Absolute Politics

The top three officials at the Justice Department, including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, have said they would resign if forced to return evidence siezed last week in a raid of the office of Rep. William Jefferson. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, has been linked to the Abramhoff bribery scandals.

Members of Congress universally expressed outrage that the FBI would make the unprecedented move of raiding a Capitol Hill office of a lawmaker. The FBI and others don't see why Congress is off limits if a crime has been committed. And now, it appears they are willing to stake their jobs on it. The White House ordered the evidence sealed for 45 days so a compromise could be brokered and tempers could cool.

Smart move. When people start talking in absolutes -- such as willing to quit their job -- things get heated very fast. The White House should know this; President Bush only this week declared some of his previous statements about the war on terrorism perhaps had an escalating effect and eroded the opinion of Americans among friendly nations worldwide. He also cited the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse as a low point in the Iraq war. Bush's tough talk as president has left little wiggle room for diplomats, and it appears he has finally acknowledged that his rhetoric -- at least a bit -- has impacted how people perceive the United States, its policies and its people.

Now is not the time for absolutes. Diplomacy and common ground are preferred.

Update: Slate weighs in with a legal analysis from the point of view of another Jefferson -- this time, it's Thomas J.

-- Seattle