If Mark Felt Does It, That Means It's Not Illegal

The late W. Mark Felt's attorney and co-author, John D. O'Connor, rises to his defense:

In Mr. Felt’s prosecution, five attorneys general and President Richard M. Nixon testified that national security entries need no warrant, and the court eventually agreed.

The only quibble was whether presidential authorization could be implicit (per Mr. Felt and Mr. Nixon) or must be written.

Mr. Felt authorized these entries (or “black bag jobs”) because of concern about activities of members in the Palestine Liberation Organization in the United States after the terrorism at the Munich Olympic Games and about the Weather Underground, which had claimed responsibility for bombing several government buildings and whose predecessor group had in 1970 been preparing antipersonnel nail bombs to kill and maim innocent Fort Dix soldiers.

Mark Felt was a great hero, undeserving of such shabby treatment.

Put Not All Your China In Cabinets

Ben Stein, who wrote speeches for Presidents Nixon and Ford, reflects on the Cabinet meetings he attended early in 38's term:

The Ford cabinet experience was educational. The men and women in the room, high-ranking White House officials and secretaries of cabinet departments, were pleasant and well briefed. But they struck me as similar to small-town Rotary Club members or Junior Chamber of Commerce officials — polite and cordial, but far from rocket scientists. They were just high-average to B+ status, with the exception of some supersmart types like Henry Kissinger....

The Obama people could be wonderful, smart people, an order of magnitude above what I saw at the Ford cabinet meetings. Obviously, many people believe that they are.

But they are just human beings, albeit in some cases human beings with glowing résumés. I do not see the supermen and superwomen. They do not have the gift of foresight. They have never been in a situation like this, at least not exactly. There is simply no good reason to believe they will get it right except by trial and error, turning the tumblers until the safe eventually opens. The problems we face now are so large that they humble the average and the above average and even the very much above average.

High-level bureaucrats, like high-level professors or doctors or investment bankers or baseball pitchers, are just people, whether serving with Bush 43 or Barack Obama or anyone else. I can vividly recall leaving those long-ago cabinet meetings and saying to myself as I walked across West Executive Avenue, “Put not your trust in princes.” It’s a proverb for a good reason — then, now, and always.

Separate And Equal

After a reader accused her of a separate but equal attitude by opposing gay marriage, Laura Harrison McBride replied:

[S]ince marriage and civil union, except for the terminology, are exactly the same thing spiritually and legally speaking, I don't see how one can contend that “it's two different water fountains.” It is not; if it were, then the underlying assumptions concerning civil unions and marriage--the legalities and the spirituality per se--would need to be different in each case. And they are not.

In fact, what I am advocating is that the legality of a civil union be precisely the same as the legality of a marriage; only the terminology should be different to properly describe the unassailable facts. Those are that a marriage is between a man and a woman, and a civil union is between two consenting parties of the same gender.

The terminology, because English is a very precise language, is essential. If most people hear the term marriage, they think of a man and a woman. If they hear the term civil union, they think of two women or two men. Likewise, if they hear the phrase ménage a trois, they think of two members of one gender, and one of the other, engaged in some sort of consenting adult relationship. What would you have us say in that case? If the parties were committed to it, would you call it a marriage? Ludicrous. (If you doubt there are long-standing ménages a trois, see the movie The Duchess, which chronicles one such. Only two members of the ménage were willing parties, but the arrangement lasted for decades and was sanctioned even by the unconsenting member upon her death.)

A thoughtful argument. But in fact, civil unions and marriages don't yet provide exactly the same rights to partners. In most if not all states where civil unions are sanctioned, gay and lesbian people have to work harder and spend more money to get the same protections married people get automatically.

Nobody Steps On A Church In My Town*

It's often been a blessing to have Pastor Rick Warren's mammoth Saddleback Church in our backyard at St. John's in Rancho Santa Margarita, about two miles south of Warren's digs. His ministry gives inspiration and comfort to tens of thousands in our community and millions around the world. He brings the gospel alive in practical ways to help people live better, more faithful lives.

