White House E-Mails

The White House may be reflecting on the role e-mails are playing in the imminent resignation of Mr. Gonzales.

The publication of the several dozen e-mails and blackberry transmissions converys more than just the chatter of evolving policy. It reveals for anyone who cares to contact a Department of Justice or White House official e-mail address formats. These are typically Firstname_Lastname@address or FirstinitialLastname@address. It's encouraging to know that we have such accessible government.

Secondly, it reveals the making of a conspiracy-- not just who said what to who but who cc'd in who. Now, it may be possible although difficult to fabricicate a Mission Impossible-like conspiracy by having an insider get control of Karl Rove's address and e-mail a subordinate a false directive that in turn sets off a chain of more e-mails. But the prima facie evidence that Bush's Brain is behind these e-mails appears compelling.

A common guideline passed down by old White House hands is to never keep a diary. The tale of countless scandels shows that it can take but a single line in your late night musings to politically hang you. In view of the havoc that e-mails can cause, I suspect the use of e-mails as a means to conduct bureaucratic evil may be coming to an end.