Sidney Blumenthal's book had been hailed by liberals and leftists, and regarded as a hatchet job by many conservatives. In person Mr. Blumenthal seems nervous and tentative, and this show never really comes alive. SB: "I think often the anti-Communism of the conservative is offered as an emblem of positive belief from which not only flows rejection of Communism but a number of other items that suggest a coherent program and a complete philosophy."