From Reuters:

WASHINGTON - President Bush vowed on Monday to fire anyone found by a federal probe to have acted illegally in the exposure of a CIA agent, in a shift from a broader pledge to dismiss anyone found to have leaked information in the case…

“I would like this to end as quickly as possible so we know the facts, and if someone committed a crime they will no longer work in my administration,” Bush said at a news conference.

There are a lot of cynics out there today criticizing the President for this statement, which is sad. Because this in fact marks a tough new “nearly zero tolerance” policy within the administration, and we ought to put aside our partisan impulses and applaud the President for getting serious about this.

This is a unequivocal warning to people in the administration: If you’re leaking state secrets, especially ones involving national security, there’s a pretty good chance that you could be putting your job in jeopardy. If you’re caught, you may well find yourself in a position where the President actively considers handing you a pink slip. And if you’re caught and convicted in a court of law, which makes what you did technically a crime, well, don’t expect to be able to do your job from prison, because you won’t have a job anymore.

No exceptions. Sure, if you leak classified information in a way that’s not technically a crime or that leaves shaky enough evidence so that you’re not prosecuted, well then you might be able to hang onto your position in the Bush administration. Maybe. But if you cross that line, if you’re actually convicted of a crime against the United States of America, you are history. Keep that in mind, would-be leakers.

It’s about time. Bill Clinton never came right out and said that anyone convicted of betraying national security would find himself unemployed. Nor did Bush Sr., come to think of it, and you can’t just assume these things. No, only George W. Bush has taken this tough a stance, and in these insecure times he should be commended for it. It’s the administration’s way of closing the door on playing politics with our security, telling the would-be wrong-doers in no uncertain terms: “Do this and you will sort of be putting your career on the line, maybe, in a very real way, depending on the outcome of an actual trial if it comes to that.” There will be no telecommuting from behind bars. Not anymore.