Steve Norquist: I sense that I might get agreement from list members that Mac Lean's comments...place him on an intellectual level with P.J. O'Rourke and Hunter S. Thompson. Edward Allen...in response to a question about the interview excerpted below, stated, "Hunter S. Thompson is an idiot!" 

 

JM: After feeling sufficiently chastised by various misunderstandings, I decided to emphasize now that in no occasion I agreed with Mac Lean's comments.

My mistake was having quoted him merely because I felt speechless by his wild assumptions and I thought, like Steve Norquist, that it was only necessary to present his words to get my point across to the List. 

Steve added another quote to the interview ("Hunter S.Thompson is an idiot") to get things clear - good for him! I failed to do the same.

I learned from this experience that what I achieved, and what his quotes may achieve, is a proliferation of gossipy idiocies.  I apologize for my clumsy contribution for this effect.