Sandy Berger Speaks

Power Line ^ | 3/16/07 | John Hinderaker

[conservative in nyc]

Sandy Berger sent an email to Michael Barone, responding to Michael's column in U.S. News. As we have written extensively on the Berger affair and have been harshly critical of Berger, it seems only fair to reproduce Berger's email in full, as it constitutes his response to his critics. Here it is:

Michael: I screwed up. There was nothing sinister about it. I was under serious pressure to digest the entire Clinton record on terrorism for eight years so that we could testify fully to the 9-11 commission. I spent several arduous days at the Archives looking through the files. This document was interesting to me because I had commissioned it in 2000–a look at what we learned from the millennium terror threats that were avoided. Tired, stressed, I made a very stupid decision–to take the documents home with me so that I could review them in more detail and so that I could compare the apparent differences among versions. Since this document had been widely circulated to all the relevant agencies (State, Defense, CIA, Justice, etc.), I felt certain the commission would get it from one or more of these agencies.

There were no handwritten markings on the documents (which were copies) or anything else unusual. I took no other documents–originals or copies–besides the ones specified in my plea agreement.

The DOJ has stated unequivocally that there is no evidence that I took other documents and that the commission received everything.

That's the long and short of it. I made a very stupid mistake. I deeply regret it. Top-level career Justice Department prosecutors investigated it aggressively for two years. We reached a plea agreement that they believed was fair. That was two years ago. Now I wish this thing would go away.

Best, Sandy

I don't buy it. Berger didn't make an impulsive decision--"tired, stressed"--to smuggle documents out of the National Archives. He stole documents on multiple occasions. On one occasion, he sneaked them out of the archives, went to a nearby construction site and hid the documents under a construction trailer, so he could come back later and pick them up. I simply don't believe that Berger engaged in this kind of cloak and dagger behavior just because he found the documents "interesting" and wanted to study them at home.

Most of all, I don't see how Berger's explanation can be reconciled with his own admission that he didn't just take the documents home; he cut some of them to pieces with a pair of scissors. Why did he destroy the documents if he wasn't trying to prevent them from coming to light?

Nor am I impressed by Berger's claim that the Department of Justice "has stated unequivocally that there is no evidence that I took other documents and that the commission received everything." There is no evidence as to what documents Berger took because the Archives staff let him walk off with them and didn't try to monitor what he was doing until it was too late. That being the case, the only evidence as to what documents were taken is Berger's own confession.

[sanjacjake]

Why go away? We need these to counter the Libs constant
ratting of our guys...How about Cold Cash Jeffferson of
Louisiana??....we have to pound these people or They will
pound us..look at Schumer, has his ugly puss out there
on every little thing...they are out to murder the
Repubs any and which way they can.. JK

[FOXFANVOX]

Thanks for the ping, Save.

I was so disappointed yesterday, when the Waxman lynch mob asked if anyone had ever gotten off easier than the WH "leakers" @ Plame, that no one mentioned Sandy Berger's grossly inadequate penalty for his gross violation of security.

The Republicans got out maneuvered in their effort to make the Barret Report public. The DoJ gave Sandy Berger a virtual pass. William Jefferson's exposure for hiding $90,000 in ill gotten money in his freezer was defended by Haestert. The Republican party seems to have lost their way. Talk about the gang who couldn't shoot straight!

The Democrats commit serious felonies and receive little or no penalty. The Republicans, conversely, face serious penalties and much publicity for a crime that never was [Plame]. Now, we must undergo the one sided charges of corruption from the likes of Henry Waxman who never saw an anti-Bush allegation which he couldn't embrace.

I hope that someone runs for President that will insist on the same standards for both sides and who is not part of the political fraternity that exists in Washington and that appears more concerned with incumbency than doing the right thing!

Never did I expect to see a responsible Republican cooperate with Teddy Kennedy on anything. We now have a current President and a Presidential hopeful that have cosponsored legislation with a man who has shamed his family's name.

And I don't cut very much slack for Newt either. He has worked with Hillary to broaden his political base for a possible run. It is time to run the political hacks out of office and replace them with volunteer statesmen, who do not run to have a career, but run to make this a better country.

BTW, "Happy St. Patrick's Day" from the O'FOX family.

[conservative in nyc]

You know what I would have the GOP demand a congressional inquiry into the matter the email is very implicating in tht he continues to lie about the length at which was willing to go to steal the documents.

The Republicans can demand all the Congressional hearings they want, but that's not going to happen - the Democrat majority won't let them have them. Elections have consequences.

[savedbygrace]

Berger is a proven liar. Whatever he says is of zero value.

[saveliberty]

Happy St. Patty's Day, FoxfanVox!