But now he's offered to help dissident Episcopalians plant a church in our neighborhood. Thanks a lot, dear colleague!

In the wake of Monday's ruling by the California Supreme Court under which three churches which tried to leave our Diocese may soon have to return their buildings and other properties, Warren wrote,

We stand in solidarity with them, and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans. I offer the campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who need a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County.

As the orthodox pastor of the closest Episcopal church to Saddleback, I'll try not to take it personally. Still, if any of the 20 million Baptists who aren't especially taken with Pastor Rick's conservative Southern Baptist Convention want to plant a church in his backyard, I'll happily talk to the St. John's Bishop's Committee about using our choir room to start Saddleback South. We could only seat about 20, compared to Pastor Rick's 50,000 Christmas Eve worshipers, but all good things start small.

Among dissidents' problems with Mr. Warren's Southern Baptists is this carefully worded policy statement from the Convention's web site:

Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers. Their role is crucial, their wisdom, grace and commitment exemplary. Women are an integral part of our Southern Baptist boards, faculties, mission teams, writer pools, and professional staffs. We affirm and celebrate their Great Commission impact.

While Scripture teaches that a woman's role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men.

That's right: Pastor Rick and his colleagues believe Jesus Christ didn't want women to be pastors. The policy is one reason former President Jimmy Carter resigned from the Convention in 2000. With us Episcopalians and many other denominations, the seeming crisis is over the sacramental status of gay and lesbian people. But an even more important problem is that many Christians haven't even come to terms with the radical equality of women in the body of Christ.

In the early church, women played a prominent role in all aspects of ministry. After all, the "apostle to the apostles" wasn't Peter, James, or Paul, or indeed Tom, Dick, or Harry. All four gospels agree (in other words, "scripture teaches") that Mary Magdalene first received the good news of our Lord's Resurrection. She believed, while Jesus's male followers (who had fled in fear after the Crucifixion) at first did not.

And yet in the 21st century, powerful Christian leaders still keep Mary's half of the population down. I can well understand why they prefer to talk instead about the 2-3% of the population who are homosexual. Safer odds.

* Name that movie!

Hat tip to Greg Larkin

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

On a windy afternoon in Yorba Linda, Rear Admiral Garland Wright placed a wreath at the grave site of the 37th President, part of a daylong celebration of what would've been his 96th birthday.

The Florida-born admiral is a sailor in more ways than one. An all-American athlete, he was co-captain of Annapolis's first-ever national championship sailing team. In their remarks to a crowd of 150, he and Commander Sheri L. Snively, chaplain of Miramar MCAS in San Diego, talked about RN's own naval service. Snively -- a Quaker minister and distant Nixon cousin -- stressed the significance of the future President going to his peaceloving Quaker mother Hannah and asking permission to seek his naval commission at the beginning of World War II.

After the wreath laying, I gave a talk about President Nixon in the White House East Room -- after being introduced by the great Bruce Herschensohn. It should've been the other around! Read an account of the day at the Library here.

Republicans Are More Fun

Updating Army Archerd's coverage of President Nixon's famous 1968 appearance on "Laugh-In" ("Sock it to me?"), "Variety" provides this detail:

"Laugh-In" hoped to get opposition candidate Hubert Humphrey to appear, saying "What a good IDEA!!!" in response to Nixon's "Sock It To ME!!!" But they could never get the Demos to OK his appearance.

On Dec. 29, NPR's Terry Gross, on her "Fresh Air" program, rebroadcast a fall 2008 interview with "Saturday Night Live" head writer Seth Myers (available here on a podcast) in which Myers describes how easy Gov. Palin and her staff were to work with during her famous SNL appearance. As a matter of fact, he said Republicans were typically easier to work with than Democrats. When Gross asked why, Myers replied that Democrats are afraid that Republicans will use comedy show appearances against them, whereas Republicans know Democrats won't reciprocate.

