A toast to an underdog

No film expresses the American spirit better than "Scarface," starring Al Pacino. This may be an odd assertion, but amidst the three-hour orgy of violence and drug use, there is one quality in Pacino's performance expressing a distinctly American grandeur.\nThat quality is an unflinching impudence in the face of impossible odds. In scene after scene, Pacino's character, Tony Montana, appears as the quintessential underdog, but he always looks death in the eye, sticks out his chin and invites danger. \nThis is what America loves -- not just an underdog, but an underdog who is brave enough (or stupid enough) to take on his foes with unwavering boldness and foolish abandon.\nIt is also why Americans should be paying more attention to Richard A. Clarke, who served as White House counter terrorism chief under four presidential administrations. Like Tony Montana, Clarke has become something of an archetypal underdog -- but while Pacino's Montana is a self-interested criminal, Clarke is a fighter for truth against those who seek to remain free of blame. Last week, Clarke apologized for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling the families of those who died, "I failed you."\nIn his frequent appearances on news talk shows and in his newly released book, "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror," Clarke has been extremely critical of the Bush administration for neglecting the threat of terrorism and al Qaeda prior to Sept. 11. He has also criticized the war on Iraq for diverting attention and money away from the War on Terror and fueling the hatred of Islamic radicals.\nNeedless to say, this has not made him many friends among Republicans in Washington, D.C., many of whom are now calling for the declassification of one of Clarke's earlier testimonies for a Congressional inquiry into Sept. 11. Republicans are hoping to find inconsistencies in Clarke's statements undermining his credibility and keep both his book and his public statements from harming President Bush in the upcoming election. But Clarke is sticking out his chin with impunity and calling the Republicans' bluff.\nClarke has not only welcomed the declassification of all six hours of his testimony, but has also called for the declassification of Condoleeza Rice's testimony, as well as the release of all correspondence between himself and Rice, the president's national security advisor.\nThis is the kind of tale of a bold underdog that should make Americans cheer. My only fear is Clarke's story will get lost in the shuffle of political double-speak and distraction issues, such as a ban on gay marriage. This is essentially what happened to former U.S. Weapons Inspector David Kay when he told America in February "we were all wrong" about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This statement reverberated as strongly as Clarke's apology, but those reverberations have died down tremendously.\nIt is essential we as citizens continue to engage in the kind of substantive and worthwhile debates like the one Clarke is seeking to spark. It is imperative we continue to ask why we were the victims of such a heinous attack and why we went to war against Saddam Hussein. It is crucial, come November, we go to the polls keeping the underdog in mind.\nI'm looking forward to the presidential elections, as they will be my chance to take a cue from Tony Montana and Richard Clarke by telling President Bush to say hello to my little friend -- a ballot.