White House bones up on ethics

[scottyz]

WASHINGTON - White House staff members began attending mandatory briefings Tuesday about ethical conduct and the handling of classified information in the wake of the
CIA leak investigation and the indictment and resignation of Vice President
Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

In the coming weeks, some 3,000 employees in agencies under the Executive Office of the President will attend the hour-long sessions conducted by the White House counsel's office. White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the classes were refresher courses and that the first attendees were staffers with security clearances.

Top Bush political confidant Karl Rove also remains under investigation for his role in revealing the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame, wife of an outspoken critic of the war against
Iraq.

But while Libby has been charged with lying to investigators and a federal grand jury, Rove has not been charged with anything, and neither man has been accused of breaking the law against revealing the identity of an undercover officer.

On his trip, Bush would not respond to reporters' inquiries about whether he should apologize to Americans for his administration's assertion that Rove and Libby weren't involved or answer questions about whether Rove told him the truth or should remain in his job.

While there is an ongoing investigation, he will not comment, the president said.

Bush refused even to say whether he had lived up to his 2000 campaign promise that, "We will ask not only what is legal but what is right, not what the lawyers allow but what the public deserves."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051108/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

Rather than trying to teach old dogs new tricks, why not get new dogs?