posted on June 2, 2005 05:23:26 PM new
Deep Throat and Genocide
By Ben Stein
Published 6/1/2005 12:22:42 AM
Re: The "news" that former FBI agent Mark Felt broke the law, broke his code of ethics, broke his oath and was the main source for Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's articles that helped depose Richard Nixon, a few thoughts.
Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POW's, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Administration. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?
Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.
That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton -- a lying, conniving peacemaker. That is Nixon's kharma.
When his enemies brought him down, and they had been laying for him since he proved that Alger Hiss was a traitor, since Alger Hiss was their fair-haired boy, this is what they bought for themselves in the Kharma Supermarket that is life:
1.) The defeat of the South Vietnamese government with decades of death and hardship for the people of Vietnam.
2.) The assumption of power in Cambodia by the bloodiest government of all time, the Khmer Rouge, who killed a third of their own people, often by making children beat their own parents to death. No one doubts RN would never have let this happen.
So, this is the great boast of the enemies of Richard Nixon, including Mark Felt: they made the conditions necessary for the Cambodian genocide. If there is such a thing as kharma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life of the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide. I hope they are happy now -- because their future looks pretty bleak to me.
A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby
posted on June 3, 2005 07:19:36 AM new
Deep Throat and Genocide By Ben Stein
Hey Bear, did you win any of Ben Stein's money?
He was great in Ferris Bueller's Day off....Bueller, Bueller, Bueller.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
----------------------------------
President George Bush: "Over time the truth will come out."
President George Bush: "Our people are going to find out the truth, and the truth will say that this intelligence was good intelligence. There's no doubt in my mind."
Bush was right. The truth did come out and the facts are he misled Congress and the American people about the reasons we should go to war in Iraq.
posted on June 3, 2005 08:34:02 AM new
Bear - given this articles theory that NIxon did nothing wrong but cover up the actions of his people then don't you find it just a tad bit disurbing that this was a president seems to not only have had absolutely knowledge of, or control over, the actions of the top level people in his adminstration and when finally made aware of the fact that these people had launched a three year initiative of fraud and deception, rather than being enraged, or even slightly perturbed for that matter, went out of his way to keep them on board and cover up their actions?
Have you ever read any of the transcripts of the tapes?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 3, 2005 03:37:40 PM new
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS.
Article 1: Obstruction of Justice.
In his conduct of the office of the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that: On June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his subordinates and agents in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede and obstruct investigations of such unlawful entry; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities. The means used to implement this course of conduct or plan have included one or more of the following:
(1) Making or causing to be made false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States.
(2) Withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States.
(3) Approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and counseling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and congressional proceedings.
(4) Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force and congressional committees.
(5) Approving, condoning, and acquiescing in, the surreptitious payments of substantial sums of money for the purpose of obtaining the silence or influencing the testimony of witnesses, potential witnesses or individuals who participated in such unlawful entry and other illegal activities.
(6) Endeavoring to misuse the Central Intelligence Agency, an agency of the United States.
(7) Disseminating information received from officers of the Department of Justice of the United States to subjects of investigations conducted by lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States for the purpose of aiding and assisting such subjects in their attempts to avoid criminal liability.
(8) Making false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation has been conducted with respect to allegation of misconduct on the part of personnel of the Executive Branch of the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such misconduct; or
(9) Endeavoring to cause prospective defendants, and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favored treatment and consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding individuals for their silence or false testimony.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved by a vote of 27-11 by the House Judiciary Committee on Saturday, July 27, 1974.)
Article 2: Abuse of Power.
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, imparting the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposes of these agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
(1) He has, acting personally and through his subordinated and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigation to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.
(2) He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic surveillance.
(3) He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived from campaign contributions to him, which unlawfully utilized the resources of the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair trial.
(4) He has failed to take care that the laws were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know that his close subordinates endeavored to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries by duly constituted executive; judicial and legislative entities concerning the unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as attorney general of the United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of the Committee to Re-elect the President.
(5) In disregard of the rule of law: he knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the executive branch: including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force of the Department of Justice, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws by faithfully executed.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved 28-10 by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, July 29, 1974.)
Article 3: Contempt of Congress.
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States, and to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, had failed without lawful cause or excuse, to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May 30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In refusing to produce these papers and things, Richard M. Nixon, substituting his judgement as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by Constitution in the House of Representatives.
