HONESTLY, folks, why can’t we all admit it and say at the outset that this news item should be filed in the CYA And Get-Something-On-Paper-To-Improve-Our-Image Department?
President Bush has ordered White House staff to attend mandatory briefings beginning next week on ethical behavior and the handling of classified material after the indictment last week of a senior administration official in the CIA leak probe.
According to a memo sent to aides yesterday, Bush expects all White House staff to adhere to the “spirit as well as the letter” of all ethics laws and rules. As a result, “the White House counsel’s office will conduct a series of presentations next week that will provide refresher lectures on general ethics rules, including the rules of governing the protection of classified information,” according to the memo, a copy of which was provided to The Washington Post by a senior White House aide.
Basically, a senior White House aide has given the Post this memo which shows that the White House is (a) making sure that classified material is being handled correctly and (b) that the staff adheres to ethical behavioir.
Subtext: See? The current controversies and legal problems were because people didn’t know how to handle materials and be ethical. And now we’re taking steps to make sure nothing like this happens again.
This has to be one of the most hamhanded p.r. maneuvers since President Gerald Ford’s “WIN” (Whip Inflation Now) button, or Jimmy Carter talking about energy policy wearing a sweater. But it will be something lawyers can point to in court, the administration can use to say it was all a mistake or because people didn’t completely understand ethical issues. Rush and Sean can it use to say AHA! Critics are politically motivated in doubting the White House’s version — and that things have already changed.
Are we supposed to believe that if GWB felt there was an issue with his staffers not knowing how to handle classified materials and act and work in an ethical manner that they wouldn’t have been out on the street long ago (and probably hired immediately by congressional re-election campaigns)?
Then you have to ask yourself a competency question: how could Bush hire people who are (if a special briefing is truly needed) seemingly lacking the necessary knowledge on these issues? Other Democratic and Republican Presidents haven’t had to give the staffs picked by them special briefings.
PS: We assume that Karl Rove will be in the front row since he’s still working, in particular listening to the ethics part of the lesson. (Will they get a pop quiz or a big test at the end?)
UPDATE: We’re not alone in our reaction. Read James Joyner.
UPDATE II: A reader from Florida reminds us that Sandy Berger could have used this briefing, too…