Former Clinton national security adviser Samuel Berger shouldknow better.
It's easy to imagine that when a former national securityadviser shows up at the National Archives to review documents fromthe administration in which he served, the archivists give thatadviser a wide berth. And if Berger spent around 30 hours overthree or four days reviewing tens of thousands of pages, theinadvertent removal of classified documents among personal notesisn't the toughest sell in the world.
Operating under the rule that it's easier to beg forgivenessthan ask permission, Berger has delivered the Bush administration adiversionary story in a Tiffany's gift box. More than a few worksof fiction have sold well using a similar story line. It's the notknowing that creates suspicion.
It would be bad enough had Berger blushingly returned thedocuments intact. It's quite another when he claims to haveaccidentally discarded a few. That sort of thing swings the doorwide open for conspiracy theorists all to ready to take the heatoff Dubya.
Naturally, the documents involved refer to the Clintonadministration's efforts to address the al Qaeda problem in 2000.And when the finger of suspicion was inevitably pointed at Berger,the resulting denial was as perfunctory as the fervor with which itwas offered.
Is it possible that Berger did, in fact, misplace a few pagesthat happened into his possession by mistake? Of course. Is itpossible that he meant to intentionally hide information from the9/11 Commission? Not likely, but possible nonetheless. I guesswe'll just have to see.
On a lighter note, what is the big deal about CaliforniaGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger's "girlie men" comment? Are wereally that easily offended? I have a feeling that those offendedby the comment were already offended by the fact that Conan theBarbarian is the governor.
Schwarzenegger will have to do a lot more than call someone agirlie man to offend me more than he did when he asked me to sitthrough Last Action Hero. Somehow, I believe that if Californiansreally stick together, they'll make it through this latest assaulton their delicate sensibilities. Look for this to be a temporarydistraction from what really matters in California -- who's datingwho in Hollywood.
But that's the triviality that comes with a 24-hour news cycle.Newsweek and Time have covers to fill, the Times has ads to sell,and a bevy of nattering nabobs have fires to stoke. You and I arejust along for the ride. A lot of mud is being slung, but you and Iare the ones getting dirty.
John Kerry and John Edwards have begun their 2004 anti-Bushtour, and the media are still trying to decide on a nickname forthe campaign. So, I guess we're in for a couple more months ofbehind the scenes campaigning before the debating monster roars tolife. With a fledgling Iraqi government, a missing Osama Bin Ladenand a new focus on Iran's link with al Qaeda, interestingpresidential debates are just waiting to happen.
