The fall of Butz brings to mind a good political rule of thumb: if you're a sitting Cabinet member in the middle of a presidential campaign, it's probably wise not to utter statements within media earshot that are racist, misogynistic and scatological all at once (we'll leave to look up the exact wording). It wasn't the first gaffe of his tenure; he had previously responded to a question about the Pope in a mock Italian accent and made disparaging comments about women. But it was, thankfully, his last—he resigned in ignominy within days.