You gotta feel kind of sorry for Claude Allen, a black Republican (that's right) who cut his teeth in politics by working for bigoted former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina (that's right).He was a rising star as a White House domestic policy coordinator with responsibilities for abstinence education and school prayer policy, which qualified him to help coordinate the federal response to Hurricane Katrina (that's right). President Bush was poised to name him to the federal bench when he resigned suddenly last month to spend more time with his family.
It turns out that there was a reason for that lame excuse. The righteous Allen had an unsavory sideline when not preaching the conservative gospel: He would buy items from Washington area department stores, put them in his car and then return to the stores with the receipts, where he would pick up the identical items and "return" them for refunds.
Allen has now been arrested. His minister and family say it's all a mistake. If so, the police say it's a mistake that he's made at least 25 times.
You reap what you sow and this guy has it coming.
ReplyDeleteI guess it goes to show that self-repression has many manifestations, including shoplifting.
I hope they throw the book at 'em.
There's a line from an old Grateful Dead song that sums it up nicely:
ReplyDeleteIf you plant ice you're going to harvest wind.