Sharlet: Jonathan Schwarz at A Tiny Revolution makes a connection between the secrecy of The Family the subject of my new book (disclosure: HarperCollins sent A Tiny Revolution a copy. Got a decent blog? Write me and I’ll have them send you one, too.) and John McCain’s national finance co-chair, Fred Malek. Is Malek a member of The Family? Not that I know of. The connection is one simply of style, a certain je ne sais quoi shared by authoritarian bullies contemptuous of open democracy. Compare this Family memo written during Apartheid to The Family’s South African operative —

[The Family’s political initiatives] have always been misunderstood by ‘outsiders.’ As a result of very bitter experiences, therefore, we have learned never to commit to paper any discussions or negotiations that are taking place. There is no such thing a ‘confidential’ memorandum, and leakage always seems to occur. Thus, I would urge you not to put on paper anything relating to any of the work that you are doing…[unless] you know the recipient well enough to put at the top of the page ‘PLEASE DESTROY AFTER READING.’

— with this little gem Schwarz quotes from Malek’s Nixon days:

No written communications from the White House to the Departments — all information about the program would be transmitted verbally…documents prepared would not indicate White House involvement in any way.