Chris Brown Joins Larry Craig and the Gipper on “Do Not Recall” List

5. Scooter Libby

After Plamegate broke, lock-lipped Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby stonewalled federal prosecutors by claiming not to recall basically anything, leading to a lot of ridicule and anger from liberal bloggers and to Libby’s ultimate forced resignation. But in Libby’s case, he didn’t recall because he actually didn’t leak Plame’s identity to Robert Novak — in fact, the leaker was Richard Armitage. Whatever one thinks of the Bush-Cheney inner circle, their proven willingness to take one for the team is remarkable.

6. Condoleezza Rice

Though compromising a CIA agent’s identity is serious business, the jury’s still out as to whether the Valerie Plame leak actually mattered for national security. But whether or not George Tenet briefed a United States National Security Advisor who would become Secretary of State on the possibility of a 9/11-like attack in July of 2001 is a different story altogether. Condi vehemently denies that such a meeting took place, and former CIA director George Tenet is equally sure that one did — and Bush administration officials conceded for days that one did before rallying to defend Condi. Maybe this will be another affair that Dick Cheney’s memoirs will shed light on.

7. Alberto Gonzales

The grand champion of “I don’t recall” in recent memory has to be former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who used the phrase 72 times during his Senate testimony on whether or not he authorized the use of torture. Behold: