Skip to comments.
Blizzard of Lies
New York Times ^
| 01/08/1996
| William Safire
Posted on 03/24/2008 6:04:10 PM PDT by krb
Commentary: Blizzard of Lies
By William Safire
© 1996 N.Y. Times News Service
01.08.96
Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our first lady - a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation - is a congenital liar. Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.
- Remember the story she told about studying The Wall Street Journal to explain her 10,000 percent profit in 1979 commodity trading? We now know that was a lie told to turn aside accusations that as the governor's wife she profited corruptly, her account being run by a lawyer for state poultry interests through a disreputable broker. She lied for good reason: To admit otherwise would be to confess taking, and paying taxes on, what some think amounted to a $100,000 bribe.
- The abuse of presidential power known as Travelgate elicited another series of lies. She induced a White House lawyer to assert flatly to investigators that Mrs. Clinton did not order the firing of White House travel aides, who were then harassed by the FBI and Justice Department to justify patronage replacement by Mrs. Clinton's cronies. Now we know, from a memo long concealed from investigators, that there would be ''hell to pay'' if the furious first lady's desires were scorned. The career of the lawyer who transmitted Hillary's lie to authorities is now in jeopardy. Again, she lied with good reason: to avoid being identified as a vindictive political power player who used the FBI to ruin the lives of people standing in the way of juicy patronage.
- In the aftermath of the apparent suicide of her former partner and closest confidant, White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster, she ordered the overturn of an agreement to allow the Justice Department to examine the files in the dead man's office. Her closest friends and aides, under oath, have been blatantly disremembering this likely obstruction of justice, and may have to pay for supporting Hillary's lie with jail terms.
Again, the lying was not irrational.
Investigators believe that damning records from the Rose Law Firm, wrongfully kept in Vincent Foster's White House office, were spirited out in the dead of night and hidden from the law for two years - in Hillary's closet, in Web Hubbell's basement before his felony conviction, in the president's secretary's personal files - before some were forced out last week.
Why the White House concealment?
For good reason: The records show Hillary Clinton was lying when she denied actively representing a criminal enterprise known as the Madison S&L, and indicate she may have conspired with Web Hubbell's father-in-law to make a sham land deal that cost taxpayers $3 million.
Why the belated release of some of the incriminating evidence? Not because it mysteriously turned up in offices previously searched. Certainly not because Hillary Clinton and her new hang-tough White House counsel want to respond fully to lawful subpoenas.
One reason for the Friday-night dribble of evidence from the White House is the discovery by the FBI of copies of some of those records elsewhere.
When Clinton witnesses are asked about specific items in ''lost'' records - which investigators have - the White House ''finds'' its copy and releases it. By concealing the Madison billing records two days beyond the statute of limitations, Hillary evaded a civil suit by bamboozled bank regulators.
Another reason for recent revelations is the imminent turning of former aides and partners of Hillary against her; they were willing to cover her lying when it advanced their careers, but are inclined to listen to their own lawyers when faced with perjury indictments. Therefore, ask not ''Why didn't she just come clean at the beginning?''
She had good reasons to lie; she is in the longtime habit of lying; and she has never been called to account for lying herself or in suborning lying in her aides and friends. No wonder the president is fearful of holding a prime-time press conference.
Having been separately deposed by the independent counsel at least twice, the president and first lady would be well advised to retain separate defense counsel.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apology; hillary; lies; safire
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-30 next last
With the MSM appearing finally to see that Hillary just makes stuff up, I thought I'd dig up this old column from Bill Safire from 12 years ago. If I recall correctly, this column got Slick all worked up and he had one of his minions threaten the writer.
Safire hits the nail on the head. It's too bad that it takes the MSM finding another Democrat they like better in order to start seeing The Beast for what she really is.
I think Democrats everywhere, especially Obama (peace be upon him) supporters, should join in and express their apologies to Safire on this thread.
1
posted on
03/24/2008 6:04:11 PM PDT
by
krb
To: krb
2
posted on
03/24/2008 6:06:42 PM PDT
by
krb
(If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
To: krb
“Obama (peace be upon him)” lol
3
posted on
03/24/2008 6:11:12 PM PDT
by
Rennes Templar
( Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts.)
To: krb
Liar liar pantsuit on fire............