In all this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.
(Approved 21-17 by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, July 30, 1974.)
posted on June 4, 2005 07:26:06 PM new
Thanks for posting the verbatim transcript of the articles of impeachment. He DID do some things VERY wrong, including attempting to subvert the constitution of the U.S.
posted on June 4, 2005 08:29:41 PM new
Linda - Lets not twist the story here. Nixon was not convicted of his crimes because Ford granted him a premptive pardon in order to help the country move on.
If he was as innocent of his crimes as you assert, why did he quit when faced with articles of impeachment?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 4, 2005 08:32 PM ]
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 4, 2005 08:34 PM ]
posted on June 4, 2005 08:37:00 PM new
This might shed some light on your question, "What did Nixon do Wrong?"
Articles of Impeachment:
RESOLVED, That Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment to be exhibited to the Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS.
Article 1: Obstruction of Justice.
In his conduct of the office of the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that: On June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his subordinates and agents in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede and obstruct investigations of such unlawful entry; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities. The means used to implement this course of conduct or plan have included one or more of the following:
(1) Making or causing to be made false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States.
(2) Withholding relevant and material evidence or information from lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States.
(3) Approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and counseling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and congressional proceedings.
(4) Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force and congressional committees.
(5) Approving, condoning, and acquiescing in, the surreptitious payments of substantial sums of money for the purpose of obtaining the silence or influencing the testimony of witnesses, potential witnesses or individuals who participated in such unlawful entry and other illegal activities.
(6) Endeavoring to misuse the Central Intelligence Agency, an agency of the United States.
(7) Disseminating information received from officers of the Department of Justice of the United States to subjects of investigations conducted by lawfully authorized investigative officers and employes of the United States for the purpose of aiding and assisting such subjects in their attempts to avoid criminal liability.
(8) Making false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation has been conducted with respect to allegation of misconduct on the part of personnel of the Executive Branch of the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such misconduct; or
(9) Endeavoring to cause prospective defendants, and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favored treatment and consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding individuals for their silence or false testimony.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved by a vote of 27-11 by the House Judiciary Committee on Saturday, July 27, 1974.)
Article 2: Abuse of Power.
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, imparting the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposes of these agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
(1) He has, acting personally and through his subordinated and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigation to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.
(2) He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic surveillance.
(3) He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived from campaign contributions to him, which unlawfully utilized the resources of the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair trial.
(4) He has failed to take care that the laws were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know that his close subordinates endeavored to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries by duly constituted executive; judicial and legislative entities concerning the unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as attorney general of the United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in into the office of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of the Committee to Re-elect the President.
(5) In disregard of the rule of law: he knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the executive branch: including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force of the Department of Justice, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws by faithfully executed.
In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
(Approved 28-10 by the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, July 29, 1974.)
Article 3: Contempt of Congress.
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, contrary to his oath faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States, and to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, had failed without lawful cause or excuse, to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, on April 11, 1974, May 15, 1974, May 30, 1974, and June 24, 1974, and willfully disobeyed such subpoenas. The subpoenaed papers and things were deemed necessary by the Committee in order to resolve by direct evidence fundamental, factual questions relating to Presidential direction, knowledge or approval of actions demonstrated by other evidence to be substantial grounds for impeachment of the President. In refusing to produce these papers and things, Richard M. Nixon, substituting his judgement as to what materials were necessary for the inquiry, interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, thereby assuming to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by Constitution in the House of Representatives.
In all this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial and removal from office.
(Approved 21-17 by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, July 30, 1974.)
Consequences:
On August 5, 1974, the long sought after audio tapes provided the "smoking gun" which revealed President Nixon had been deeply involved in the coverup and had ordered Haldeman to halt the FBI investigation just six days after the Watergate break-in. (Real Audio :06 "...call the FBI and say that we wish, for the country, don't go any further into this case, period..." -- Nixon to Haldeman, June 23, 1972.)
That revelation resulted in a complete collapse of support for Nixon in Congress. On Friday, August 9, Nixon resigned the presidency and avoided the likely prospect of losing the impeachment vote in the full House and a subsequent trial in the Senate. He thus became the only U.S. President ever to resign. Vice President Gerald R. Ford succeeded him and a month later granted Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he might have committed while President.
