Standup Guy

On Wednesday, Tuesday, White House Communication Director Dan Bartlett told the press that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales enjoys the continued support of President Bush.

Q: Dan, the Attorney General said he took responsibility for mistakes. Does the President still have full confidence in the Attorney General? And given the White House role in this, does the President acknowledge that there were mistakes made -- and take responsibility for them?

MR. BARTLETT: He absolutely has full confidence in the Attorney General, and the reason why he does is for exactly what he said today: He's a standup guy; he's a person who comes to the job every day, doing the best he can to serve the United States of America; he takes that job very seriously. And when he saw problems, he's pledged to the American people and to the United States Congress to fix those problems. So the President has all the confidence in the world in Alberto Gonzales as the Attorney General for the United States of America.

Is Bartlett aware that the term "standup guy" generally refers to someone who can be relied upon not to tell the truth about illegal acts?

A mobster who doesn't rat out his friends in order to avoid prison is known as a "standup guy."

A crooked cop who keeps his mouth shut about an episode of police brutality he witnessed, or about other officers who accept bribes is known as a "standup guy."

Now, the White House communication director assures us that the attorney general of the United States is a "standup guy." One wonders if the irony is lost on Bartlett, or if he knows exactly what he is saying.