Peggy Noonan: Loose Lips, Pink Slips

Opinion Journal ^ | 01/18/2002 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

Someone once said the White House is the only sieve that leaks from the top, but the Bush White House is, so far, famously leak-proof. Or rather almost leak-free.

And that is amazing.

How could it be? How did it happen? And is there any chance it will continue?

[Pokey78]

Ping for the PNPL!

[summer]

Good article. Thanks, Pokey.

[jerrymdss]

And I thought it was "loose slips, pink lips"...

[isthisnickcool]

Mr. Bush also surrounded himself in Texas with tight, talented and competent people

Boy is that true!

[goody2shooz]

Oh, cute one!

[okie01]

"Big Bad Bob. Woodward, that is. He is reported to be hammering all over the place looking for leaks, trying to make them spring. Who would be his sources?"

Sources?! He don't need no steenking sources!!!

Big Bad Bob can just make it up as he goes along. Whatever makes a good story and embarrasses conservatives.

It doesn't have to be true, you see.

[Friedrich Hayek]

"Big Bad Bob. Woodward, that is. He is reported to be hammering all over the place looking for leaks, trying to make them spring. Who would be his sources?"

Colin Powell is at it again, eh Peggy?

[Kryptonite]

This Lady may never cease to amaze me with her insight and brilliance.

[IncPen]

And the Clinton White House was so busy leaking the press corps couldn't keep up...

Bump...

[holyscroller]

The one who worries me most is "Mrs. James Carvile". How does Mary (Matlin) not tell serpanthead what's happening at work?

[Brasil]

Excellent article. Excellent stategery. The President has surrounded himself with competent loyal people who share his goals and the system works.

[JohnHuang2]

Thank you

[Diojneez]

Big Bad Bob can just make it up as he goes along.

He interviews Democrat voters (i.e., dead Republicans -- like Bob Casey).

[tank_sherman]

Big Bad Bob can just make it up as he goes along. Whatever makes a good story and embarrasses conservatives.

It doesn't have to be true, you see.

I couldn't agree more! This is one half of the dynamic duo that invented "Deep Throat," potraying as a single person what was really a composite of the various leakers in the Nixon WH. That would have been boring -- a single mysterious source gave their little book DRAMA and MYSTERY.

[jammer]

Good article, and very correct...except for one clause:

. . . then arguably destroy the administration in which his father was president.

GHWB destroyed his own administration by raising taxes. Leaks may have been the coup de grace, but Father Bush came in as VP thinking Reaganomics was "voodoo" and he went out as President, if not thinking the same way, acting as though he did. That killed him.

[Dianna]

Now, did Peggy write this column to warn Bush?

Or did Peggy write this column to warn Woodward?

Or did Peggy write this column to warn the leaker?

[RobbyS]

She is one sharp cookie.

[SkyPilot]

Wonderful!

Peggy Noonan is smart, humorous, and cute as a bug's ear!

Washington can be a back-biting town. I still miss it sometimes though - it's where the action is.

[SmartBlonde]

There's an art in knowing how to keep your mouth SHUT - not just in politics, but in any business or industry. Knowledge is power; sharing the knowledge diminishes the power, ultimately diminishing the 'sharer'.

Peggy didn't need to warn Bush; he knows how the game is played and he's winning.

She didn't need to warn Woodward; he also knows how the game is played and his side is losing. Woodward also knows Bush understands the game.

Warning the potential leaker? Possibly, but in this tightly-run ship, the leaker is going to be as obvious as the bank robber with red hands.

Remember this quote: 'he let them know he would find out who did the leaking'. Bush doesn't make empty threats.

Texans are big on loyalty.

They're also big on revenge.