Richard Nixon had served a total of 2,026 days as the 37th President of the United States. He left office with 2 1/2 years of his second term remaining. A total of 25 officials from his administration, including four cabinet members, were eventually convicted and imprisoned for various crimes.
"...I think that the Watergate tragedy is the greatest tragedy this country has ever suffered. I used to think that the Civil War was our country's greatest tragedy, but I do remember that there were some redeeming features in the Civil War in that there was some spirit of sacrifice and heroism displayed on both sides. I see no redeeming features in Watergate." -- Senator Sam Ervin.
posted on June 4, 2005 08:51:52 PM new
So you are going to defend Nixon because tucked tail and ran? Interesting. So much for an expectation of honor or integrity.
After that there really is no need to say anything further. You haved stated all anyone needs to know.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 4, 2005 08:52 PM ]
posted on June 4, 2005 09:07:31 PM new
Exactly why I didn't want to discuss this with you in your thread or here, fenix.
The false accusations start...the false assumptions start....the putting of words into my mouth that not only have i NEVER said...but that I've said exactly the opposite of.
and now...so it goes with you.
Don't like that the actual FACTS don't go with your left-leaning book. Try reading the Library of Congress site to be informed...rather than all that left leaning crap.
posted on June 4, 2005 09:12:50 PM new
On July 30, 1974 The House Judiciary Committee voted 21-17 that Nixon warranted impeachment and trial and removal from office.
posted on June 4, 2005 09:25:37 PM new
Linda - either you are standing up for Nixon or you are not. Come on - take a stance. Either he commited the crimes or he didn't. Either he possesses honor and integrity or he doesn't. But don't play this little game where you claim he did not commit crimes because he quit the position that would have enabled the impeachment process and the Ford gave him a preemptive pardon before the outside legal process could begin.
That's like saying a murderer who never goes to trial didn't really kill anyone.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 4, 2005 09:27 PM ]
posted on June 4, 2005 09:52:01 PM new
Yes Libra - he knew exactly what they were doing as the tapes have clearly shown. (Referring to the entire body of corruption, not the break-in specifically) That's why he resigned when tapes were going to be released. There would be no room for denial.
And it was more than 3 people. That is what was so insidious about his White House. It was not a single crooked guy. It was a mini culture club of corruption.
If any democrat had pulled half of what Nixon and his crew pulled, you guys would be screaming for his head (as well they should be). Clinton gets accued and he becomes the republicans version of the King of Sodom and yet for the past week every conversetive pundit in town has been painting Nixon as a victim of the press and a bitter employee.
That's what I don't understand. This is a person that turned tail and ran rather than present his case to the people and destroyed faith in the office and yet he is being defended by people because they have a shared poltical ideology? I would think that if they really believe he was innocent, then republicans more than any other group would be absolutely furious that he ran rather than standing up and proclaiming his innocence. He did serious damage to the presidency and the party. Why are people defending him?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
- Ann Coulter
[ edited by fenix03 on Jun 4, 2005 09:53 PM ]
The break-in at Democratic headquarters took place without Nixon's knowledge or approval. The participants were former U.S. government agents who had conducted similar activities, both legal an illegal, under Democratic administrations.
Mistakenly or not, they understood their task to be related to protecting our national security.
Bill Clinton had sex with a White House intern barely older than his daughter in the Oval Office. According to Lewinsky, Clinton did not know her name until the third encounter, calling her "Kiddo." Solely for his own self-gratification,
Clinton recklessly endangered our national security. Clinton talked with Lewinsky on open telephone lines. Lewinsky told 11 individuals of the relationship.
Presidential Crimes.
Clinton personally committed felonies by lying under oath in a civil deposition and to a grand jury.
Nixon faced three Articles of Impeachment which held him responsible for the acts of subordinates of which he had no advance knowledge. The Articles do not accuse him of personally committing a felony.
Presidential Lying.
One Article of Impeachment against Nixon was that he lied to the American people. Nixon was never accused of lying under oath.
Clinton lied repeatedly to the American people. He was the first President in history to be accused of lying under oath.
Invasions of Privacy.
Nixon aides went to prison for viewing the contents of a handful of FBI files.
