The Nixon defense

It's not illegal if the president does it. Maybe not - I've seen lot's of equivocating in Soviet Blogistan about the legality of Bush authorizing the leak of classified information, that is, the identity of Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife, CIA agent Valerie Plame. It might not be illegal, but it sure stinks to high heaven:

Mr Bush's role in the broader damage limitation exercise will be embarrassing given his repeated condemnation of intelligence leakers.

"Leaks of classified information are bad things. We've got too much leaking in Washington," he said in 2004 in connection with the Plame affair. "I want to know who the leakers are."

He said anyone in his administration discovered to have leaked the CIA operative's name would be fired, and insisted that he did not know of "anybody in my administration who leaked classified information".

Embarrassing?

Try unethical, sleazy, or dangerous. Or putting party and power before people and principle. Indeed, that seems to be the only thing at which the Bush Administration has demonstrated any competency.