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

To: j g cordes who wrote (8746)	10/10/1998 11:21:00 AM
From: Machaon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 67261

<< The battle we must fight isn't with a single President, but to get rid of this cancer that attacks American tolerance. >> Mind if I quote you? Well said! We've also got to get rid of the Special Prosecutor Law which disrupts the balance of power set forth in our Constitution.

To: j g cordes who wrote (8746)	10/10/1998 5:09:00 PM
From: jbe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 67261

This road we are going down provides considerable ammunition for further moral assasination on both sides. Not just moral assassination, jg. Political, social, etc. assassination as well. It's a tough situation. On the one had, we do need some sort of mechanism to keep corruption, misuse of power,et al. in check. On the other hand, in this country it sometimes leads to periodic feeding frenzies. Furthermore, in my opinion, it has the potential to degenerate into a permanent, non-stop feeding frenzy. I can see politicians launching unremitting and interminable investigations of one another (it is always possible to find something to investigate). Eventually, of course, this would lead to total paralysis of the political process itself. Interestingly, in some countries (including Russia) elected officials enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution as long as they are in office. I always thought that this was a terrible idea. I still do. If nothing else, it encourages criminals actually to seek public office so as to avoid prosecution. And it is not right to place politicians, or anyone else, above the law. At the same time, I can understand the reason behind this blanket immunity: it is supposed to protect elected officials from political harassment that is, to make it possible for them to express their views without fear of being zapped with trumped-up criminal charges designed to remove them (one way or another)from the political scene...In other words, immunity, like tenure in Academe, is conceived here as a way to ensure that elected officials can do their jobs without fear of reprisal.. In actuality, of course, immunity also makes it possible for all kinds of corruption to thrive... So, round and round we go...Somehow, we have got to find a balance, a happy medium. jbe