Posted on 01/13/2002 7:21:33 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
No one can say President Bush hasn't tried.
As part of his campaign pledge to move the country beyond eight years of partisan squabbling over Clinton-era corruption, he never mentioned Whitewater or Monicagate or any other of the dozen or so gates that metastasized during the 1990's.
After he was elected, Bush gave his silent approval when, the day before he took office, Independent Counsel Robert Ray announced he wouldn't prosecute President Clinton for blatant and repeated instances of perjury before a federal grand jury and a federal judge.
Days later his Justice Department quietly removed the noose from around the neck of Chinagate kingpin James Riady, allowing the Clinton benefactor to walk away from the most serious scandal in American history in exchange for a token fine and community service that Riady was permitted to perform on the honor system back home in Indonesia.
Bush has kept the prosecutorial dogs muzzled in the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York, as dueling grand juries heard evidence all summer implicating Bill, Hillary and even former first brother Roger Clinton in a pardons-for-cash scam where a fugitive billionaire, a major cocaine dealer and even a Mafia don got White House shakedowns.
It got so bad that when outgoing Clinton staffers vandalized the White House and Air Force One stewards reported items missing after the Clintons' last flight home, President Bush grit his teeth, smiled as though it never happened and refused to let his aides investigate.
In short, in the interest of political comity, George Bush handcuffed justice and allowed the former first family to make a total and complete mockery out of the law.
Now, however, as the partisan squabbling and media hysteria reach a fevered pitch over the Enron scandal, Democrats herald the arrival of "Bush's Whitewater." It's clear the president's strategy to give the Clintons a break and stem the tide of political retribution has failed - and failed miserably.
Without so much as a hint of Bush administration impropriety, the Democrat-media machine has ginned up no fewer than eight federal and congressional probes into the energy giant's collapse.
Politicians who decried the money spent probing the real Whitewater scandal - "Seven years, $70 million dollars - and for what?" they complained - can barely conceal their burning desire for new impeachment hearings that will install a Democrat in the White House in 2004.
How should Bush respond? Simple. Unshackle the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York and let prosecutors there show Washington's political ingrates what criminal wrongdoing really looks like.
It's time to take the muzzle off lead prosecutor Elliot Jacobson, who at last word was heading up the probe and who clearly had enough evidence to file charges against Roger Clinton by last summer.
It's well past time to move against the Clinton family's Golden Girls, Denise Rich and Beth Dozoretz, both of whom told Congress last year that if they told the truth about Pardongate "it might tend to incriminate me."
And it's time to publicly call both Bill and Hillary Clinton before the Pardongate grand juries - and, unlike what happened in Whitewater, let the grand jurors themselves decide if the evidence warrants prosecution.
Democrats now foaming at the mouth over "Enrongate" didn't know when they had a good thing, and in fact, it's now plain that Bush's indulgence only engendered their contempt.
Now that the Washington scandal machine has Bush in its crosshairs, it's time for the president to make sure the rules apply to both sides equally - and if that means prosecuting Bill and Hillary Clinton, so be it.
Poetic justice
W should have used the same approach politically that he has in foreign policy. Peace through strength.
It got so bad that when outgoing Clinton staffers vandalized the White House and Air Force One stewards reported items missing after the Clintons' last flight home, President Bush grit his teeth, smiled as though it never happened and refused to let his aides investigate.
What about peace through the sovereignty of law?
Truer words....
It's hard to keep your focus on the best interests of the country when your opponents are interested only in their personal advancement.
Many warrant a swift kick. So far, neither Hillary nor Daschle seem to be worth a tumble in the mud. Bill is history and would be nothing but brain damage.
Meaning, I guess, rather than in the interests of justice.
Sorry, but Limbacher's examples or suggestions of where to go are really small potatoes compared to the criminal corruption associated with the campaign finance task force's area which Ashcroft/Bush let slide.
Most recently, allowing Loral off with a limp slap on the wrist, which will be paid by the stockholders and not the guilty party. National security, as endangered by the Chinagate/campaign finance corruption is a far more dangerous and serious offense than Roger Clinton, but Bush/Ashcroft closed their collective eyes. I'm nowhere near forgiving Bush/Ashcroft for that.
They made a complete mockery of the law because THEY WERE ALLOWED TO! You can thank the Democrap Crime Syndicate for that as well as spineless Republ-I CAN'T's for that one. You think that after all the crap that was thrown at Clinton and didn't stick, that Bush is going to be dumb enough to try to slap more on it? The fix is in! Why do you think they can't outlaw the MAFIA? Because they hold the cards! So do the Democraps. Pictures of Trent Lott sucking on Larry Flint aint going to force him to advance truth , justice and the American way. The real mistake that is being made is that Democraps are allowed to police Democraps and Republ-I CAN'T's have no backbone for the truth!
Getting Clinton off of the front page was a shrewd move on the Bush administration's part in settling in the White House. The media absolutely love the Clintons, and even though they hemmed and hawed over pardongate, they'd rather talk about Clinton than focus any light on Bush. Just after Bush took office, you'll recall, the only two things the media reported about him was that he didn't have any "mandate" and the Florida fiasco.
Now, however, with the Democrat-media complex aiming their sites again at Bush over Enron, their overreaching could bring down Clinton once Bush unleashes his Justice Department and does a full investigation.
It was also a shrewd move for Ashcroft to recuse himself as to avoid any conflict of interest charges since he received Enron contributions as well.
When I was in basic training, the drills instructed us on the rifle range about a potentially deadly "pop and no kick." That's when a malformed round fires, but lodges in the barrel. If you fire another round behind this one, the rifle would literally explode in your face.
Enron is a "pop and no kick" for the RATS, but they are salivating so profusely about a chance to down the Bush presidency, they didn't pay attention. Their rifle is about to explode right in their faces.
So, grab some popcorn, a Coke, sit back and relax. The fireworks are about to begin. It's going to be a magnificent show!
SO, all of those who are guilty, report to the torture chamber.
Now, it's over...I feel better.
Sure....we have a lot of cause to expect that, don't we? /sarcasm>
Enron has cost Florida State government workers an estimated $325 million under Gov. Jeb Bush.
Suspending the "Rule of Law" for political convenience such as Presiident Bush has done may be the downfall of both the Democrats & Republicans.
Ah, the ever-seductive bauble shimmering in the distance, just out of reach...surely this will bring down Clinton...
When will we learn? NOTHING will "bring down" Clinton save history.
I heartily agree with the rest of your post, however.
The fund's investments were directed by Alliance Capital Management, where Savage was a senior executive and chairman at the same time he sat on Enron's board.
He has donated $100,000 to Democrats and is raising money for New York gubernatorial candidate Carl McCall.
Here is an excerpt from the Sunday Palm Beach Post:
In all, from 1995 to 2000, Enron gave $166,500 to (Florida)state Republicans and $42,000 to Democrats.
WWBD (What Will Bush Do)? Let's see if he pulls some kind of 'wag the dog' or shines the light of truth on Enron.
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