We asked Lanny Davis, doing the rounds this week to promote his new book "Crisis Tales," which politicians survived scandals well and which didn't. "So I can give you a number of juicy examples of people who screwed up, starting with President Obama and his golfing with Tiger Woods," Davis told Yeas & Nays. "But it's harder for me to come up with the names of politicians who have done it right."

Davis thought that President Obama's staff probably suggested something like this before the golfing debacle. "Why don't you play golf with him and we'll bar the press from the front tee and nobody will write about it," Davis suggested. "Exactly the way to blow this story up and make it into a two or three day non-story controversy," Davis explained.

So what would have worked? In his book, Davis preaches honesty and openness above all else (unless that would get someone shipped directly to jail).

"We invite the entire press corps to the first tee, you stand with Tiger Woods and you say, 'I know the country is suffering and I know this is probably the wrong moment for me to do this, but gee whiz, I work hard and I'm really looking forward to playing golf with Tiger Woods,' " Davis suggested Obama have said. "About 99 percent of the American population will go, 'uh-huh, I get that,' ... and bingo, guess what, there is no story."