Clinton staffers pawed through hundreds. Evidence suggests that the First Lady may have initiated and/or orchestrated file invasions. Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon got caught leaking Linda Tripp's personnel file.
Misuse of the FBI and IRS.
I believe that abuses have been far more extensive under Clinton, from the White House ordering the FBI to put out a press release accusing the innocent Billy Dale of crimes, to the IRS audits of dozens of conservative organizations. (After NLPC successfully filed suit to open the meetings of Hillary's health care task force, our attorney Kent Brown was audited. For good measure, Brown, a Civil War scholar and author, was booted off a Gettysburg advisory committee.)
Assertions of Privilege.
Nixon's assertion of Executive Privilege led to charges of an "Imperial Presidency,"
but Clinton trumps Nixon on this one. First, Clinton asserted an attorney-client privilege to prevent government lawyers from handing over notes made in meetings with Hillary. Then Clinton fought for two years all the way to the Supreme Court (where he lost 9-0) to claim he was immune from the Paula Jones civil lawsuit. At one point, Clinton's lawyers even claimed that as Commander-in-Chief, Clinton was on "active military duty" and could not be sued. Clinton even sought to invent a new "protective privilege" to prevent Secret Service agents from talking to Ken Starr.
Impact on the Country.
Richard Nixon's forced resignation weakened the nation while it was at war in Vietnam. The 1974 elections resulted in a Congress that cut off aid to South Vietnam, unleashing a Communist bloodbath in Southeast Asia that claimed millions of lives.
While 1974 Impeachment Articles do not accuse Nixon of any specific crime, they do accuse him of violating his oath of office. They make a general case that Nixon brought disrepute to his office and that he was morally unfit to serve.
By this standard, Clinton fares a lot worse.
--
Nixon-haters cite the fact that the Judiciary Committee in 1974 dropped a count of income tax fraud against Nixon as evidence that crimes of a "personal" nature by the President are not grounds for Impeachment. The charge resulted from a simple question of interpretation as to the deductibility of donating his personal papers to the government. The "tax fraud" allegation was so unfair and far-fetched that even the partisan Judiciary Democrats dropped it.
In the end, we are told that Clinton's felonies are excusable because he only "lied about sex."
Of course, the lies were in response to a sexual harassment lawsuit. If it is all right to lie about sex in a sexual harassment case, I don't think laws against sexual harassment mean much.
I don't hear much angst about that from the Washington Post.
---
Peter Flaherty is president of the National Legal and Policy Center, a nonpartisan foundation promoting ethics in public life.
posted on June 4, 2005 10:05:59 PM new
Libra - Nixon was NOT involved in the breakin of DNC headquarters...NOR did he know his agents were planning on doing so.
But when he found out...what they had done...he did try to 'cover' for them. And that's what the tapes speak to...his discovery of what they'd done...and then planning how it could be covered up.
What was being covered up...was the EXACT same thing that the whistleblower, DT had also done. Many FBI agents had done the same thing...legally and illegally under different presidents - they just never got caught.
posted on June 4, 2005 10:19:10 PM new
He did however know of and encourage having the FBI destroy documents to aid in the cover up of the Watergate breakin among other events. He did know of illegally received funds that were then used to pay for illegal wire taps (such as the ones being replaced at the Watergate) and to pay individuals for such high brow activities as posing as democratic demonstrators and comitting acts of violence in order to cast negative light on the democratic party. He did know of he illegal use of government funds and agencies in illegal surveilace operations. He did know of the political smear campaigns launched against his openents such as the Cannuck Letter. He did know of the illegal wire tapping of a psychiatrists office in order to gain access to his sessions with a a foe..... etc etc etc.
Come on Linda - take the stance.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on June 5, 2005 04:39:51 PM new
Linda, I believe you'll find that Bill Clinton did not "lose his law license". He was barred from practicing before the Supreme Court. Not a small thing, to be sure, but lots of attorneys never even apply to practice before the SC, and of those who do apply, most never see the inside of the court. It does not in any way prevent them from practicing law.
Refresh my memory, what crimes was he convicted of? If you're referring to the disbarrment, the court gave no reason for it's action. It was not a conviction at all.
