Posted on 04/02/2005 6:17:05 AM PST by conservativecorner
The Powerliners are not happy with the Sandy Berger plea deal. But I'm a little surprised that Burglar - I mean, Berger - admitted so much. From today's Post:
Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, a former White House national security adviser, plans to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, and will acknowledge intentionally removing and destroying copies of a classified document about the Clinton administration's record on terrorism. ...
The deal's terms make clear that Berger spoke falsely last summer in public claims that in 2003 he twice inadvertently walked off with copies of a classified document during visits to the National Archives, then later lost them.
He described the episode last summer as "an honest mistake." Yesterday, a Berger associate who declined to be identified by name but was speaking with Berger's permission said: "He recognizes what he did was wrong. . . . It was not inadvertent."
That all sounds pretty damning. But then you read the actual consequences:
Under terms negotiated by Berger's attorneys and the Justice Department, he has agreed to pay a $10,000 fine and accept a three-year suspension of his national security clearance. These terms must be accepted by a judge before they are final, but Berger's associates said yesterday he believes that closure is near on what has been an embarrassing episode during which he repeatedly misled people about what happened during two visits to the National Archives in September and October 2003. What? Just what do you have to do to get your clearance pulled permanently? Start the clock, he can go back and start deleting memos that make him and his colleagues look bad starting in 2008 or so!
The details of this story are even more damning:
Rather than misplacing or unintentionally throwing away three of the five copies he took from the archives, as the former national security adviser earlier maintained, he shredded them with a pair of scissors late one evening at the downtown offices of his international consulting business. The document, written by former National Security Council terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke, was an "after-action review" prepared in early 2000 detailing the administration's actions to thwart terrorist attacks during the millennium celebration. It contained considerable discussion about the administration's awareness of the rising threat of attacks on U.S. soil.
Although one element of this story apparently is a bit of an urban legend:
On Sept. 2, 2003, the associate said, Berger put a copy of the Clarke report in his suit jacket. He did not put it in his socks or underwear, as was alleged by some Republicans last summer. Now... what about this deafening silence that we have heard on this from Berger's associates, since this story first surfaced? Will we be seeing any criticism of him from former President Clinton, Madeline Albright, Hillary, John Kerry, or any other prominent Democrat? Is the perception that this is no big deal, standard operating procedure for that White House, and is something to be swept under the rug?
Do any Democrats want to confront the unpleasant truths of how the Clinton White House handled terrorism?
Because there were some facts out there that were so damning, Sandy Berger was willing to break the law to make sure the public never saw them.
[Posted 04/01 04:38 AM]
I didn't even notice.
But you're right, wanked is most appropriate slip for a Clintonista remark. Those criminals are still wanking us
If Berger were a Republican, we would be treated to the following media circus over the next two weeks:
- Daily above-the-fold newspaper articles containing details of the theft of the documents.
- Explanations of government document security classifications and why the theft of top secret documents poses such a grave threat to our country.
- Interviews with Republican officials asking them if they would continue to support Mr. Berger and the administration.
- An increasing volume of stories and articles pointing out that "this goes all the way to the top" and "what does the President know?"
- How the theft and destruction of these documents prevented the 911 Commission from completing a thorough review of the events leading to Sep. 11, 2001.
- Expressions of outrage at the minimal sentence given to Mr. Berger with suggestions of cover-up.
- Interviews with Democrats calling for the resignation of the President.
Thanks for the insights, will keep my watch on those you suggested.
.
BILL CLINTON refused 3 No-Strings Offers from the Sudan during the 1990's to give us our proven No. 1 Terrorist Enemy OSAMA bin LADEN on a Silver Platter.
BILL CLINTON's White House Pointman on these 3 Offers=
SANDY BERGER
Former Chief Washington D.C. Lobbyist for Communist China =
SANDY BERGER
Personally guaranteed on NBC's 'Meet the Press' one Sunday morning that there was "No Way" the Communist Chinese could get a hold of our precious Missile & Space Satellite Technology when they launch Amerian Space Satellites from Communist China, which (Of Course) they promptly did =
SANDY BERGER
The Enemy is now Within...
and always has been =
SANDY BERGER
...while BILL CLINTON just laughs away at US in the Media.
.
Thanks for the ping!
Remember what the demorats did to Senator Packwood??? What law did HE break?
Patriot Act has some strong reporting requirements. Cite me even one abuse of the Act.
.
3 OSAMA Offers refused by CLINTON and BERGER =
World Trade Center Tower 2 comes crashing down on my fellow Veteran of the 1965 Battle of the IA DRANG Valley:
Lifetime Lifesaving Hero RICK RESCORLA
http://www.RickRescorla.com
.
"Remember what the demorats did to Senator Packwood???"
As I remember, they even subpoened his diary. (odd that the Democrats are the first ones to scream about "right to privacy")
Indeed. Thanks for the ping!
Martha got prison time for lining her pockets with a little extra cash.
Sandy destroyed National Security Documents and gets his hands spanked.
Our Justice System needs a overhaul.
If Berger was a Republican, doubt if the punishment would have been much worse. But we'd hear about it endlessly in the MSM as "Berglargate".
He looks a 'rat, smells like a 'rat and acts like a 'rat.
He also has Demonic immunity.
We were singing, bye, bye to Old Media, bye
It was quite a run but you are done and now it won't fly
New Media's here, so be a big girl, don't cry
We were laughing as Old Media died...laughing as Old Media died
Would they do what's right? They're saying, "NO, never"...they thought they were just so very clever
They thought they'd get away with it
Docs were found down in Sandy Berger's pants...and Dan Rather thought he'd take a chance
With those forgeries now George Bush he would get
Dan used them and he was elated...but Bush is misunderestimated
Thanks to a group of sleepers...pajama-wearing FReepers
So Dan Rather's plan would fail...Ken's frequency was now in a jail
A happy ending to this tale
Old Media would die
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