During the Iran-Contra hearings of 1985, Americans were treated to brilliant National Security Advisor John Poindexter. Although everyone who had ever spent time with Poindexter agreed that he had a computer-like memory, he answered the same way to seemingly every question put to him by the boozy likes of Senator Ted Kennedy. "I don't recall," could have been Poindexter's nickname, and it was likely untrue. Later, in 1991 Poindexter was convicted for, among other things, obstruction of justice and perjury. Later, these convictions were overturned. At least Poindexter was a senior naval officer who was acting in the interests of...