Sunday, May 14, 2006

Telecom Leaker to keep job?

There's speculation tonight that the naming of the person that leaked the budget papers to Telecom could keep his job as being named would be punishment enough. The source for the speculation is one Andrew Scott-Howman, an employment lawyer. It's unclear from the report whether he thinks the argument has merit or whether it's really a feeble argument that a desperate lawyer is bound to put forward when there's nothing else to say. My guess is the latter for if his suggestion ever had serious merit, I daresay certain events would have turned out somewhat differently:
Mark Felt has today been identified as "Deep Throat", the mysterious source that leaked to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein secret information about the Watergate Investigations. President Nixon said that Mark would keep his job as Deputy Director of the F.B.I. as publication of his name was punishment enough.
Or
Kim Philby has been identified as the KGB mole that tipped off his fellow traitors about their impending arrest. The Home Office has decided to take no further action, not even to dismiss him from the S.I.S., as they consider public mention of his name to be punishment enough.
Or even:
Judas Iscariot has been identified as the disciple that turned his master in to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver. The remaining disciples declared that Judas was still a disciple and would not be sent to Hell for publication of his name was punishment enough.