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On the Democratic side, the Democratic National Committee is planning to staff its 30-person response team well before the hearing gets underway, pushing out “what to watch for” lists to reporters and beginning a public character defense of William B. Taylor Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine and the first witness scheduled to testify on Wednesday.

What followed amounted to an impassioned 16-minute character defense.

On June 4, Patterson’s attorney, Shelby Sharpe, released what he called a “character defense” that he said he compiled without any input from Patterson, just “as a person, not as his lawyer.”

This is hardly an inspiring character defense.

Stung by a string of embarrassing revelations about misconduct in the ranks, the Pentagon will soon appoint a senior officer to promote and enforce a culture of ethical behavior and good moral character, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday.