You know, when you have an official position in the White House you really should contract out your dirty work. Or, I duuno, NOT DO ILLEGAL THINGS. I know all of those disclosure laws and treason laws are very archaic and confusing- really, I do. I'm a lawyer and I have no clue the intricate ins and outs of political legal issues at the highest levels- and I am well, well aware of that. I do know enough to know that I don't know- which, I have said before, is the critical issue when one is an attorney.
Lets think about this- Just say long ago, when this scandal first surfaced, ole Scooter (Still picturing my cat scooting his butt across the floor aren't you?) had come clean and said, "Yeah, I did talk to that reporter, but I thought she already knew...Since everyone knew Plame was in the CIA... I didn't think I was telling her anything, we were just gossiping... And geez I'm sorry." NOT ONE of the charges leveled against him today would have been made since they all stem from his 1) obstructing the investigation 2) perjury and 3) making false statements. In other words, its the lying stupid.
See? The scandal would have been long ago forgotten. Just like Clinton- if he hadn't gone with all that meaning of "is" is crap, and just said, "yeah, the little groupie went down on me." It would just been a sex scandal and the White House could have made the focus on the illegal wiretaping by that woman who was Monica's "friend."
Instead, in both cases, our tax dollars went to fund massive investigations. Millions and Millions of dollars, wasted because people couldn't tell the truth. That's my money, and yours. You want to know what the American public thinks so many politicians are lying liars? Its because they lie and lie and lie. They lie when the truth would save them.
Reminds me of one of the many, many things MadDog and Mommie Dearest did right when raising me: If I came home and told on myself when I had done something wrong, we would discuss it but no grounding or other punishment other than setting right my wrong would be given. It made me secure in admitting when I was wrong and making what amends I could.
It applies well to my law practice- if you know you screwed up, it can usually be fixed if addressed immediately. Pretending it didn't happen usually works to your disadvantage and results in messes that can't be fixed without large amounts of cash and your liability insurance. Several times in my practice I have had to call a client and say, "I screwed up. This is what worked to your disadvantage and this is how I propose to fix it." No one has ever left dissatisfied. Many have been blown away and amazed that I would tell them I messed something up. Of course, knock wood, my screw ups have been minor and fixable. As MadDog says, "Get 95% right on a law school exam you'll be at the top of your class, get 95% right in your practice you'll get sued before lunch."
I leave you with the forward to one of the great books of all time, Brave New World (Please note: underlining is not available so I use italics.) by Aldous Huxley, "Chronic remorse, as all the moralists are agreed, is a most undesirable sentiment. If you have behaved badly, repent, make what amends you can and address yourself to the task of behaving better next time. On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean."
Have a great weekend.
4 comments:
But underlining means italics--or did originally. It was just a method for typesetters to know when to use italic letters, because the words were underlined in the manuscript.
I've been following this story somewhat closely. It always makes me remember Truman with his desk-sign which read, "The Buck Stops Here". Everytime I think about these two things, I try and recall when the idea of personal responsibility became a quaint anecdote in the beltway.
I know that Roosevelt and his wife had mistresses, Truman referred to NYC as Kike-town, etc. I.e.- no one is perfect. Still, it breaks my heart to read the news and know I am living in a descendency. A decline not brought about by the lack of "moral fiber", but the likely gullibility of the person sitting next to me.
Sorry if that sounds elitist, but truth is stranger, and a lot less funny, than fiction these days.
-Billy
It's obviously important to our society that millions of dollars are spent to bring these things to light. If it were just swept under the rug, what would we have to watch on the news? Imagine if you will what kind of mass-hysteria would ensue if the news showed what was REALLY going on in our government. Subterfuge, like the Clinton and O.J. cases, is as a part of America as apple pie. -WS
The REALLY scarey part about all of this is that it's never going to get any better. We'll be wasting tax dollars on stupid lawsuits over issues that should never have been issues to begin with. Meantime, the cost of gas, housing, medical insurance and just about everything else skyrockets while the majority of people have the same piddly income they've always had...and those who got sued (usually getting away with it) will write a book and make a bundle off of their indiscretions and lies.
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