Regarding Raymond Davis in Pakistan, & the NY Times

If a plumber works for the CIA, we don't call him/her "a contractor," but rather "a plumber." If a spy, or a killer, works for the CIA, he is a spy or a killer, not "a contractor." Call him that.

It seems obvious that people in Pakistan - public and government - knew that Davis was CIA. A confirmation in the Times would affect that belief/knowledge - one word: Baloney.

What was news that was not treated with skepticism was The President's statement that Davis was "our diplomat." This was patently euphemistic; additionally, "our diplomat" would have been employed by the U.S. government, not "a contractor."

Regarding Times relations with the government: Remember Judith Miller & Iraq.