When Guilty, Plea to a Lesser Crime

Today the White House finally admitted that something screwy was going on with their email system. Apparently, it was possible for third party groups to sign up your email address at the White House webpage causing you to receive unsolicited email updates from the administration.

This issue first came to light when Fox News' Major Garrett confronted White House Press Secretary Gibbs at a routine press conference( see previous blog).

After a few days of bad media, the White House figured out what went wrong. Sunday night, White House spokesman Kick Shapiro said:

"We are implementing measures to make subscribing to e-mails clearer, including preventing advocacy organizations from signing people up to our lists without their permission when they deliver petition signatures and other messages on individual’s behalf"

Ok, so the White House admitted that their system was flawed. They apologized. There was a loophole that other people and/or organizations were abusing. The deed was wrong, the White House is innocent and the straw men are to blame.

Than Shapiro continued in his statement:

"The White House e-mail list is made up of e-mail addresses obtained solely through the White House website. The White House doesn't purchase, upload or merge from any other list. … [A]ll e-mails come from the White House website as we have no interest in emailing anyone who does not want to receive an email."

Sometimes, when someone has done something wrong, they would rather admit to a lesser crime to avoid further investigations. After all, if they were guilty of something graver, they would admit that as well, right? This is a childish tactic and the White House might be using it here.

They admit to being the victim, state what would be wrong and clarify that they would never dream of doing it.

To be clear, I am not saying that the White House is guilty of any wrongdoing. Perhaps they really are the victim of clever third party operational tactics. But, what if, just what if it is more than that? Or, what if the White House assisted these "third parties"? Don't we deserve to know? Keep at it Major!