The First Family’s Follies

I assume everyone has heard that President Restore-Integrity-to-the-White-House has revised his hard line on leaking to say he will now fire anyone convicted of a leak. (Before, of course, he pledged to dismiss anyone who was involved.)

John at Blogenlust has an interesting take on this new version:

Josh Marshall raises a good question. Is there a grandfather clause on the President's new no-felons-employed-here rule? To be more clear, the President didn't actually say he'd fire any "felons." He said he would fire anyone that "had committed a crime."

So, here's a (partial?) list of current and former Administration officials that have committed a crime:

* Elliot Abrams, Deputy National Security Advisor

-- Plead guilty to withholding evidence from Congress regarding his role in Iran/Contra.

* John Poindexter, was the head of the now defunct Information Awareness Office

-- He was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and destruction of evidence in the Iran/Contra affair.

* Dick Cheney, Vice President

-- Convicted of drunk driving twice during an eight month period in the early 1960s.

Did I miss any? Of course, there are other people like Otto Reich (former undersecretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs) and John Negroponte that have shady pasts, but to the best of my knowledge, they were never convicted of anything.

Pusboy and I both pointed out that President Bush is guilty of a DUI, too. I’m also thinking he probably ought to divorce his wife, who, if not criminally convicted of vehicular manslaughter, is guilty of it all the same, and disown his kids, who were both charged with possession of alcohol by a minor.

(I think his brother Neil "S&L" Bush would be off the Christmas card list, too, as would Jeb’s kids, who have been in various sorts of trouble over the years.)

I challenge you to try to think of another family where Mom, Pop, and both kids have had as much collective crossing of the law as the Bushes—and yet hasn't appeared on Jerry Springer.