Sandy "Burglar" story remains surreal

Rocky Mountain News ^ | December 22, 2006

[AmericanMade1776]

The newly disclosed inspector general's report on the theft of documents from the National Archives fails to answer one key question: What on Earth was Sandy Berger thinking? Berger was President Bill Clinton's national security adviser and his liaison with the 9/11 commission, and in that capacity Berger spent several days at the National Archives in 2003 reviewing reports on how the Clinton White House responded to the millennium terrorist threats. For whatever reason, he sneaked five of the highly classified documents out of the Archives, very much a security no-no. At one point, he left the Archives and stashed the pilfered documents under a construction trailer at the corner of Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Berger got caught when the Archives staff became suspicious and quietly numbered the documents he received.

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of unauthorized removal of classified documents, paid a $50,000 fine and gave up his security clearance for three years. That's a wrist-slap, at worst. But with the release of this report he does suffer another punishment - ridicule.

[panthermom]

It is a slap in all of our faces. Everyone but the Washington Elite is held to a higher standard. It's not a country of we the people anymore. We have become the peons, the worker ants. If you are involved in politics, crime does pay. Like I said the corruption is unbelievable, and the arrogance in regard to it is enraging. It's almost like I feel as though they laugh at us. STEALING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS!!!!!! Documents that pertained to the worst act of war on our own soil, on national television, broadcast live! How in the world do these people sleep at night? Our country is governed by sociopaths. OMG, 50 grand and community service. You or I would be in federal prison for life!

[cicero's_son]

Bingo.

The dirty little secret: this Administration's failure to aggressively prosecute Berger may be George W. Bush's true "impeachable offense."

[JayAr36]

This story is indicative of the philosophy of Washington,DC (should be Washington, CYA). The cesspool of Washington breeds the kind of people that feel they can do anything because they are above, "average", people. The self-styled aristocrats know that most people in this country are too busy idolizing the celebs to pay any attention to the goings on of that cesspool.

[regularperson]

That was a hilarious movie. Especially the part where they told each other the lyrics they made up for "Hail to the Chief".

I still think of them when I hear that song.

[Texas Songwriter]

Holdovers from the CLinton administration are largely running Justice.

[Texas Songwriter]

"Hail to the Chief" or "American Presidents"

[stylin19a]

The documents Berger stole were different drafts of the final report.(Millennium plot after action report).

They all had handwritten margin notes on the paper which makes them all unique, not only unique but valuable since it shows the mindset of those who wrote the notes, plus what they knew and when they knew it.

Of course, x42i wrote in the margins.

nuff said.

[Old North State]

I think that President Bush could make up some of the lost ground from the November election by taking this revelation and running with it. He doesn't need control of congress to reopen this incident as a national security issue. He has taken all the damage he can take from bungling the 9/11 commission process and this would shine the light squarely on the democrats "Soft on terrorism" attitude before they start politicizing terrorist surveillance methods. It might also hurt PIAPS which is always good.