What is sad, Mr. Bush, is some people MUST shoplift to feed their families

[dajoki]

Chigago tribune
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/03/exwhite_house_a.html

Originally posted: March 11, 2006

Ex-White House adviser facing shoplifting charges
Posted by Mark Silva at 9:45 am CST and updated 12:15 pm CST

When the news was first broken here at The Swamp that Claude Allen, the president's former domestic policy adviser, had submitted his resignation in early February, the White House said Allen wanted to spend more time with his family.


It appears now that he may have been seeking more time with his defense attorney.

Claude Alexander Allen, 45, had been under investigation in Maryland since early January for an alleged scheme to defraud department stores of thousands of dollars in a refund scheme and was arrested on Thursday on charges of a felony theft scheme and theft over $500, according to Montgomery County police -- charges carrying possible sentences of up to 15 years.

<<snip>>

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked,'' Bush said today, during a photo opportunity after a briefing by a task force working on the military's defense against improvised explosive devices. "And my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment that, if it's true , that we were not fully informed. But it was also one – shortly thereafter, I felt really sad for the Allen family.''

<<snip>>

"If the allegations are true, Claude Allen did not tell my chief of staff and legal counsel the truth, and that's deeply disappointing,'' the president said today. "If the allegations are true, something went wrong in Claude Allen's life, and that is really sad."

[bbinacan]

1. Sounds like kleptomania. n/t

[Benfea]

3. Kleptomaniacs steal merchandise.

He had some scam going to get money, not goods out of this.

[bbinacan]

7. I didn't realize it

had to be merchandise only. He was trying to get refunds on items that cost as little as 2 1/2 bucks. Sure sounds like a problem to me. Maybe kleptomania by another name.:shrug:

[bbinacan]

8. Definitions

From dictionary.com

klep·to·ma·ni·a An obsessive impulse to steal regardless of economic need.

From Merriam-Webster

Main Entry: klep·to·ma·nia a persistent neurotic impulse to steal especially without economic motive

Now if Allen had debts, a gambling, or dug problem. It's a whole other story.

[dajoki]

10. my point is not...

whether he's a klepto, in debt, gambler or junkie. the problem is poor people are reduced to shoplifting just to survive.

[bbinacan]

12. I'm not disputing your point

just speculating about Allen's motivation, that's all.

[dajoki]

13. i just wanted...

to make myself clear on why i posted this article.:hi:

[bbinacan]

20. It was not my intention

to distract from the message of the post. Sorry about that. But,
I do think Allen may have some mental issues.

[dajoki]

22. i agree with you n/t

[Benfea]

15. I'm not so sure this is a classic case of kleptomania.

I'm not arguing that he was stealing out of need or anything, but I don't think it's normal. The thrill is simply walking out of the store with the goodies.

[moobu2]

14. Well, he probably could be diagnosed as a kleptomaniac

And from what I’ve read, and he may be a sociopath with other mental issues as well. Claude Allen is a very disturbed, sick, individual like most of them are in any case..

[Benfea]

2. What's shocking about this is not that he was stealing....

…but that he was stealing from someone other than taxpayers. No wonder the Bush administration is livid.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

5. Yes. Petty theft is so common.

The Haves and Have-Mores only do it on a grand scale.

[spindrifter]

4. Highly unlikely this was "kleptomania,"

since the kleptomaniac is more interested in the thrill of stealing than the more complicated refunding. Instead, did Mr. A. have a drug or gambling habit, or was it just living too high on the hog? Possibly the latter, since he talked about it being a problem with too many credit cards and moving a lot of times. Sounds like he might have been getting a cosmic payback:
http://direland.typepad.com/

[dajoki]

6. what pisses me off...

Shrub: "I felt really sad for the Allen family." What about feeling sad for the poor, who have almost no choice because of *'s policies. i guess that's compassionate conservatism.

[OKNancy]

9. any compassion one would have for him will be gone if

you read this and the enclosed link.
He is scum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x634913

[dajoki]

11. thank you for that n/t

[Divernan]

16. What do you think Bush is saying about Allen in private?

I doubt it's about being really sad for Allen's family.

[Quakerfriend]

17. Bush is just trying to make this look as tho HE is an honest

guy......pleeeez. I cannot believe his handlers were dumb enough to suggest that he even comment on this one. It just make people all the more furious at the Repugs- THIEVES, one and all.

I bet that Mr. Allen saw so much scamming going on in the WH, and people getting away with it, that he thought he would try it out.

[Divernan]

18. Wonder how many other stores & how many years Allen's been doing this?

I very much doubt that this was the only store, or that he hasn't been doing this for a long, long time.

[TheBaldyMan]

19. Maybe Dick just sent him down to the store, they are just too used to

stealing it never occured to him to pay.

[dajoki]

23. just add it to the budget n/t

[MODemocrat]

21. He's a thief, why is Bush shocked at that?

Mr. Allen is young enough to get another job; maybe not at such a big salary as he had with Bush.
:nopity: