GOP urges Berger lie test

The Washington Times ^ | Jan. 24, 2007 | Jerry Seper

[George Maschke]

Eighteen House Republicans have urged the Justice Department to proceed with a polygraph test for Samuel R. Berger, the former national security adviser who agreed to take the test as part of a plea of guilty of stealing documents from the National Archives.

[George Maschke]

The congressmen are mistaken in their stated belief that a mandatory polygraph test "may be the only way for anyone to know whether Mr. Berger denied the 9/11 commission and the public the complete account of the Clinton administration's actions or inactions during the lead-up to the terrorist attacks on the United States." Polygraph testing is a pseudoscientific fraud. It's inherently biased against the truthful, yet easily defeated by liars through the use of simple countermeasures.

While polygraphs may make for good political theater, they are a poor way of attempting to determine the truth. The Justice Department did well in choosing not to depend upon polygraph results in this case.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Even if they can't get him into the chair, they should scream
to the rafters about it.

[George Maschke]

CBS 60 Minutes II exposé on polygraphy:

Part One:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5meTECUBSAU

Part Two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPXj8NqYIXk

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"CBS 60 Minutes II exposé on polygraphy: "

LOL

Does anybody believe or even watch junk from SEEBS?

[George Maschke]

Actually, this investigative story is quite well-researched and documented. Here's an alternative link from which it may be viewed:

http://antipolygraph.org/blog/?p=107

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I do not know if truth serums or polygraphs work but lawyers(liars) never get to the truth.

If there is the slightest chance to get even partial truth, it is worth the chance.

[tkathy]

If Rice or Cheney had stolen damaging documents, the democrats would go crazy!!!

[mware]

Sandy is the one that agreed to the plea bargain that got him out of a trial.

Part of that plea bargain was taking a polygraph. If he is going to renege on parts of the bargain, fair enough. Let's take this to court.

[George Maschke]

The article doesn't say that Berger reneged on the polygraph agreement. What it says in this regard is:

Mr. Davis said that during sentencing, Mr. Berger agreed to a polygraph examination as part of a plea deal, but Justice never administered the test, according to two Justice officials closely connected to the case -- John Dion, chief of the counterespionage section, and Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division.

[mware]

So he agree to take the test.

There are aspects of this case that the American people were not informed about until long after the sentencing.

If that would have been you or I, taking documents out of the National Archives we would have been arrested, not to mention he admits to having destroyed some of those documents.

This case warrents more investigation.

[George Maschke]

I agree that Berger appears to be receiving special treatment. Any common person who did what Berger has admitted to doing would never again be granted a security clearance. But it seems Berger could get his security clearance back in three years' time.

[scrabblehack]

I had a friend who was a firm believer in polygraphs. He said he took one and the examiner told him to think of a number between 1 and 10. The examiner told him not to say anything, and then counted from 1 to 10. The examiner correctly told him what number he was thinking of.

I will agree that anyone in the spy business could be trained to pass a polygraph.

[George Maschke]

You don't have to be in the spy business to learn how to beat a polygraph. Anyone can be taught the basics in a few minutes. For detailed information on how to pass the polgyraph (whether or not you're telling the truth), see The Lie Behind the Lie Detector (1 mb PDF).

[traditional1]

"If he is going to renege on parts of the bargain, fair enough. Let's take this to court"

Exactly! If he violates the terms, rescind the plea bargain, and let's go to trial.

For those who like to point to the the junk science of polygraphy, how about water-boarding him?

[George Maschke]

For those who like to point to the the junk science of polygraphy, how about water-boarding him?

Torture is un-American. Shame on you for suggesting it, even in jest.

[driftless2]

"polygraph"

If you like to watch real crime tv shows like I do, Cold Case Files for example, the detectives love to have the perps take lie-detector tests. It's not valid in court, but the detectives place a lot of stock in their worth as far as determining whether they've got the right perp or not. I've seen a lot of CCFs, and the lie-detector has been used quite a bit in those episodes in many states nationwide.

[traditional1]

Shame on me?

I forgot that political correctness forbids humor and sarcasm today....my bad.

Should we expect that those like Berger, who commit treasonous acts, to respond to touchy-feely and "can't we all just get along" futile dialog to get the answers, such as those who always want to use "diplomatic" and "dialogue" as the ways to approach terrorism?

[iopscusa]

IMO it is time to use one from the DRats' playbook, fabricate and widely disperse the reasons way it was necessary for the Burgler and his boss BJC to get the docs in or out of the Nat'l Archives. IOWs get to Bill's ego and paranoia, he may take the bait and start another rant against Fox/VRWC:
1) Flight 800, Ron Brown, Marcy Park, etc..coverup
2) bin Laden release
3) Chinese/alQueda Intel dump
4) DOJ/CIA/FBI failures in WTC case
5) Okla City bombing-coverup 6) HRC FBI files 7) etc., etc.

[musicman]

IMHO, I'd like to see them go with the Marcellus Wallace "method" on ol' Sandy.

Marcellus: "What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' n!gg*rs, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a d@mn sight. I'ma get medieval on your @ss."

Maybe THEN he'd talk.....

[AD from SpringBay]

Eighteeen teeny-timid Repulicans huh? Berger should be in prison right now and the investigation into who sent him should be wrapping up.