on how some U.S. intelligence officials don't think there is any "fresh information that justified such an extraordinary public announcement." (courtesy The Left Coaster)

It's one thing when paranoid, lefty-bloggers suggest that terror alerts aren't on the up-n-up. But what are we to think when you respected institutions like Newsweek start doing the same?

This is indicative of the failure that is this administration. In order for these terror alerts to be at all effective the populous must first have faith that they are legitimate. But how can anyone take as legitimate the warnings that come from people that have fucked up so badly over and over again?

The real tragedy of it is that there are bad guys out there who want to cause us harm. When we lose faith in our leaders then that just makes the bad guy's job easier.