YOU COULD DO WORSE...:

The less-than-momentous side of the Roberts papers (Warren Richey, 8/24/05, The Christian Science Monitor)

A significant amount of Roberts's time was taken up researching appropriate responses, if any, to letters sent to President Reagan.

Roberts took an active role in preventing presidential correspondence with pop superstar Michael Jackson. He nixed an attempt by journalist Charles Kuralt's publisher to obtain a few kind words about Kuralt to help promote a forthcoming book. And he recommended against the president returning to his former profession for a cameo in an animated movie of Charles Schulz's Peanuts cartoon strip, "This is America, Charlie Brown."

To Roberts such efforts amounted to a presidential endorsement of a commercial venture, "a clear violation of White House policy."

When the Rock Creek Foundation, a Washington, D.C. charitable organization, asked if the president's box at the Kennedy Center could be auctioned off in a fundraiser, Roberts said "no."

In an October 1984 memo, he noted that White House participation even in a charitable auction "is basically selling the prestige of the Office [of the presidency], and that is not for sale, not for any price, not for any cause."

In fairness to Roberts, his memos make clear he wasn't trying to be mean, just consistent, and thus fair (or unfair) to everyone. Indeed, many of the Roberts memos suggest a strong emphasis on ethics and a desire to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

...than be known for being a stickler on ethical considerations.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 23, 2005 9:06 PM