What a deft and impossible-to-prove way of turning Republicans' game attitude against them. There's an alternative theory Myers ought to consider. It was offered by legendary LA Times political reporter Bill Boyarsky when he visited the Nixon Library about 15 years ago. He'd partied with politicians for years, he said; "Republicans are more fun."

Two Quiet Days In Santa Barbara

The sun-drenched hills above Santa Barbara didn't look so peaceful in mid-November, when fires destroyed 130 homes as well as the Mt. Calvary monastery and retreat house, California home of the brothers of the Episcopal Order of the Holy Cross. The monks are now living down the hill at the retreat house of the Sisters of the Holy Trinity, another Episcopal order, which is located right next door to the Santa Barbara mission. Five clergy buddies and I spent two days with them this week as well as with some Franciscan brothers and sisters from northern California and one young monk from Brazil-- also all Episcopal. Monasticism runs deeper in our denomination than many people realize.

As he told me how to turn off the lights in the St. Mary's common room before going to bed, one of the Holy Cross brothers said he'd arrived at Mt. Calvary in October from one of the order's three other monasteries. He hadn't even had time to unpack his moving boxes before losing everything he owned in the fire. "Even now, we'll be talking, and someone will say that he has something in his room, and then he'll remember," he said with a sad smile. As the brothers mull whether to rebuild Mt. Calvary, they contribute graciously to St. Mary's hospitality, preparing hearty meals -- corn chowder, avocado and bean salad, pancakes, peppery chicken and mushrooms in cream sauce -- and offering services of morning prayer, compline (the nighttime service), and Holy Eucharist each Friday through Wednesday.

A couple of days at a retreat center like St. Mary's is such a relaxing and affordable experience that I'm amazed more people don't partake. Of course you make your own coffee and twin bed and usually have to walk down the hall to the bathroom. But just imagine the quiet and beauty of the buildings and grounds, the squeaky wood floors, the funky old furniture and generous library and, on a retreat like ours, the long, languorous conversations with friends and colleagues. It all contributes to a gently gathering sense of peace and wholeness.

Even when the stress of the world intrudes -- it's hard to escape the BlackBerry these days, and the Holy Nativity sisters offer wireless internet access in the main house -- the world's demands feel considerably more manageable, especially when, from after compline until after breakfast, guests observe the house's rule of silence. It's hard to worry about saying or doing the right thing when you realize that you don't have to do or say anything at all.

When Editors Have Done Their Jobs

Andrew Sullivan puts his finger on the reason newspapers are indispensable:

There is something deeply precious about letting expert editors guide you through the news of the day. I find and read stories serendipitously I would never find online. And I read them through because I trust the editors to have done their job.

No One Notices The Shoe That's Not Thrown

The Economist:

Morale is low after the organisation [sic; they're British] has lurched from failure to scandal in the past few years. Under George Tenet, the long-time director who was beloved by his staff, the CIA failed to spot the September 11th attacks in the works. Then came intelligence mistakes over weapons of mass destruction and Iraq, followed by controversy over the use of torture and harsh interrogation techniques, such as the “waterboarding” of suspected terrorists (making the detainee believe he is suffocating or drowning).

Another possible reason for low CIA morale: The failure of most in the media and politics to give the agency any credit for helping avert a catastrophic attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11.

The Big Three Thought Too Big

In his not-to-be-missed e-newsletter, Rep. John Campbell (R-Newport Beach), who worked in the car business before beginning his political career, says the Big Three's biggest problem is not poor quality compared to foreign manufacturers, the failure to build attractive products, building too many big cars, or even the UAW contracts (expensive though they are because of retirement benefits).

So, what is the problem with the Big 3? They have made some bad management decisions of course. But they have been chasing increased market share for decades as their market share has steadily declined. They have never been able to accept the idea that they could be smaller but more profitable companies and instead have always spent like they were bigger than they actually were. That is an oversimplification of course. But if you spend $100 thinking you can sell $120, but only sell $80 and you keep doing it because you have access to the cash flow and that $120 is right around the corner, you will eventually run out of money. And they have.

His advice? Go buy an American car or truck!