From the savemcliberty family.

[saveliberty]

The problem with the old ways in dealing with the Clintons is that they inoculated themselves against legal scrutiny.

The benefit to taking a less aggressive stance by allowing outrage to bubble over includes:

a) the peevish tone that Sandy Berger wants to make this stop
b) the demonstration that Hillary Clinton is a narcissistic control freak
c) the increased commentary that Berger still hasn't complied with his sentence
d) genuine alienation by potential Hillary voters.


Here's the deal. The liberal establishment went nuts in 1968 and went even crazier every year thereafter. After Clinton's presidency, no conservative or Rep can speak ill of a Clinton without the tarnish of the VRWC. It backfired. In spades. (BTW, I just finished the first book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and this is exactly like the Muslim tribes)

By shutting up, the unthinkable happens. Democrats and liberals do the job that really needs to get done and they criticize them.

Why else would Sandy Berger have written an email to the ever fair Michael Barone to try to make this go away?

[saveliberty]

BTW Regarding cooperation with Senator Ted, clearly you forget Senator Orrin Hatch, who does call him a friend. Senator Hatch, who as I recall, was relentless in his shots to limit the antics in the Judiciary Committee for Justices Roberts and Alito.

If you read Michael Barone's original article on Berger, which is available here
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070311/19barone.htm

you could also ask how a nice guy like Barone could know and like Berger for 30 years. Barone thinks that Berger couldn't have done it except at a command of Clinton. That is the core of the reason why it's so credible that Clintons forced him to write the email.

One more thing, it hurts Kennedy more than Bush for him to call him a good friend.

And as David Brooks says, say what you will about W, but when he believes something is the right thing to do, he is unmoved by polls.

http://www.startribune.com/562/story/1060366.html

It's understandable that it wasn't known that he believes that immigration law today is bad law and that he believes that it's wrong to get in the way of someone trying to do what's necessary to take care of his family.

[Eroteme]

Mr. Berger in your position as NSA did you realize that stealing classified documents from the Archives is punishable by prison time". Yes, so therefore the risk of having them seen outweighed the consequence.

Exactly so. Therein lies the essence of the matter. Nothing proferred by prosecution or defense adequately explains this big fat elephant in the room. I have always maintained that whatever it was that Berger took, it was more than embarrassing, it was radioactive.

I have never bought the characterization of the materials as being solely about the Milennium after-action report. Berger's serial thefts were premeditated, calculated against a risk/benefit ratio. It is illogical to imagine that Berger would have risked so much just to prevent some unflattering stuff about his boss to surface, especially since the purported subject matter was already known. I believe the materials Berger stole included something much, much more damaging--about something that hadn't been known. The millenium after-action reports memos, imho, were cover for what he really went in there for.

[KC_Conspirator]

I live in a world turned upside down. Sandy Berger steals top secret documents and gets no punishment for a crime that normally carries up to a 5 year sentence. A democrat congressman is caught with 90k in bribes and is STILL in office. Meanwhile Republicans are brought up on fraudulent charges of this and that and even get punishment for committing no crimes.

[tomnbeverly]

Ha this is only the begining. The left has hypnotized mainstream America. Talk about being swiftboated. The GOP has sat silently as it has been drug through the political mud. The media are squarely in the liberal camp. Media is the mass hypnosis machine that the liberals are using. Wait until the liberals really start doing bad stuff.

[Seadog Bytes]

RE: "Sandy Berger Speaks"

...Did you ever notice how those unsung heros of the byways, America's highway workers, always seem to put up those useful signs to let us know right where we are...?

Related:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1799485/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797735/posts

[potlatch]

Lol, and at the next intersection they see this;

[Lady Jag]

Is he still swearing?

[devolve]

Nice post potlatch!

The Dancing Burglar

[Nam Vet]

This traitor to everything that is the U.S.of A. should have already started his 30 years in Club Leavenworth or equal. Stealing National Archives and still breathing free air? There's something terribly wrong with this picture. Probably a leaftover Bubba appointee or sympathiser as what we laughingly refer to as a prosecutor.

Nam Vet

[Freee-dame]

Whenever you see the "there is no evidence that" phrase, it means "I'm lying, but you can't prove it".

I have thought this for a long time. The legal definition of evidence requires the acceptance of a document, etc. in to a court of law. You said it so well.

[potlatch]

Thank you!

[devolve]

Burgular is squealing

The net must be closing fast on Hillary and Slick Willie

[PhilDragoo]

[SunkenCiv]

I took no other documents–originals or copies–besides the ones specified in my plea agreement.

Oh, okay then. Maybe Sandy can take on a golf buddy, perhaps OJ Simpson.