As if there was any doubt about Bush being ethically challenged

(via The Washington Post)
Bush Orders Staff to Attend Ethics Briefings

White House Counsel to Give 'Refresher' Course

President Bush has ordered White House staff to attend mandatory briefings beginning next week on ethical behavior and the handling of classified material after the indictment last week of a senior administration official in the CIA leak probe.

According to a memo sent to aides yesterday, Bush expects all White House staff to adhere to the "spirit as well as the letter" of all ethics laws and rules. As a result, "the White House counsel's office will conduct a series of presentations next week that will provide refresher lectures on general ethics rules, including the rules of governing the protection of classified information," according to the memo, a copy of which was provided to The Washington Post by a senior White House aide.

This might have meant something if it had been done immediately after the revelations of the CIA leak in July, 2003. Now, after a two year investigation and the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, Lewis Libby, this is just another empty craven photo op.

At least Harriet Miers will have something to do since she won't be having any confirmation hearings:

A senior aide said Bush decided to mandate the ethics course during private meetings last weekend with Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. and counsel Harriet Miers. Miers's office will conduct the ethics briefings.

Why would Bush decide to do this now?

Among those responding to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 40 percent said they viewed the president as honest and trustworthy -- a drop of 13 percentage points in the past 18 months.

Half of those surveyed said they believed Rove did something wrong in the case, and about 6 in 10 said Rove should resign. But Bush attempted to wave away those findings yesterday.

"I understand that there is a preoccupation by polls by some," the president said. "The way you earn credibility with the American people is to declare an agenda that everybody can understand, an agenda that relates to their lives, and get the job done."

Bush is wrong again. The way you earn credibility with the American people is by NOT LYING.