Petraeus scandal tests Washington code

The first rule in Washington: loyalty.

Working in this town can be an ongoing test ? defending a boss not only from prying journalists and rival lawmakers, but also themselves.

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Several former staffers who?ve worked for lawmakers embroiled in scandal of all varieties told POLITICO that the unfolding tale of Gen. David Petraeus? affair with his biographer, and a related story about Gen. John Allen?s flirtatious emailing with a married Florida woman, is a case study in the staffer-boss Washington code.

?You?ve got to fight like hell for your boss,? said Jim Manley, who helped Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) through a land deal scandal, ?but it?s also important that you not lose sight of the bigger picture.?

?As a press secretary you are always fighting for as much information as possible when it comes to legislative issues, for instance, but at some point and time in a scandal you thank the Lord above the lawyers aren?t telling you everything,? Manley, who also served as press secretary to then-Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). ?You?ve got to trust your boss. You?ve got to trust the lawyers. I got lucky in both jobs with people that fit both of those descriptions.?

So far, the aides around Petraeus ? known to have a circle of loyalists ? and Allen have stood by the two men. On Tuesday, a senior official even did damage control for Allen Tuesday, telling The Washington Post there?s no way he had an affair.

It?s an experience that?s played out over and over in politics: Bosses engage in untoward behavior, but staff stands by them ? even keeping their secrets. For some staffers, being on the clock even means acting as a minder at alcohol-fueled evening events.

Rep. Anthony Weiner?s questionable tweeting wasn?t outed by his circle. Aides to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford tried to cover up his affair with an Argentinian woman by saying he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Another said the governor was recharging after losing a fight over stimulus funds. Sen. David Vitter?s staff remained tight-lipped after the Louisiana Republican?s phone number was found on the D.C. Madam?s list.

Washington insiders say those reactions by staff aren?t a surprise.

?In a crisis atmosphere, there?s a sense of hyper-vigilance that kicks into the entire operation, where everyone is watching and bracing for the next incoming piece of information, while at the same time responding to the current atmosphere,? said veteran GOP communicator Ron Bonjean.

Bonjean is no stranger to defending bosses in precarious positions. He served as House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) spokesman when Hastert faced calls to step down when news of Foley?s inappropriate communications with House pages broke. Bonjean was also a top aide when Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) was forced to step down as majority leader after making comments at Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) 100th birthday party that were perceived as racially insensitive.

?The key is to operate off all the facts you are given and to make it very clear with reporters and be very upfront and as transparent possible that this is the current environment you are working in,? Bonjean said.

Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83911.html

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