wither in the light

John Dean, who is himself not unfamiliar with political crime, provides some insight into why Bush is seeking private legal counsel in the Valerie Plame grand jury investigation:

Readers may wonder, why is Bush going to an outside counsel, when numerous government attorneys are available to him - for instance, in the White House Counsel's Office?

The answer is that the President has likely been told it would be risky to talk to his White House lawyers, particularly if he knows more than he claims publicly.

Ironically, it was the fair-haired Republican stalwart Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr who decimated the attorney-client privilege for government lawyers and their clients.

Starr performed this stellar achievement in his prosecution of the Clintons. This isn't the first time Republican rabidity has bit them on the ass - the line-item veto comes to recent memory. Maybe Bush should listen to Dean on this one... he seemed to have pretty good advice for Condoleezza Rice:

Bill Moyers: If Condoleezza Rice asked you to help her prepare for that testimony, what advice would you give her?

John Dean: Well, I'd say give lots of opinions. Because opinions aren't perjurious.

The scales are in place, stupidity on one side and malice on the other... I wonder which way they're going to tip this time?