if it was just one guy... maybe... but you have to look at their background. both were life long republicans. Clarke served under Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. and here's O Neil's biography <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_O%27Neill" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_O%27Neill</A> I use these two as examples from the many available for the very reason I think they are very credible.