Man, I had a tough time trying to decide whether this White House leak qualified as Current Affairs or Humor:

Concerned about the appearance of disarray and feuding within his administration as well as growing resistance to his policies in Iraq, President Bush - living up to his recent declaration that he is in charge - told his top officials to "stop the leaks" to the media, or else.

News of Bush's order leaked almost immediately.

I feel bad for Bush, I really do. I can just imagine the scene in the Oval Office this evening: Bush has his staff gathered around him in the Oval Office, chewing them out for allowing this last leak to occur, and soon as he turns his back to face one person, all the others grab notepads and scribble furiously until he turns around again. Every modern President has had to deal with leaks, and of course every modern President has used leaks to their advantage, too ... it's just that kind of job. Probably one of the reasons Presidents come into office looking like the picture of youth and vitality, and go out looking like they're two steps away from residential care.

QandO has a good suggestion for handling the issue. Jon feels that Bush needs to lay down the law:

"I want to make something perfectly clear. You are a part of this administration because I feel you can be a strong part of a strong team. If I am mistaken...if you cannot be a part of this team, I want your resignation on my desk this afternoon. Then, extend that same order to your staff. If you cannot get your staff to be a part of this team, then I expect your resignation on my desk this afternoon, along with the names of staff-members who refuse to be a part of the team. If you continue to be a part of this administration and I find you leaking stories or working against this team, I will personally hold a press conference to announce why you are being fired, and why you are a failure. I will not be kind."

It sounds great, and I'll keep watching the papers to see when he takes Jon's advice and tells this to his staff. (We should know right away, right?) By the way, QandO is a well-written blog -- spend some time there.

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