There has been an enormous amount already said and written about Matthew Dowd’s interview with the New York Times in which he essentially renounces his support for the President.

Dowd, many will recall, was the chief strategist on President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and played a similar role in 2000. In between, he was a key advisor to the Republican National Committee, helping shape the party’s strategy and message.

I wanted to my two cents just to say that I admire Dowd for standing up and speaking out. I don’t agree completely with the substance of what he said, but that’s not really the point. Too often these days, the men and women who have advised our leaders are unwilling to go public with their concerns because they fear the fallout. Often, they are concerned that by expressing their opinion, they will cause damage to a leader or cause that they still value — often by providing ammunition to political opponents. Sometimes the fear is simply a result of wanting to remain employable. Occasionally, they worry about reprisals.

Whatever the reason, the effective squelching of dissent is bad for our nation. Disagreement is critical if leaders are to benefit from the experiences of the men and women who provide advice. And once those advisors’ service is done, we should all benefit from their wisdom and insight. But in the current climate, we are too often robbed of that opportunity.

It is clear to me that the President doesn’t benefit sufficiently from hearing dissenting opinions. Perhaps that’s his choice. Perhaps not. But no one would question that it has a negative effect on his decision-making.

So I’m raising my On Tap mug today to Mr. Dowd. For standing up and speaking out, when he knew it would be difficult, personally and professionally, he’s earned my eternal respect.

Jim: I’m divided on Dowd - although I preface my comments by noting that Dowd has gone through some gut-wrenching painful changes in his life recently, according to the article, and thus I get a bit hesitant about judging him too harshly, even if I think he’s wrong. There but for the grace of God go I, and all that.

Still, it rankled at me a bit, much like the… (sigh) I hate to use the term, but “neocons” — the prominent defense strategists and thinkers who urged President Bush to invade Iraq and who subsequently said that President Bush had botched their brilliant idea in an infamous Vanity Fair article in November 2006. Yes, I know many of the thinkers insisted their comments were taken out of context. Yes, I can understand that they probably pictured the administration would react to circumstances on the ground faster. But at the end of the day, for many of these distinguished men, persuading the president to invade Iraq is/was the biggest accomplishment of their life, the biggest chance to influence policy and see if their ideas would work. You can’t just say, “well, my idea was great, but they messed it up” and then move on to your next great policy idea.

Matthew Dowd may go on to do many great things in this life, but his role as one of the key strategists of Bush’s campaign is likely to be one of his biggest accomplishments. It will be the first sentence of his obituary, unless he discovers a cure for AIDS or something. And here he is, saying it was a mistake. Well, buddy, didn’t you wonder at any point whether you were doing the right thing? Didn’t you have any doubts way back when when you met Bush and said, “this man must become the next President of the United States”? Dowd spent a heck of a lot more personal time with the President than most of us. How did it take him so many years to realize that Bush wasn’t the man he thought he was?

How do you renounce the signature work of your career?

Dowd isn’t alone. I remember when George Stephanopolous was asked after the Lewinsky debacle whether he felt President Clinton deserved to be reelected in 1996. Steph said, after a long silence, “Knowing what we know now… no.” Very gutsy, but you’re kind of left shaking your head. Again, this is the signature accomplishment of his life (although he has his new life hosting ABC’s Sunday morning program) and Steph’s more or less recognizing he shouldn’t have done it.

So I’ll guess I’ll salute Dowd for the courage to say, “Wow, I just spent six years of my life dedicated to installing the wrong man as leader of the free world, and keeping him there”… but I hope to never emulate him.

Another man in Dowd’s line of work, James Carville, once said that “Next to your love, your labor is the most sacred thing you can ever give another person…” and he talked about how happy he was to have worked for Bill Clinton. One’s labor - the energy, the dedication, the time, the sweat and the effort - are not trifles to be given to whoever’s paycheck clears. Ya gotta know what you’re working for, and why.