Blogged by Brad from St. Louis…
Golly, there sure are a lot of Right Wingers out there using Bill Clinton’s pardons as reason to say that it’s okay that Bush has commuted four felony convictions of the lying covert CIA-operative outer Scooter Libby.
“Clinton did the same thing when he pardoned Marc Rich and so many others,” proclaim the Neo-Apologists.
“Where were you when Clinton committed perjury?” they ask (failing to note that he was never actually convicted of a crime, and, in either case, was said to have lied about a sexual matter in a civil case, versus a matter of national security in a criminal case).
In either case, we wonder when one of our brave media anchors will ask the obvious follow-up to one of these clowns. Namely, “Does this mean you now support Bill Clinton’s use of pardons? Do you now believe that it was okay for Clinton to lie during a deposition?”
Seems to us they can’t have it both ways. If it was wrong for Clinton to lie during a civil suit investigation, and wrong for him to let convicted criminals off the hook with pardons, then it is wrong for Libby to lie (to a grand jury) during an criminal investigation and for Bush to let him off the hook for it.
The Scooter Libby Wingnut Talking Points, however, don’t seem to go that many levels deep. Perhaps that’s because the Neo-Apologists know that a well thought-out response to the Libby Debacle is not really necessary, seeing as how nobody on the teevee will likely ever bother to ask them such a seemingly obvious follow-up question to their lock-step, sound-bite-crafted response to Bush’s commutation.
The 4th Estate fails again.
Bill Clinton underwent impeachment for his troubles. He did in fact submit to the rule of law at least to the same extent Libby has suffered—deprived of his livelihood as a lawyer, stigma of being a philanderer and liar, public humiliation—the very same things Libby gets credit for having endured in his commutation. Libby has supporters pay his fines. Clinton has supporters too.
Pardon Marc Rich? Didn’t I hear the Neo-cons saying it was perfectly legal for Bush to do the same(nyah-nyah-nya-nyaaa-nyaaaaah)when the time comes?
Ford pardons. Bush Pardons. Clinton Pardons. Bush 2 half-ass pardons while keeping the other “ass” at-the-ready.
Perjury is perjury. Lying is lying. Obstruction is obstruction. Case-by-case.
It appears to me Libby’s silence was purchased and a large downpayment was made. The other part is being witheld.
By the way, The Next Hurrah has an interesting article today. It appears Team Libby is preparing to protest his PROBATION too.
Impeachment is not a precise tool for addressing grievances. It has a lower standard of evidence. It has open deliberations and open disclosure of the evidence. It is sunlight. It is disinfectant. It is favored for Cheney by the majority and Bush is at 45% himself.
It’s time.
Brad, I know that you are incredibly busy while attempting to one day begin a so-called “vacation.” So I’m not chiding you for not reading what I’ve said about all this on Cannonfire.
As I point out there, the real irony in all this is that Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, in large part, due to the arguments offered by Rich’s lawyer…
…a fella whose name ought to be very familiar: Scooter Libby.
Much more on my site. http://cannonfire.blogspot.com
The neoCon fantasy or delusion, taken to its zenith, is “Bill Clinton robbed a bank so it is ok for [insert a neoCon name here] to rob a bank”.
Mindless neoCon banter. That is the bottom line.
What is next … generals spouting out propaganda about Libby? They are preznit blush’s mouthpiece:
(Huffpo, emphasis added).
How about, USA Today runs a story, “Carter breaking tradition by bashing Bush”, but when the White House bashes Clinton, there are not CMSM stories: “White House continually breaking tradition of bashing former presidents.”
Remember the “big deal” the CMSM made about Carter bashing Bush? “Breaking Tradition” was the CMSM talking points handed out by those whose names we don’t know, setting the news briefs “talking points”.
Carter bashing Bush = “Breaking Tradition”
Bush/White House/Tony Snow bashing Clinton and invoking Clinton’s name = “that’s ‘OK'” or “NOT breaking tradition”.
Did you EVER see a sitting president or his cronies like Tony Snow, continually bashing a former president like they do to Clinton?
Another oddity, is that when Clinton bashes Bush, there are no stories in the CMSM, “Breaking Tradition”. ONLY WHEN CARTER DOES IT! Why is that? Anyone know? “Breaking tradition” talking points only apply specifically to when CARTER SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT BUSH!!! And no other instances!
Do they think we’re all idiots?
Shit yes, america just keeps getting better and better. Can you imagine how green with envy the rest of the world must be?
I must be an odd fella to them, because when I look over the american landscape and focus on what it has become, I have to resist puking.
Do you REALLY want to understand the reasons the reporting of such things (and many others) are so inconsistent? I did… being vision impaired reading long dull books on it I couldn’t do…. Then along came online videos… Here is a very worth while video – this is a NEED to KNOW time. The upcoming elections makes it even more important to be informed. (Save the link if you don’t have the time to watch now, you won’t regret it.)
http://video.google.ca/videohos...55342219448521
(Quality improves after first few mintues)