WaPo on The American Interest

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post writes about the press conference on Friday that announced the formal founding of The American Interest. The new journal rises out of the recent ideological split at The National Interest, and is symbolic of the growing distance between traditional realist conservatives and the idealistic neoconservatives. Milbank writes:

The split at the obscure but respected journal is a classic Washington brawl about ego and influence. But it also reflects the serious rift exposed in Bush's first term between the neocon-dominated Pentagon and the realist-infused State Department.

...

Both sides, naturally, say that their opponents are the ones motivated by ideology. Eliot Cohen, another hardliner who spoke at yesterday's kickoff, said he was particularly irked about a new column in the National Interest called 'The Realist,' adding: 'I was uncomfortable being on the editorial board of this kind of journal.'

'Laughable,' replied National Interest editor Nikolas Gvosdev, pointing out that three of the new publication's board members wrote in the past year for the National Interest. It's the breakaway journal, he said, where 'debate is going to be more muted.'

I was surprised to read that The National Interest is considered obscure. Nevertheless, I will continue to read the TNI and will definitely be getting The American Interest when it starts publishing. Any serious discussion of ideas is a good thing, and a new journal will just add to the number of ideas out there.