The Monica Misdirection

After a day of her immunized testimony, the Administration’s Monica Goodling game plan is becoming clearer.

Before the House Judiciary Committee, the former Justice Department aide was willing, one might even say eager, to admit that she “crossed the line” by inquiring into political affiliations of applicants for career jobs but that she “didn’t mean to.”

Since the Department had unexpectedly announced its own investigation into this question, one might suspect that Ms. Goodling’s admission comes after assurances that she would be cleared of violating civil service rules.

The unexpected investigation and her admission is looking more and more like an attempted diversion from the issue of White House involvement in the firing of the U.S. Attorneys.

On this subject, in the absence of all those missing Karl Rove e-mails, Ms. Goodling seemed to feel perjury-proof in denying or not remembering any discussions with Karl Rove or Harriet Meirs, a contention that strains credulity in the light of her job as the Department’s White House liaison.

Isn’t it heartwarming to be living in a country where the people in charge equate telling the truth with not being caught lying?