In light of the Plame affair, the media babblers have been reminding us that it is not the politically-driven crime itself that is the problem, but the coverup. The Watergate fiasco is then trotted out as evidence. I disagree. It has not been coverups, but the FAILURE TO coverup wrongdoings – failures that bring the state into disrepute – for which the politicos get their comeuppance. “Coverup” is a continued warning to officials to do a better job of disguising their wrongs or face the consequences.