Posted on 10/31/2005 7:55:45 PM PST by Map Kernow
On Friday, many Democrats and reporters were disappointed that Karl Rove was not indicted. But they shouldn't worry too much, because the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby will make for good partisan blood sport - although in years to come, Libby's case might yet offer cheer to Republicans.
....[R]eacting quickly to the news, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York flailed at Libby, declaring the alleged actions of Vice President Dick Cheney's now-former chief of staff to be "reprehensible."
Clinton must be careful, however, because Libby's past legal career is closely intertwined with her husband's presidency. During the 1980s and 1990s, Libby was a lawyer for Marc Rich.
And if you don't remember Marc Rich, you will be reminded of him soon enough. ...... As Rich's lawyer over the next two decades, Libby collected, by his own estimate, some $2 million in fees.
Wait, there's more. In January 2001, outgoing President Bill Clinton gave Rich a pardon. Interestingly, Rich's ex-wife, Denise, donated more than a million dollars to Democratic causes around then, including $70,000 to Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign and $450,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
Libby denied having anything to do with the pardon effort, but admitted he had called Rich on January 22, 2001 - which is to say, after he started working for Cheney - to congratulate him on his getting off. And Libby's powerful presence inside the White House - his title was assistant to George W. Bush as well chief of staff to Cheney - might help explain why the incoming Bush administration failed to pursue obvious threads of corruption trailing out of President Clinton's pardon of Rich and other dubious figures.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
bookmark for later
Let alone look for Clinton - Rich(- UN $$) links we've not yet found.
Marc Rich is involved in the Iraq "oil-for-food" scandal too---corruptly of course.
--reminiscent of the George Steponallofus' remark about the "Doomsday" machine--
Libby's "aspens" letter to Miller was definitely a coded message.
-PJ
Maybe Marc Rich doesn't limit his "contributions" to Democrats. He doesn't strike me as a man of rigorous ideological purity.
Now THIS is worth watching...
I can't wait to see what happens when the breadcrumbs lead to the Clintons.
BUAHAHAHAHAHA!
bttt
What purpose would there be to investigate the pardon of Rich beyond what was already done.
Better for the adored wife of Bill Clinton to get Scooter out of the way before she gets annointed to the office of the presidency, by finding a means to damage his reputation, just in case he feels compelled to speak about those glamourous days defending impeached Clinton crony and big big time donor, crook Marc Rich.
"Absolute" in the sense that a President can bestow them corruptly, for material gain? I don't think so. Especially since Rich continues his corrupt activity in violation of US law.
What purpose would there be to investigate the pardon of Rich beyond what was already done.
You're right. It might break up a beautiful friendship.
I hope she doesn't feel she can speak with impunity---without the story of her and her husband's probably corrupt dealings with Rich coming out. Pinkerton implies that she believes she can, perhaps because GW doesn't want the story behind the Rich pardon to come out either.
I think this is one of my favorite paragraphs in this article:
Now suppose Giuliani ends up with the Republican presidential nomination, squaring off against Hillary Rodham Clinton. In their nationally televised debate, Libby would be a mere footnote. But Rich would be an important topic, since neither Bill nor Hillary has ever fully explained his pardon.
Favorite because in the previous paragraph it spells out that it was Rudi who prosecuted Rich in the first place.
I agree... and I also believe there was more than professionalism to their relationship.. too many clandistine meetings.
"...the case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff..."
"Lewis Libby" obviously refers to "Scooter" Libby, indicted last Friday.
In a particularly damaging exchange with Pennsylvania Democrat Paul Kanjorski , Libby agreed that Rich might be characterized as a traitor for fleeing the country and renouncing his American citizenship. Kanjorski asked Libby why he would call a traitor to congratulate him on his good fortune in winning a pardon. Visibly uncomfortable, Libby had no answer.
For Republicans, Libby's testimony was a sour endnote to what had been a long day of revelations that made President Clinton's decision to pardon Rich seem even more inexplicable than previously thought.
The Bush Administration has refused to allow public access to records on Clinton's pardons. I think more than simply "professional courtesy" is behind the refusal.
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