Remember Teapot Dome?

An open letter to George W. Bush:

Mister President, I know you're not much of a student of history. That much is clear from your foreign policy. But I wanted to call to your attention an event that came to light early in the 20th Century. That's the 1900s, Mister Bush. The century number is always one higher than the first two digits of the year (excepting the years ending in 00, of course.) I point that out because you clearly weren't much of a math student, either. Just look at the budget!

But I'm writing today about history. Because of what came to be known as the Teapot Dome Scandal, the Warren Harding administration earned the reputation as the most corrupt administration in the history of the country. That record has held up pretty well over the years. Lyndon Johnson challenged Harding with the bogus Tonkin Gulf Incident, Richard Nixon nearly claimed the prize with Watergate and the follow-up stonewalling, and Ronald Reagan's Iran-Contra deals certainly made him a contender.

Compared to you, sir, they're all pikers.

It's really clever of you to be elected on a platform of compassion and ethics and then to stand both compassion and ethics on their heads.

Teapot Dome was largely about oil and ethics. Your administration is all about oil and ethics. Some of the members of Warren Harding's administration learned that being federal officials didn't mean that they were above the law. They paid large fines and a few of Harding's Ohio Gang went to prison. It's beginning to appear that some of your little Texas gang of thugs and thieves could end up there, too.

You really should have paid attention in school, Mister Bush. You would have learned that people in high places can get away with crimes for a long time, but eventually they bring themselves down.

Do you think that you and Mister Cheney will have adjoining cells?