Zone Defense

Here’s how a couple of prominent Democrats are defending Sandy Berger:

“That is absurd,” said [former Clinton spokesman Joe] Lockhart, who is now advising Berger. “And anyone who says that is interested in something other than the truth.”

Former White House lawyer Lanny Davis challenged any unnamed official who accuses Berger of stuffing documents into his socks to come forward and level that charge publicly.

“I suggest that person is lying,” he said. “And if that person has the guts, let’s see who it is who made the comment that Sandy Berger stuffed something into his socks.”

Please note that neither Lockhart nor Davis denies the broader charge of spiriting away classified data via the trouser method.

And then there’s Tom Daschle:

“I do think the timing is very curious, given this has been under way now for this long,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota. “Somebody leaked it, obviously, with intent, I think, to do damage to Mr. Berger, and I think that’s unfortunate.”

Leaks are bad, yes. But leaky National Archives are worse — and Sandy Berger is this scandal’s biggest drip.