Regarding "Lieutenant governor resigns in cellphone scandal" (Sunday Page A19), we have yet another stark example of the squishy standards employed by the Federal government in dealing with employee misconduct compared to state or municipal governments. In this instance, Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy was forced to resign after it was discovered that he made thousands of late-night calls over four years to four women - none of them his wife - on his state-issued cellphone. In addition to being after hours, the calls were free, so it's not clear what Sheehy did that warranted his being fired.
Compare this to the federal government white-wash of General John Allen, when it was announced in late November that the married head of our Afghan forces had exchanged thousands of e-mails over the course of two years with Jill Kelly, a Tampa socialite, sometimes up to 40 per day and much of it during business hours using his government computer. Within days the Pentagon rushed to announce that Allen's exchanges "did not compromise national security", but were "inappropriate and suggestive." On Jan. 23rd, Gen Allen was completely exonerated by the Pentagon's inspector general with virtually no explanation.
This is bizarre. Only love-struck teenagers put out 40 e-mails per day, yet the Pentagon exonerated Allen? It's a sad day in America when a guy like Sheehy - who at least serves at the pleasure of the voters - is given the boot for some piddling indiscretion, while the guy entrusted with the well-being of our 30,000 troops in Afghanistan has his much more serious misconduct swept under the rug.
Then again, it's nothing new. Twenty years ago Bill Clinton was excused for sexual misconduct that would have gotten any employee in the private sector fired immediately, and with extreme prejudice. General Allen was apparently judged by that same standard.
Pete Smith
Cypress
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