[Dean's World] Dave Price: The Criminalization of Politics

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Posted by Dave Price:
The Criminalization of Politics
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1181069256.shtml


   Well, Scooter Libby was [1]sentenced to 30 months in prison today, for
   remembering conversations differently than reporters in an
   investigation of a non-crime and, more relevantly, being a Republican
   official (which automatically makes him a crook and liar and deserving
   of prison time).
   Meanwhile Sandy Berger, who actually committed a crime, is [2]giving
   up his law license to avoid explaining what, exactly, he was hiding
   when he removed both originals and copies of classified memos about
   what the Clinton admin was doing regarding terrorism. Since he went to
   tremendous effort and risk to do so, we can only assume he was hiding
   something pretty damning. Just imagine the reaction if Scooter Libby
   had been charged with destroying documents pertaining to the Bush
   adminâs pre-9/11 terrorism policies. I think I can safely guarantee it
   would receive a lot more attention than Bergerâs getting.
   Whatâs scary about the Libby case is first that it was ever brought to
   DOJ, and then how it was allowed to be pursued the way it was with
   little objection from the press. The CIA referral to DOJ reeks of
   politics (the statute was clearly not meant for situations like this,
   but rather to target active counter-intelligence operations targeting
   CIA agents who were covert, overseas and exposed; there was actually
   such an operation ongoing when the law was passed), especially
   considering the many high-profile leaks that actually damaged national
   security but received relatively little legal attention.
   Again, we can imagine the MSM reaction if Fitzgerald was jailing
   reporters till they revealed who in the CIA had leaked the warrantless
   wiretap program, the secret prisons, or the financial tracking system;
   the cries of âFascism!â and âThe publicâs sacred right to know!â would
   have echoed in editorial pages across the land. But when someone
   corrects Joe Wilsonâs lies about who sent him to Africa and what
   conclusions were drawn from his trip, suddenly the publicâs right to
   know evaporates like summer dew, and let no tool of fascism lay unused
   till we find out which of those crooks and liars in the White House
   leaked the identity of a "covert" CIA agent who sent her husband on a
   very public CIA trip, drove to Langley in plain view every day, and
   was in absolutely no danger of anything but a grueling Vanity Fair
   cover shoot and fawning adoration from the Left â and if the leaker
   turns to be someone inconvenient like Richard Armitage, weâll just
   keep asking people questions till we can find some contradictions and
   charge someone juicier with perjury.

References

   1. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-05-libby-trial_N.htm?csp=34
   2. http://hotair.com/archives/2007/05/17/sandy-berger-forfeits-law-license-to-avoid-cross-examination-on-document-swipe/