Posted on 06/21/2002 6:46:21 PM PDT by dts32041
O'Reilly: Bush Insider Claims Clinton Deal Torpedoed Pardongate
A Bush administration insider has privately leaked word that a deal was struck between Democratic congressional leaders and the Bush White House not to prosecute Bill and/or Hillary Clinton on an array of charges related to the Pardongate scandal, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly claimed Friday on his nationally syndicated "Radio Factor" show.
"A very highly placed source - and I mean this guy knows what's going on in the Bush administration - told me about a month ago that when President Bush took office he had meetings with all of the Democratic leadership.... one on one meetings in the Oval Office," O'Reilly said.
"The Democratic leadership made it quite clear to Mr. Bush that he would not get any cooperation - zero - on the part of the Democrats in the Senate and in the House if he pursued any kind of a criminal investigation against Bill Clinton."
O'Reilly said that according to his source, "Basically they said look, if you embarrass us - by us we mean the Democratic Party - if you, Bush-Ashcroft, indict Clinton on bribery or go after Hillary or any of this - we're gonna shut you down. We're not gonna do anything. You're not going to get any (legislation) passed if four years."
The talk host's highly placed administration source said Democrat leaders then explained to Bush, "If you put this thing on the back track and just play the game the way we've always played it here in the Justice Department since Watergate, where the powerful protect each other - then we'll keep an open mind on your legislation."
O'Reilly never indicated who his source might be beyond describing him as "very highly placed."
On Thursday, U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District James Comey, a Bush appointee, ended a key part of the probe into whether the Clintons traded pardons for political favors and campaign contributions.
And of course, haven't you noticed the Senate has been soooo cooperative with Bush because they were afraid he might renege and go back and open up Pardongate again.
Bullfeathers!
The Senate has not been cooperative, his judicial nominees have been stalled, etc. If this is true and there was a deal, then we wouldn't see little Tommy Daschle being the obstructionist that he is.
So, did I miss the indictment?
Gee if the first 2 years of Bush's presidency is any indication of what they consider passing legislation than we're definately getting shafted.
This is a crock, Dash-hole and co. have been anything but cooperative so far, why should the Republicans expect anything else in the next 2 years?
MKM
I don't believe this is true, and I think the story came from the leader of the Axis of Whining Weasels,
BILL KRISTOL!!
Neither do I, Miss M.
Bunk! Dubya is a decent and a wise man who does what he believes is RIGHT, I'm sure the LAST thing he would do is worry about the Democrats!
Your words ring too true my friend.
Note that this secret deal supposedly took place when Bush took office and yet it included Ashcroft ..... who was not confirmed for quite a while after that and then only after a very nasty fight ..... well, one side was fighting dirty, anyway.
A nation that will drive across town to save a nickel on gallon of gas, but the government steals and squanders trillions over the years and few care enough to give it a couple of minutes of thought in their lives.
Thousands of dollars per person per year pissed away, no one cares! We get the government we deserve.
Are you nuts? GW does not need to be threatened. All he needs to be told is that his poll number may diminish. That is enough for him to strike any deal.
O'Reilly said that according to his source, "Basically they said look, if you embarrass us - by us we mean the Democratic Party - if you, Bush-Ashcroft, indict Clinton on bribery or go after Hillary or any of this - we're gonna shut you down. We're not gonna do anything. You're not going to get any (legislation) passed if four years."
is all the more reason to take them to the mat. Threaten me and I kick your ass! That's the American way! That's the Texan way. Get the TRUTH out there for all to see and then let the chips fall where they may. I believe that public opinion will go with honesty and decency. Caving in will only lower the Bush administration down to the level of the Clintons.
You can't fight a war if the people don't believe in you and your word, Mr. President. Do the right thing!!! We will support you. We've been waiting for it, longing for it, praying for it, even begging for it. Justice needs to prevail. Tell the truth about the Clintons. Any Democrat still around after the voters get the truth will most likely be with you. Have faith!
My guess would be that Xlintons have dirt on all of them. One of those "If I go down, we're all going down" kinda things.
and she's right.
Moreover, actually, just how much legislation, promulgation, restriction can we possibly need. This is why term limits is so appealing and necessary, IMHO.
Notice how quickly you believed such a thing happened.
