How to blow a whistle

Baltimore Sunpapers columnist Dan Rodricks does a great job – of agitating reasonable folks by jumping to conclusions in his column.

For instance, he has taken up the cause of a Police Officer who was fired for not only not reporting problems he identified as part of his duties, but instead making anonymous reports to the media that were sure to embarrass his employer, Governor Ehrlich, and assist the governor's opponent in the next election.

Like all of us, Rodricks has a blog that often continues the discussions he initiates with his columns. Sometimes the comments light my fuse. Like this one.

In response to Reader Tom Ryugo's questions, I offer:

Q1. Should John Dean have shut up and said nothing?

A1. John Dean witnessed and participated in criminal conspiracy. He should have left the room and reported his observations to law enforcement and Congress, before he was caught.

Q2. Should Anita Hill have shut up and said nothing?

A2. Anita Hill should have made a complaint of facts of the harassment that occurred so that an investigation could determine possible wrongdoing and appropriate actions could have ensued. I suspect she did and we can find that record. Oops! The first we heard from her was at the behest of the president's political opponents to smear a nominee to the Supreme Court. In turn, she received a left-liberal reward; she is a college professor.

Q3. Should the Secret Service agent who spoke up against Bill Clinton (have) kept his mouth shut?

Q4. Bill Clinton was convicted of Perjury on the basis of copious testimony collected under subpoena. No agent made anonymous allegations to the media. The agents did not testify to criminal acts. They connected the dots with their observations and the testimony of the victims to otherwise unwitnessed crimes. Similarly, the Impeachment of Bill Clinton was not as the result of sworn officers leaking information to embarrass the head of the Executive Branch. In all cases, the Secret Service Agents, sworn officers, followed the regulations of the agency and the law. They did place themselves outside of their sworn duty.

Q4. Should Linda Tripp have kept her mouth shut?

A4. Lind Tripp was not a law enforcement officer. She became aware of possible criminal activity and reported it. Thinking she was protecting herself and her friend, she committed a crime unique to Maryland by secretly tape recording the evidence that would lead to incriminating evidence. Bill Clinton could have spared us by keeping his mouth shut and not inviting Monica Lewinsky to do other than keep her mouth shut.

Q5.Should the soldier who found photos of Abu Ghraib have simply burned them?

A5. Found them? What were you doing during the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib story. The soldier deserved the Courts Martial. He was aware of what he should have recognized as behavior by members of the armed forces that violated the written code of conduct. He didn't report it. he made videos and still photographs and published them on the Internet because he thought they were cool and would give everyone a big laugh.

As an obvious and blatant conservative, I defend the Ehrlich administration for terminating an employee who was charged with keeping our facilities secure and protected who failed to fulfill his responsibilities. For that, he should have been disciplined. For violating the public trust, he deserved to have his employment terminated.

As a dyed in the wool liberal apologist dedicated to defending the O'Malley administration at all costs, often with full regard for the truth, I must stand and defend the governor for not giving this unreliable, untrustworthy, unethical former police officer a job, even though his goal of embarrassing Governor Ehrlich was noble, and it probably assisted the O'Malley election.

Next question, please.