Judge him by the company he keeps

I just fell apart yesterday. The weather has been so nice, I've spent a lot of time outdoors and all that fresh air and sunshine wore me out. I barely blogged and I crashed early. But it's a new day and the news never sleeps. I found this item to be amusing, albeit a sad commentary on the current state of what passes for leadership in the White House.

Claude Allen, former domestic policy adviser to Bush, was arrested for swindling two department stores out of more than $5,000 in a refund scam. Apparently it's an tried and true ploy for the integrity impaired. You buy a bunch of stuff and get a receipt. You then return to the store and collect the same items without paying for them and go directly to the courtesy counter to get a refund for the items based on the former receipt.

Allen, who was making $161,000 a year at the time he was perpetrating the crime, was finally caught out in January. In February, he resigned his position -- without explanation -- at the White House. What could he say?

Bush, who had nominated Allen to be a federal appeals court judge in 2003, (Democrats blocked his confirmation at the time), called him a "trusted adviser" who helped "develop policies that will strengthen our nation's families, schools and communities" when he announced Allen's resignation. Of course Bush says that about all the indicted criminals in the White House.

I'm expecting he'll award Allen a Medal of Freedom, any day now.