Here are some quotes from former Attorneys General you may be interested in, before I address your post.
From a 9/15 IBD story titled "Is Starr Report Just About Sex?"
Edwin Meese, AG under President Reagan:
"This is not a case merely about sex. It goes to the key issue of whether the president is above the law."
"One of the things that the White House has done is use the legal counsel's office and other legal branches for their private use. Clinton seems to be the source of this major corruption."
Judge Griffin Bell, AG under President Carter:
"My interest in the matter is the rule of law. It's the basis of all business and national life. It's one of the hallmarks of this nation. We are all ruled by it."
"We have a new thing in the United States when we start trying the prosecutor. And we are deciding by polls whether a prosecutor can go forward with his investigation. We'll soon let off the privileged or anybody who can run a spin machine."
William Barr, AG under President Bush:
"What I don't understand about the modern psyche is that nobody cares about the truth. The whole system should be geared to getting the truth. But it has been geared to stonewalling and spinning what people think."
"We should care about what actually happened and what the facts are before we start talking about consequences. The White House talked about a 'modified hangout' strategy. I just don't understand that. It's either true or not true."
"Starr should be given the chance to get the facts out. We live in a world of spin control and ad hominem attacks. And we're seeing a lot of hatchet jobs."
Richard Thornburgh, AG under President Bush:
"Starr is vulnerable to unrestrained criticism, and he has had no opportunity to rebut outrageous claims."
"I was dismayed that a speech that clearly acknowledged serious wrong-doing was devoted to attacking Ken Starr."
Refers to Whitehouse "villification and delay".
On Democratic Campaign Financing, "I have a great respect for Attorney General Reno. But I am very puzzled by her reasoning. I agree with FBI Director (Louis) Freeh that this is the strongest possible case for appointing an independent counsel. The case is related to the election of the person who appointed her."
All four:
...oppose the independent counsel act and have lobbied against it.
...say that Starr is an "individual of the highest personal and professional integrity. As a judge...he exhibited exemplary judgment and commitment to the highest ethical standards and the rule of law."
...wrote their letter and filed their friend-of-the-court brief because, as Barr said, "We were also disturbed that the incumbent attorney general wasn't coming to (Starr's) defense. There has been only silence."
On the Secret Service issue, Meese says "This (protective-function claim for Secret Service agents) was an example of creating a privilege that never existed." Bell says "The position they argued is outrageous. (Secret Service) officers are supposed to report evidence of crime. They are sworn law enforcement officers." If not, "We wouldn't have the same country. We'd have a palace guard."
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Is that what happened? What should the president have done?
Absolutely that's what was done. If you haven't noticed the character assassination of Starr over the past couple of years then you must have been living in a cave.
Let me see. Let's say you and your wife have a third women in your relationship and want to keep it private. You're well known in your town and your business depends on you keeping a good relationship with the townspeople. Someone pays an investigator millions$$$ to investigate your private life and you know that he is probably going to air some dirt on your and your "threesome" lifestyle. You're telling us that you would do nothing to defend yourself? After all, if you don't you're ruined.
You do understand the difference between a Private Investigator checking into your private life and a duly-appointed official of court investigating possible criminal actions, don't you? What you can do with one legally is called "obstruction of justice" with the other. |