4
posted on
03/24/2008 6:19:10 PM PDT
by
yldstrk
(My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
To: yldstrk
5
posted on
03/24/2008 6:20:19 PM PDT
by
krb
(If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
To: krb
By concealing the Madison billing records two days beyond the statute of limitations, Hillary evaded a civil suit by bamboozled bank regulators.
Whoa! Sounds much like fradulent concealment, to me. In CA State court, that won't fly. In CA, one cannot toll the statutes while also "fradulently concealing".
To do otherwise, all anyone would have to do is play "keep away", long enough.
How long is it going to take before somebody finally nails this lying &^$%# against the wall, preferably a wall UNDER the jail?
6
posted on
03/24/2008 6:20:43 PM PDT
by
BlueDragon
(heres the thing; do recognize the bell of truth when you here it ring, c'mon and sing it children)
To: yldstrk
Liar liar pantsuit on fire............That would be a very LARGE fire.
7
posted on
03/24/2008 6:21:36 PM PDT
by
mountn man
(The pleasure you get from life, is equal to the attitude you put into it.)
To: krb
Obama (peace be upon him) Oh that is great!!!!! That should be a tag line!
8
posted on
03/24/2008 6:25:23 PM PDT
by
ladyinred
To: krb
Bill Safire was the NY Times’s house conservative. He only went after the clintons maybe once a year. The rest of the time he tended to change the subject, or write about grammar, so as not to offend anyone too much.
This column was his most memorable. For once, he really let himself go.
Especially that opening bit about hillary being a “congenital liar.”
9
posted on
03/24/2008 6:26:34 PM PDT
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: Cicero
Yep. This column came out right as I was starting to pay attention to politics. I think Bill did a fantastic job with this one; it’s too bad it’s the only one that will be long remembered. He was a fantastic writer.
10
posted on
03/24/2008 6:30:47 PM PDT
by
krb
(If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
To: krb
Thanks, krb. Good reminder of what the Clintons are like.
11
posted on
03/24/2008 6:38:17 PM PDT
by
Tax-chick
("Everything is either willed or permitted by God, and nothing can hurt me." Bl. Charles de Foucauld)
To: krb
Can’t believe that this was written 12 years ago. It sounds as if it she will never change ( is getting worse) and is dangerous. Time for a reprint.
To: krb
.....geez, I’ve been calling her a liar for years and all I’ve ever caught is hell from my liberal/journalist friends.
Now they think I’m on to something?
13
posted on
03/24/2008 6:39:00 PM PDT
by
Tzimisce
(How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President!)
To: krb
Haha. This is beautiful.
Cannibalism CAN be fun after all!
14
posted on
03/24/2008 6:40:46 PM PDT
by
TheZMan
(What is happening to Texas.)
To: krb
Stop! stop, writing nasty right-wing crap about me:-()
15
posted on
03/24/2008 6:41:51 PM PDT
by
geo40xyz
((McCain, Obama or Hillarybeast possibility of 4 Supreme Court Justices, Gore @UN. The WINNER is?))
To: krb
An oldie but a goodie.
It's so wonderfully amusing to peek over at DU every now and then and read the numbed idiots waking up to the truth that Conservatives have been screaming from the rooftops for the better part of two decades.
In fact, I think I'll make a corkscrew landing into that thread again today. Don't worry, though. I'll be careful to avoid sniper fire.
16
posted on
03/24/2008 6:43:17 PM PDT
by
Ronin
(Bushed out!!! Another tragic victim of BDS.)
To: geo40xyz
ALL of you will pay!
17
posted on
03/24/2008 6:43:35 PM PDT
by
geo40xyz
((McCain, Obama or Hillarybeast possibility of 4 Supreme Court Justices, Gore @UN. The WINNER is?))
To: Irish Eyes
18
posted on
03/24/2008 6:48:00 PM PDT
by
krb
(If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
To: Ronin
When you get back, you’re going to get the Shawshank de-lousing treatment. Nothing personal.
19
posted on
03/24/2008 6:49:17 PM PDT
by
krb
(If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
To: krb
Borat Obama = Liar...
Hillary Clinton = Liar...
John McQueeq = Liar..
The Lying trifecta.. The only way for America to win is if none of them are elected..
20
posted on
03/24/2008 7:15:44 PM PDT
by
hosepipe
(CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-30 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson