Unscuppering Scooter
Today is Monday, 12 March 2007.
The question is not if convicted perjurer Scooter Libby will be pardoned by W. Bush, but when.
Libby, known in D.C. as “Cheney’s Cheney”, simply knows where too many bodies are buried. It’s either a pardon or an unexpected, tragic, but timely heart attack.
Already, Libby’s soft-on-crime apologists are making the case with arguments which strike a curious historical chord.
Return with us now to those days of yester-year, when, on 24 December 1992, President George H. W. Bush pardoned six federal officials indicted in the Iran-Contra criminal conspiracy. (Unfortunately, they were not charged with high treason, for overthrowing the Constitution by setting themselves above the law.) His justification had four points.
“First, the common denominator of their motivation --- whether their actions were right or wrong --- was patriotism”.
So, one may violate the law with impunity, by merely claiming to be a patriot?
Truly a case, as Dr. Samuel Johnson said in 1775, of “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
“Second, they did not profit or seek to profit from their conduct”. Of course they did: while they weren’t seeking cash profit, they sought the profit of acting as kings who crave unchecked power, trampling on the law of the land.
“Third, each has a record of long and distinguished service to this country”.
Irrelevant, when they boasted of putting their own private notions of national security above the law of the land.
“Fourth, they have already paid a price --- in depleted savings, lost careers, anguished families --- grossly disproportionate to any misdeeds or errors of judgment they may have committed”.
Mr. H.W. Bush ignores the fact that the crimes committed were committed under colour of overthrowing the Constitution. Throughout most of history, high treason was punished by death. “Depleted savings” and “lost careers” seem a small price to pay for having used public service as a personal piggybank rather than a sacred trust.
The White House Iraq Group (WHIG), created in August 2002 by now-disgraced and –defunct Presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and chaired by the disgraced (but unfortunately non-defunct) Presidential rasputin Karl Rove, was essentially the marketing brains-trust for stampeding Americans into supporting the conquest of Iraq by ensuring the ubiquity of false information regarding Iraqi military capabilities and nuclear threats, Iraqi support of al-Queda, etc. Members included Card, Libby, Condoleeza Rice, Stephen Hadley, and long-time Bush cronies Karen Hughes and Mary Matalin.
Yes, indeed, Scooter knows where the bodies are.
Not only in the metaphorical sense of evidence, but of the 500,000+ Iraqis and 3,000+ dead in the Conquest.
To protect himself, Cheney et al., and the Republic Party from impeachment and incarceration, W. Bush must have promised Libby a pardon.
The only question is: before or after 3 November 2008?
The question is not if convicted perjurer Scooter Libby will be pardoned by W. Bush, but when.
Libby, known in D.C. as “Cheney’s Cheney”, simply knows where too many bodies are buried. It’s either a pardon or an unexpected, tragic, but timely heart attack.
Already, Libby’s soft-on-crime apologists are making the case with arguments which strike a curious historical chord.
Return with us now to those days of yester-year, when, on 24 December 1992, President George H. W. Bush pardoned six federal officials indicted in the Iran-Contra criminal conspiracy. (Unfortunately, they were not charged with high treason, for overthrowing the Constitution by setting themselves above the law.) His justification had four points.
“First, the common denominator of their motivation --- whether their actions were right or wrong --- was patriotism”.
So, one may violate the law with impunity, by merely claiming to be a patriot?
Truly a case, as Dr. Samuel Johnson said in 1775, of “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
“Second, they did not profit or seek to profit from their conduct”. Of course they did: while they weren’t seeking cash profit, they sought the profit of acting as kings who crave unchecked power, trampling on the law of the land.
“Third, each has a record of long and distinguished service to this country”.
Irrelevant, when they boasted of putting their own private notions of national security above the law of the land.
“Fourth, they have already paid a price --- in depleted savings, lost careers, anguished families --- grossly disproportionate to any misdeeds or errors of judgment they may have committed”.
Mr. H.W. Bush ignores the fact that the crimes committed were committed under colour of overthrowing the Constitution. Throughout most of history, high treason was punished by death. “Depleted savings” and “lost careers” seem a small price to pay for having used public service as a personal piggybank rather than a sacred trust.
The White House Iraq Group (WHIG), created in August 2002 by now-disgraced and –defunct Presidential Chief of Staff Andrew Card, and chaired by the disgraced (but unfortunately non-defunct) Presidential rasputin Karl Rove, was essentially the marketing brains-trust for stampeding Americans into supporting the conquest of Iraq by ensuring the ubiquity of false information regarding Iraqi military capabilities and nuclear threats, Iraqi support of al-Queda, etc. Members included Card, Libby, Condoleeza Rice, Stephen Hadley, and long-time Bush cronies Karen Hughes and Mary Matalin.
Yes, indeed, Scooter knows where the bodies are.
Not only in the metaphorical sense of evidence, but of the 500,000+ Iraqis and 3,000+ dead in the Conquest.
To protect himself, Cheney et al., and the Republic Party from impeachment and incarceration, W. Bush must have promised Libby a pardon.
The only question is: before or after 3 November 2008?
posted by HH at 11:57 AM
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