Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Vol. 2 No. 62 May 11, 2007

The Bogus Economist
Naughty, Naughty


Talk about not inhaling.

You all will recall the unforgettable statement from Bill Clinton about his experiences with marijuana in which he admitted its use, but claimed he just puffed on a joint, briefly held the smoke in his mouth and puffed it out. The press, along with a good portion of the public, snickered a bit and moved on to other things. Monica was to come later.

More recently, a choice news item concerning a Deputy Secretary of State popped up that was in the same category as Clinton's smoking, only, if possible, less likely. The person in question is Randall Tobias, whose name appeared in the records of alleged madam Deborah Jane Palfrey, currently under federal indictment on racketeering charges. It seems Ms Palfrey was in the business of providing very expensive, high-class ladies to people who desired feminine companionship. Tobias, while admitting he had some of these ladies up to his pad, claimed it was only "to have gals come over to the condo to give me a massage." There had been "no sex," Tobias was quoted as saying. He added he didn't recall the girls' names and that it been like “ordering pizza.” At any rate, he handed in his resignation to Condoleeza. But that was only the Start of the Story.

The news that Palfrey had turned over her list of 15,000 or so clients to a major network brought more than a few shivers to a Capitol already in a high state of jitters over public perception of the government as a blend of Dilbert, Frankenstein and Bugs Bunny. Palfrey's attorney, Montgomery Sibley, said Friday that he has been contacted by five lawyers, asking whether their clients' names are on Palfrey's list. Some, Sibley said, have inquired about whether accommodations could be made to keep their identities private.

More revelations are in the offing, according to a story in the Washington Post. “The List” includes the names of some "very prominent people," as well as a number of women with "important and serious jobs who had worked as escorts for the firm.” Waiting for the other shoe to drop is now an all-consuming pastime. By the time this column is published, we should know what size.

What makes this story particularly interesting was Tobias' former job as head of U. S. foreign aid, which included his promise no precious American taxpayer dollar would go for anything that could conceivably support prostitution. This included banning funding aimed at making additional education and instruction available for shady ladies who wanted to improve their lot in life as well as providing birth control information to prevent pregnancy and AIDS infection. Tobias was the multi billion-dollar Administration voice against the world's oldest profession and had, as recently as four weeks ago, been congratulated by President Bush for a job well done – sort of another “Heck of a job, Brownie.” Others disagreed. The Indianapolis Star reported a recent American Foreign Service Association poll of 368 staff members at the Agency for International Development found only 21 percent thought Tobias had been doing a good job in getting resources for the agency and its workers. A .210 average isn't even good for Little League.

Now maybe it's true Mr. Tobias just hired a few young things to rub his back. Palfrey herself described her employees as being willing to dress up in costumes, play Monopoly in the nude and do all kinds of things, including massage, which, while perhaps potentially sexual in nature, weren't illegal. Be that as it may, the tremors experienced by both potentially revealed customers and providers around Washington is strong enough to shake martini glasses.

Cynics are seeing a pattern emerge. After Rush Limbaugh's admission of dependency on prescription drugs and Bill (The Book of Virtues) Bennett's revelation that he was hooked on gambling came Newt Gingrich's confession that he had been doing what Bill Clinton was doing during the time he was going after Bill Clinton. There seems to be a law whereby the habits of a person's personal life vary directly with the vehemence of the rhetoric used against them. Look at the folks who demonstrated an allergy to wearing a military uniform shouting the loudest for victory at all costs. Incidentally, the author of the military strategy known as “Shock and Awe,” Harlan K. Ullman, had his name on “The List.” He denies any involvement.

It would be more than stupid to say hypocrisy is something brand new, or that the present Washington bunch has a monopoly on it. Many of us recall the Reverend Jim and Tammy Baker and their tearful admission of a less-than-Christian pursuit of hard cash. It's always easier to point fingers at the other guy than finding the culprit in the bathroom mirror, but the consequences can be pretty awful. Then why do people do it?

I believe it's a matter of ego. The hypocrite thinks he or she is too smart for the people who probably don't have the intelligence to figure out whose hand is in the cookie jar. The other reason may be the politically popular Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not get caught.

Another one just did.
-30-
The Bogus Economist © 2007

No comments: