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Politics : Bill Clinton Scandal - SANITY CHECK -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (58615)	8/13/1999 9:38:00 AM
From: Zoltan!	Respond to of 67261

Clinton abuses pardon power to release terrorists in a naked political ploy: Mrs. Clinton, of course, hopes one day to take her place in the parade alongside New York's other pols as La Senadora de Nueva York. Which, we'd say, explains in a nutshell why her husband has just granted clemency to these 16 Puerto Rican terrorists, against the advice of the Justice Department, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office that prosecuted the terrorists back in the early 1980s. All these law-enforcement agencies were consulted several years about the wisdom of releasing these 16 people; all advised against it. August 13, 1999 Pardon Their Politics We've been trying to figure why the President would pardon 16 Puerto Rican terrorists. Our thoughts turned to the annual Puerto Rican Day parade in New York. We'll bet Hillary Clinton knows all about this event. The annual parade is one of New York City's signature events, up there with Macy's big balloons and the St. Patrick's Day blowout. If you're a New York pol, you've gotta be there. This year's march drew three million people and virtually every politician the city has on offer. If you're a bystander, "Viva Puerto Rico!" sounds just as good whether it's coming from a Republican or a Democrat. Mrs. Clinton, of course, hopes one day to take her place in the parade alongside New York's other pols as La Senadora de Nueva York. Which, we'd say, explains in a nutshell why her husband has just granted clemency to these 16 Puerto Rican terrorists, against the advice of the Justice Department, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office that prosecuted the terrorists back in the early 1980s. All these law-enforcement agencies were consulted several years about the wisdom of releasing these 16 people; all advised against it. Among the terrorists on Mr. Clinton's clemency list is one Victor Gerena, whose name also appears on another list: that of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted. He was the inside man at the Wells Fargo Bank in Hartford, Conn., where the Puerto Rican "freedom fighters" stole $7.5 million in an armed robbery in 1983. At the time, it was one of the largest robberies in U.S. history. An FBI man lost an eye pursuing the criminals. Mr. Gerena subsequently fled to Cuba, the country, it emerged at trial, that was sponsoring the activities of the radical Puerto Rican separatists. Now he is free to return to the U.S. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Maria Echaveste is quoted in yesterday's papers as saying that those offered clemency "never killed anyone." This is preposterous. No one died in the Wells Fargo heist but innocent people lost their lives in more than 100 attacks carried out by the same terrorist group on U.S. facilities. Even if these 16 terrorists didn't murder anyone directly, they were part of a conspiracy to kill, a conspiracy that was to be extended by the funds stolen from the bank in Connecticut. Mr. Clinton's power to grant clemency to whomever he chooses is undisputed. The pardon power vested in him by Article Two of the Constitution is absolute. All he has to do is order the commutation of a sentence, the remission of a fine, or a full pardon. But there is a regular process at the Justice Department, which is managed by the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Applicants fill out lengthy forms, submit character references, and are checked out by the FBI. Very, very few of the petitions received every year are acted upon. To understand how rare it is for a President to commute a sentence or offer remission of a fine, as Mr. Clinton did for the 16 Puerto Rican terrorists this week, consider the numbers supplied by the Office of the Pardon Attorney. From the time he took office in January 1993 until April 2, the date the Office prepared its last report, Mr. Clinton had received 3,042 petitions for clemency. Until Wednesday, he had granted a total of three. Over the years, the 16 terrorists have won the sympathy of several human-rights groups, which have lobbied for their release, arguing that their sentences are disproportionate to their crimes. New York Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Jose Serrano, both born in Puerto Rico, support their release. If there is some sympathy for them in New York City's large Puerto Rican community it stems from a sense of mercy, not out of any support for their deeds. The independence movement in Puerto Rico condemns violence in the strongest terms. But Mr. Clinton's grant of clemency is properly seen as a raw political move to enhance the prospects of his wife against Rudy Giuliani. To win, all agree, she needs a big Hispanic turnout, and to get that she needs the support of their leadership. The mayor won 43% of the Hispanic vote in the last election and remains popular in that community for his success in reducing crime. But this President has politicized or abused about every other prerogative of his office; why not the pardon power? interactive.wsj.com

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (58615)	8/13/1999 9:50:00 AM
From: gao seng	Respond to of 67261

Eugenics theorists were originally called Social Darwinist. As for capitalism, I don't recall the connection, but I think Adam Smith was before Darwin, so you may be right. However, I mentioned it because I think it is often used to justify actions of our government, when they should be using the philosophies of democracy instead.

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (58615)	8/13/1999 9:55:00 AM
From: DMaA	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 67261

If they ever existed at all, they probably would have looked like modern day Indians or Pakistanis. NO NO NO!! I've seen pictures. The woman had long blond braided hair. They wore helmets with horns on them and used hub caps for bras. They liked to accessorize with long spears.

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (58615)	8/13/1999 10:14:00 AM
From: gao seng	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 67261

Here is a connection Darwinism to laissez-faire: Social Darwinism, term coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in "survival of the fittest." Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin. Some social Darwinists argue that governments should not interfere with human competition by attempting to regulate the economy or cure social ills such as poverty. Instead, they advocate a laissez-faire political and economic system that favors competition and self-interest in social and business affairs. Social Darwinists typically deny that they advocate a "law of the jungle." But most propose arguments that justify imbalances of power between individuals, races, and nations because they consider some people more fit to survive than others. Full article and encarta.msn.com requires login - 7 day free trial just have to enter your email address. encarta.msn.com Another interesting link to evolution and morality: soark.net