The Virtue of Candor

In late 1973 I was working for Bill Simon, who was then head of the Federal Energy Office. We had issued a long and complicated set of regulations on the distribution of middle distillate fuels. We had transposed a percentage that was key. I was asked by the press, at the end of a very hectic day - What happened? I simply said "We screwed up."

The WP put the story on page 10 but every other paper in the country put it on page 1 above the fold with lots of direct quotes. I went in to see my boss early the next morning - half expecting to be fired. Bill, who was always in earlier than me, looked up and said "Great, it makes us look candid; but next time if you don't want to be quoted use the Anglo-Saxon alternative." I thought that was sage advice. (The WPs story about the President says he "erred" a bit less colorful reference.)

The President's admission about his vetting process was refreshing. It was also important that he suggested there should not be two sets of rules - one for most taxpayers and one for Washington insiders. Having three key nominees get ensnared in tax issues suggests they could improve the way they check out nominees. The WP in a story this morning from a couple of tax experts (an NYU Professor and Paul Caron - the editor of TaxProfBlog) say the issues covered were not "(according to Caron) rocket science."

That should be granted. The Daschle issue evidences something about the insularity of Washington insiders. But it should also be noticed that a tax code that intrusive is in real need of revision.