Nobles and knaves

Nobles: The federal agents who nabbed the alleged serial arsonist.

Real-life police work bears little resemblance to the hit show “CSI,” where the criminal is caught every week in an hour-long episode. For agents in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), it took two years to capture Thomas A. Sweatt, who is suspected of setting 49 fires in the District, Virginia and Maryland begining in March 2003. But their police work should not be seen as a failure. The ATF agents who eventually caught Mr. Sweatt were able to do so with sound investigative work and an unrelenting commitment to get their man.

As this newspaper reported Thursday, it was at the scene of a fire in Arlington in December where agents found a pair of pants. It was just the evidence they had been looking for. From the pants, they were able to retrieve a DNA sample, which on April 1 was matched to DNA found from the scenes of three other fires. The trail led to Mr. Sweatt, who provided investigators with a DNA sample two weeks later. The samples matched and agents arrested Mr. Sweatt at his place of business on Wednesday. Yesterday, a judge ordered he be held without bond.

For bringing an end to this fiery reign of terror, the ATF agents are the Nobles of the week.

Knaves: Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, for a very “un-Christian” apology.

When Mr. Salazar campaigned last year, he promised voters to support up-or-down votes on President Bush’s judicial nominees, some of whom Democrats have filibustered. Once elected, however, Mr. Salazar reneged on his campaign promise and formed ranks with his fellow Democrats. It was the sort of sleazy politicking that made lobbyist groups like Focus on the Family particularly miffed. Last week, Mr. Salazar responded on a television program to the criticism he and his Senate peers have received for their obstruction: “From my point of view, [Focus on the Family is] the anti-Christ of the world,” he said. Whoa there, senator — responding to criticism is one thing, but equating a political opponent to the Prince of Darkness … Someone call in damage control.

Mr. Salazar didn’t help matters — or his re-election hopes — by “apologizing.” In a statement released Wednesday, Mr. Salazar said: “I regret having used that term. I meant to say [Focus on the Family’s] approach was un-Christian, meaning self-serving and selfish.” If the senator keeps this up, he might just go on to insult every person in America. Someone really needs to fire damage control.

For doing his best to make his first term his last, Mr. Salazar is the Knave of the week.