The ethical lapse of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in hearing arguments (and being the key vote on a question of extension of presidential power) in a case where not only was the executive branch involve, but George Bush himself was the defendant — while at the same time meeting with George Bush to discuss a potential appointment to the Supreme Court has made it into the news recently, with three other lawyers publically noting that this was a severe breach of ethics. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) have also asked Roberts to answer why he did not recuse himself. The White House was quick to respond with their own ethicist, claiming that nothing improper had happened... except that they failed to mention that until very recently their ethicist, Ronald Rotunda, was a military advisor to the Department of Defense on military commissions – the exact subject of the case in controversy.

So they've hired a man with a conflict of interest to defend a man accused of failing to recuse himself when he had a conflict of interest. At least they're consistent.

Link credit to Think Progress.