Suskind reports, that "their jobs were not to help shape policy, but to affirm it."

This I think is the part that should bother the most. Like looking for evidence of the guilt of a suspect while ignoring all contrary evidence, it never works. What's even scarier is Suskind appears to believe that the President is actually in charge. If he IS, no wonder we're in the middle of an 8 years long Chinese Fire Drill. Gawd!