Re: C.I.A. Plays It Safe by Accentuating the Negative

[Michael Pollak <mpollak@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004, Devine, James wrote:

> speaking of "threat assessment inflation," there was an ad by the
> Committee on the Present Danger in the NY TIMES yesterday. That kind of
> inflation is their business.
>
> some of them were called "honorable" as their titles. What makes someone
> officially "honorable"?

It's the official form of address for a judge, a federal legislator, or a
chief executive officer at any level from president to mayor. And at the
presidential level, any of his direct plenipotentiaries are honorable,
including ambassadors and cabinet members.  It's SOP to keep those titles
afterwards (except usually for cabinet members).  I believe most on that
list got it from being ambassadors (including to the UN), federal
legislators and judges.

Michael