Posted on 12/21/2005 7:38:50 AM PST by Carl/NewsMax
The press is breathlessly reporting that U.S. District Judge James Robertson has resigned from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court - "apparently" in a fit of conscience over news that President Bush was using the National Security Agency to monitor the telephone conversations of terrorists.
If the reports are correct, Judge Robertson's conscience has evolved considerably since the days when he was dismissing one criminal case after another against cronies of Bill Clinton - the man who appointed him to the bench in 1994.
Old Arkansas media hand Paul Greenberg has long had Robertson's number. In a 1999 column for Jewish World Review, Greenberg described the honorable judge as "one of the more prejudiced Clintonoids on the bench."
As Accuracy in Media noted in 2000, Judge Roberston's conscience wasn't particularly troubled by the crimes committed by one-time Clinton Deputy Attorney General Webb Hubbell.
In two cases involving Hubbell, AIM reported, "Judge James Robertson threw out a tax charge and another for lying to federal investigators. Appellate courts overruled in both cases, and Hubbell then plead guilty to felonies in each case."
Judge Robertson's conscience also seemed to go AWOL when it came to the case of Archie Schaffer, an executive with Tyson Chicken - the company that had showered Mr. Clinton with campaign contributions and helped steer Mrs. Clinton to her commodities market killing.
Critics said Judge Robertson was merely returning the favor on behalf of the man who appointed him, when - as CNN reported in 1998, he "threw out the jury conviction of Tyson Foods executive Archie Schaffer for providing gifts to former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy."
Robertson had "granted a motion by Schaffer to overturn the verdict which found him guilty of giving Espy tickets to President Bill Clinton's first inaugural dinner and gifts at a birthday party for the firm's chief executive, Don Tyson."
In the context of his past performance on the bench, Judge Robertson's media fans will surely understand why some of us aren't buying their claims that he stormed off the FISA court in a fit of outrage over perceived law breaking.
Well maybe the "Barrett" report will see the light of day, despite the liberals attempt to cover it up....
Keep up the good work Carl!
Golly gee...I'm going to miss this fool like a broken leg!! I sure hope he resigns from the judiciary completely, and takes his other 8 Clinton croonies that sit on this court with him. That would be wonderful news to read!
Bush has to realize that the Rats are out for blood, and you don't take care of a rat problem by talking sweet to them.
We don't know if any of those with contacts to Al Qaeda, developed through the surveillance of foreign targets, are U.S. Citizens, no one has actually said that any were, AFAIK. I doubt if any of the critics actually know one way or the other.
I'm sure it's possible, although my bet is still on one of the Dim CongressCritters who were briefed in accordance with the law.
I'm glad he's gone though.
No but .22 WMR or .17 WMR work well. Maybe not as well as a some cats, but a lot more fun.
Stripping away the Clinton legacy...
Harumph!
I didn't have to read any further than "appointed by Clinton" in this mornings papers to relegate the news of his resignation to the ash heap of non-relevant news.
Maybe he is a leaker?
They do not need a warrant to intercept transmissions to or from U.S. citizens with overseas entities. They do not need a warrant when they turn that information over to the FBI.
The courts have upheld this for a long time. Willful ignorance of the facts of case law, regarding the gathering of intelligence, by the Democrats, does not make a violation by the President.
Could he be a leaker?
"WOW, another Bush hating judge resigning, good news."
I wish, but he only resigned from the FISA court, not from the federal bench. That helps but it's not as good as death.
Good Riddance, I'd like to apply for that job.
See Dick run. Run, Dick, run!
Oh Boy....W now can select a patriot to fill this position.
Looks like he was the last Clinton appointee, am I wrong?
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