Yesterday the WaPo ran a story about Will Heaton, who served as chief of staff for convicted Rep. Bob Ney (Crook-Ohio).
The article is about the government joining Heaton's attorney in asking for leniency in his sentencing, because of the lengths to which he cooperated with the FBI as they built the case against Ney. He even wore a wire, to record conversations with his boss. The recordings of those conversations went a long way toward Ney's "decision to admit his involvement in the corrupt relationship with Abramoff," according to a Justice Department memo.
So if you didn't read the story, do - it's interesting stuff.
But what was really interesting was this:
Heaton, a government major at the College of William and Mary with a passion for American politics and history, was hired in part because he was inexperienced and deferential, Ney told Neil Volz, Heaton's predecessor. Volz later became a lobbyist for Abramoff and then a cooperating witness for the government.
Volz told the government that Ney said "other, more seasoned candidates might 'get up and walk out of dinner because it was too expensive' " and violated the $50 gift ban.
Heaton was 23 years old when he went to work for Ney in 2001, and was promoted to chief of staff within six months.
Sense any pattern here?
Monica Goodling - She pretty much went straight from Regent University law school to the RNC, and was 28 years old when she joined the Justice Department.
Kyle Sampson - He worked for a law firm for a year or two, then because Sen. Orrin Hatch's counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee; he was 31 years old when he joined DOJ.
Sara Taylor - National co-chairman of College Republicans, then a campaign worker for Phil Gramm in his presidential campaign in 1995-96, then to a [Republican, of course] polling firm; she was 28 years old when she became deputy to Bush-Cheney re-election campaign strategist Matthew Dowd.
Now I have nothing against youth. It's frequently coupled with idealism, energy, enthusiasm, and dedication; why else would folks come to Washington to work long hours in poor conditions for rotten pay? (At least as measured on a per-hour basis.) Yes, I know many of them are looking at it as an investment, figuring they'll go grab the brass ring at a K Street lobby shop, but it still starts with their belief they can make a difference.
But there have been many, many posts on Daily Kos excoriating Dubya, et al, for all the groups they've exploited, used up and discarded. I thought it was worth noting they are doing the same thing to their acolytes. (Gives a whole new meaning to "eating your young," doesn't it?)
And it might open up some new avenues for investigation: Find the youngsters who were promoted too soon, too far beyond their abilities and expertise, and look at who's using them. Perhaps there are others like Heaton, disillusioned and willing to do what's right.