Ersatz Nation

A number of years ago, at the Country Music Awards, an award presenter was introduced as "a great friend of country music." It was Barbi Benton, a girl who took her clothes off for adolescent magazines.

The strangest people show up at the strangest places.

Take Ms. Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer, lover and Internet shrieker. Last night on Charlie Rose she was  most consistently described as "fit." Fit. The woman picked to follow, evaluate and record for posterity the most important military man in the nation has, at the top of her resume, "fit?" Were there were no real biographers available? No up-and-comer more stable? Instead of a professional we get a walking IED with good cheekbones?

And Ms. Kelley, the aggrieved and threatened third party, e-mailer extraordinaire. She is described as "an unpaid social liaison". Apparently--for reasons known only to The Real Housewives of Miami--she has access to every military officer in Florida--or who has ever been to Florida. Perhaps "a great friend of country military?"

Then there is the FBI guy who just had to go to Eric Cantor and make sure this stupid personal/social event became a national and political embarrassment. Why? Apparently he feared a political cover-up. A member of the justice establishment just had to leave his confidential and professional restrictions behind for other, competing, principles: He had to join the political catfight. But apparently these principles were not profound enough to force him to cover himself when he sent his pictures to The Unpaid Social Liaison. (The FBI agent is Frederick Humphries and this description is from the NYT account. He has recently tried to reshaped many of these events in a statement through an attorney.)

Who are these people and how did they get here? There was a certain symmetry between Clinton and Flowers; here there is none. This is like Lucky Luciano being assassinated by a bunch of midget clowns in a clown car. It is so peculiar that some people do not believe it and are searching for hidden agendas and motives.

How could we possibly be subject to the whims of people like this?