In our never ending cycle of the scandal du jour, I'd like to take a look at a couple of recent ones. First up, Sandy Berger removing documents (and perhaps adding fake ones) from the National Archives. Sandy has offered the "I'm a chucklehead" defense. Look, nobody takes classified documents accidentally. The documents have brightly colored covers and back sheets, every page is distinctively marked, and a professional like Berger knows the rules about handling such documents. He knew exactly what he was doing -- we don't know what or why. But he was up to no good; he was trying to either cover his butt (most likely) or help the Kerry campaign. I think it would be a terrible precendence to laugh off both the mis-handling of classified documents or fail to consider he was putting his reputation above the safety of Americans.
And then there was Theresa Kerry's kerfuffle with a reporter. I don't think this is a big deal. Funny, but not a big deal. Yes, she's a hypocrite -- going on about civility and then going after a reporter -- but then we're all hypocrites. It's funny that the Democrats have been whining about being called un-American, and then she goes and calls people that. But the whole using the word and then not realizing it, well, I'm willing to cut her slack on that (although, again, very funny). She's not running for president -- her husband is. She goofed. No big deal.
I think it's interesting that a lot of the focus has gone into the "Shove it" part. I almost wonder if she didn't go back over and say it to deflect notice from her "un-American" remark. That's the goof. I think most Americans have no problem with somebody telling a reporter to "shove it" -- either the sentiment or the language. Most people are assuming that she went back over because she found out who the reporter was that questioned her; I think she may have gone back over because she found out she really did say "un-American".
But I think these two stories do point up the need to take what is serious seriously, and what is merely ironic laughingly. Partisans on the right will want to take Theresa Kerry's words in the worst possible way. Well, you're welcome to your paranoia. And for those who are partisans of the left, just remember that we're all human when somebody on the right goofs up. I think every American should take Berger's actions seriously. But we shouldn't make the avatar mistake - he isn't the represenative of all Democrats. The right shouldn't make him out to be, and the left shouldn't defend him because of that.