I mean, think about it....President Bush is sworn in and according to this, the leadership of the DNC goes to him and basically threatens him. Somehow, I can't imagine how a Daschle, Gehbardt, or even Terry McAuliffe could get to Bush for these clandestine meetings without the media picking up on at least a sniff of covert coercion, and threats to the presidency. This doesn't pass the "make sense" test.
What does make sense, maddening but logical sense, is that President Bush didn't need to be coerced. Remember his campaign pledge not to play the politics of personal destruction? Remember that during all the Clinton scandals, Governor and then candidate Bush never never involved himself in the Washington scene. He never commented, criticized, or interjected himself into any of it, except to pledge to restore honor and integrity to the White House, which he has done.
What I can easily believe is that President Bush and Ashcroft decided that the prosecution of Bill Clinton would not become a detrimental part of this administration, that they would not "go after" him, that President Bush's agenda was more important than Bill Clinton.
As much as I wanted to see Bill Clinton get more than a slap on the wrist, a piddling fine, impeachment, and disbarrment, as much as I longed for revenge worthy of 8 years, I believe President Bush made a personal committment to put the good of the country over the satisfaction of making Bill and Hillary Clinton pay for their personal corruption.
I'm a mean spirited bitch,who would have spent the rest of my life going after Bill Clinton, Hillary,Al Gore, James Carville, especially the democrats in congress, and all the Clinton enablers who didn't have the patriotism to acknowledge and eliminate Clintons' corruption, which infected all branches of government, the Justice Dept, INS, IRS, CIA, FBI, the military. But you know what? I'm glad President Bush is a better man than me.
Such a simple answer to such a corrupt cabal.
Don't take it personally YaYa, but that's how I see it.
It's amazing how people are so quick to believe those "anonymous" sources. Could be that O'Reilly was just set up. The Demos would love the turn teh Base against Bush at any cost.
Because O'Reilly is full of himself. Who is this high level source? Carl Rove? Rove would lie and sell his grandmother for politics. I think O'Reilly should either come clean or shut up. This mounts to blackmailing a sitting President. I got a feeling this is total bull or is that bill. AAH, it doesn't matter it means the same! HOGWASH!
(That is a great spoof quarter. Congratulations.)
NO! I aready knew this was happening. Has been since Day one on different issues. So when this story came out it just confirms what I aready knew to be obvious.
Obviously you haven't been paying attention to our Miss Marple. She gets her licks in occasionally, when necessary, it just hasn't been very necessary because she and I and most others are not looking for philosophical purity, we're looking for honesty and integrity which GWB has in spades! But I agree with her 100%! Just the fact that this supposed leak is so hush hush, made me immediately suspicious! Folks in the Bush White House are VERY loyal, out of respect for their boss. That's why you HAVEN'T seen any leaking going on from the White House. Plenty has been going on down the Avenue at the Capitol, though.
Many folks here on FR would love nothing more than to see x42 and #97 in orange jumpsuits, but I doubt it will ever happen. There have been too many ready to cover up for those two because of their hatred of conservatives in general and Republicans in particular, or because they had quietly received word that they shouldn't say anything if they want to continue in their present positions. Then you have to consider that folks in the media think x42 is the greatest thing since sliced bread so they'll carry the water for him EVERY TIME!
There has been a judgement somewhere in the Justice Dept. that there would not be enough evidence THAT WOULD CONVINCE A JURY IN DC of the guilt of the Clintons. Remember, bringing a case before a jury is not enough, you have to depend on 12 people who couldn't get out of jury duty to understand your case and vote for conviction. Do you HONESTLY see that happening? I don't, so why spin our wheels and waste our time on it. If the weenies in the Senate didn't see fit to convict him, why would 12 folks in DC?
I believe the President and the Justice Dept. have more important things to take care of right now, and that pair of lying toon scumbags don't even need to be on their radar!
And I hope that the Justice system has more important things to do if you are every in need of any justice.
You cheapen the very meaning of justice for all.
It disqusts me.
Way back, about late '97, there was an accusation made by the poster NDCORUP that there was every evidence in a matter he'd exposed that involved some Judges, Sheriffs, County officials, etc. that there was a "Star Chamber" type of system set up by the elite levels.
No real harm came to the ones that were exposed, they just got "unemployed" in their cherished positions. That's what the norm is now, and most of us know it.
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