____________________________________________
Dick Cheney: "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11..."
posted on June 5, 2005 05:07:00 PM new
profe - okay...check on 'answer.com' and this is what it said:
On Jan. 19, 2001, the day before he left office, President Clinton agreed to admit to giving false testimony in the Jones case and to accept a five-year suspension of his law license and a $25,000[b] fine in return for an agreement by the independent counsel, Robert W. Ray (Starr's successor), to end the investigation [b]and not prosecute him.
So...in order to NOT face prosecution....[kind of like Nixon resigning] clinton paid two fines and gave up his law license for 5 years.
He got off easy.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on June 5, 2005 05:19:39 PM new
And in addition....clinton was ordered to pay....
Clinton to contest $495,500 reimbursement request from Jones lawyers
May 7, 1999
Web posted at: 6:41 p.m. EDT (2241 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 7) --
President Bill Clinton will contest a nearly $500,000 reimbursement request filed by Paula Jones' legal team Friday as part of the president's contempt of court penalty.
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright held the president in contempt, ruling that Clinton intentionally gave false testimony during his deposition in Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit. The judge ordered him to repay Jones' lawyers any "reasonable expenses" they incurred as a result of the misleading deposition.
CNN has learned that Jones' Dallas-based attorneys Friday submitted expenses of $437,000 dollars while an additional $58,500 in expenses was submitted by the Rutherford Institute, a conservative group that paid some of Jones' legal bills.
Defending the total to the court, Jones' team wrote: The president "must be sanctioned not only to redress his contemptuous misconduct but also to deter other litigants who might ... harbor the impression that a party to a federal lawsuit may willfully disregard" court orders.
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they may have settle for less...don't remember...not willing to find it.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on June 5, 2005 05:32:38 PM newClinton ordered to pay more than $90,000 for contempt in Jones case
July 29, 1999
Web posted at: 2:00 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 29) --
A federal judge has ordered President Bill Clinton to pay $90,686 for giving false testimony in the civil sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him by Paula Jones.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright's office issued the fine Thursday. She had held the president in contempt of court in April, ruling that Clinton intentionally gave false testimony during his deposition in Jones' suit.
Clinton did not elect to fight the ruling, agreeing instead to pay the court $1,202 for expenses associated with a deposition and for "reasonable costs incurred by plaintiffs" as a result of his actions.
The firm of Radar, Campbell, Fisher and Pike, which represented Jones, asked for $437,825. In addition, John W. Whitehead and the Rutherford Institute, a conservative group that paid some of Jones' legal bills, asked for $58,533.03. Clinton's attorney, Bob Bennett, objected saying the amounts were excessive.
Wright ruled that in addition to the $1,202 paid to the court, Clinton will pay $79,999 to Radar, Campbell, Fisher and Pike. He was also ordered to pay $9,484.93 to Whitehead and the Rutherford Institute. In her order, Wright said Jones' lawyers' claims were "excessive and must be reduced." Clinton's lawyers had argued that he should pay them no more than $33,737.
"Sanctions are being imposed, not only to deter others who might consider emulating the president's misconduct, but to compensate the plaintiff by requiring that the president pay her any reasonable fees and expenses caused by his willful failure to obey this court's discovery orders," Wright wrote in her order.
The payments are in addition to the $850,000 Clinton paid to Jones earlier this year to settle her lawsuit, which alleged he made an unwanted sexual advance to her at a Little Rock hotel in 1991. At the time, Clinton was Arkansas' governor and Jones was a state employee.
Wright ruled April 12 that Clinton gave "false, misleading and evasive answers" in the January 1998 deposition in which he denied having sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky.
***She also referred the matter to the Arkansas Supreme Court's Professional Conduct Committee, which could revoke Clinton's law license or impose other sanctions.***
Clinton was en route to the Balkans for a summit at the time the judgment was released, the White House had no immediate official comment. However, White House sources said they were not surprised by the ruling and would pay the fine from Clinton's legal defense fund.
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CNN's Bob Franken and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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That PLUS all his own attorney fees...in the millions. Hope he enjoyed himself...and it was all worth it.
It is now his legacy.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on June 5, 2005 06:02:13 PM new
linduh's "reasoning".....Clinton was naughty, too, so what Nixon did was just fine
She hasn't noticed that the entire world knows Nixon was a baaaad boy......
I think what she's most upset about is that Clinton remains popular all over the world and ..well, Nixon didn't
[ edited by crowfarm on Jun 5, 2005 07:23 PM ]
