Posted on 05/06/2007 11:57:38 AM PDT by calcowgirl
WASHINGTON -- New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urged President Clinton Tuesday to free convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a move that could boost Jewish support for the Republican's prospective Senate campaign -- and complicate a possible run in 2000 by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
...
Regarding Pollard, Giuliani said the Israeli deserves presidential clemency because the life sentence for espionage given him in 1987 goes "way beyond" sentences given in the past to American citizens convicted of spying for a U.S. ally.
Pollard, a former civilian U.S. Navy intelligence analyst, has already served a longer prison term than enemy spies who are routinely traded by their governments, according to Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor and associate attorney general in the Justice Department.
"It seems to me that there was an appropriate basis on which the President could exercise his discretion and cut that particular sentence," Giuliani said, adding that Pollard has "served much more than anyone else convicted of the same thing."
Giuliani stressed that he was restating a position that he had taken on the Pollard case "a couple of years ago" rather than announcing a new position.
The Clinton administration continues to review clemency for Pollard following repeated requests by the Israeli government. ...
...
Giuliani deflected questions about whether he would endorse Texas Gov. George W. Bush as the Republican presidential nominee. The Associated Press quoted a top New York GOP official as saying the mayor could make such an announcement on Thursday.
Giving you the benefit of the doubt: If your implication is that what Rudy said about Jonathan Pollard is ancient history, you're full of baloney.
The challenges to Giuliani based on his past actions as an executive are as relevant as what Hillary did when she was acting like a tyrant in the White House (Billy Dale & the travel office, Grand Jury testimony that prosecutors didn't believe but couldn't indict her on, etc.). He's got to take the bad with the good about his past, and having gone on record as suggesting the release of an American agent spying for Israel wouldn't be tolerated of a Democrat, either.
Those of us who were warned that the "compassionate conservatism" practiced by then-Governor Bush was more liberal than we were being led to believe feel burned and betrayed. If it weren't for the terrorist attacks that made the war priority number one, Bush's most rock-solid stance would be the opening of the borders to illegal immigrants.
As Jim Robinson said in his controversial thread, this isn't about beating Hillary or Obama, it's about changing the definition of "conservative" for years to come, win or lose; if Giuliani or whoever prevails by being closer to the center than Hillary, Obama, or (ecch) Edwards, it could be curtains for true constructionist jurists in Federal courts from the Supreme Court on down (ever forget that the only reason we have Roberts and Alito today is because Bush made it to a second term and didn't get his wish with Harriet Miers). If he loses, then the message may be the answer is to move further to the center.
Rudy’s biggest asset is his uncanny ability to (a) pucker-up, (b) kneel in obeisance, (c) stick his head up the backsides of voting blocs, and (d) pocket campaign contributions——all at the same time.
Rudy’s campaign gear includes reliable kneepads-—and a physician-on-call-—for emergency removals.
Giuliani is now getting pummeled by the mainstream press, Democrats and the Conservative Republicans. Any bets on how much longer he can stay in the race?
Well, for the sake of freeing Pollard, I’d vote for Rudy. But I’d much rather vote for a number of the other current candidates, but to set Pollard free is a meritorious and gracious act, itself alone worthy of my vote.
Yeah, but he's scared witless by FReepers.
(graphic courtesy of monkapotamus' expertise)
"Oh, please. They're killing me on FR just b/c I had three wives, several
mistresses, was honored by NARAL, donated to Planned Parenthood, and
marched for gay rights under the NAMBLA banner."
Meritorious and gracisous? Would that hold true for every convicted, spying scumbag who sells our national secrets, or is Pollard the only traitor you support?
But since he won't, I hope he rots in prison and gets violated regularly from his boyfriends, Bubba and Le-Roy.
Yet another example of the committed Rudy voter. Scary, huh?
See the US Constituion:
Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.Israel is an ally -- one of our closest allies.
As ever and always hate for Jews blinds a certain percentage. Pollard was chump change. There were are far bigger and more committed spies -- who DO INDEED work for those who would destroy us.
Are you in the same damnably blindered camp of those in our government who condemned the Israeli raid of the Iraq reactor?
I believe I used the word “traitor,” not treason.
traitor
Main Entry: trai·tor
Pronunciation: ‘trA-t&r
Function: noun
1 : one who betrays another’s trust or is false to an obligation or duty
2 : one who commits treason
Pollard betrayed a trust. He failed in his duty to protect U.S. secrets, willingly handing them over to Israel. His actions had repercussions, endangering (and costing) lives of Americans, and setting back U.S. intelligence. You may call that “chump change.” I call it traitorous.
Frankly, I don’t care what country it was. Those who would betray their country deserve the harshest of punishment. Your attempt to turn my comments into “hate for Jews” and calling others “blind” is disgusting.
Classic strawman argument. Objective criticism of Israel means someone is a Jew-hater.
Let's change Pollard's name. Let's call him Chu Wei, stealing guidance system secrets for China. Or John Smith, stealing sat intel about the region around South Africa for DeBeers -- just to make up a tale. Feel the same way?
What is truly disappointing is that you use such rhetoric to try to infuse hatred. Sorry. No such hatred present here.
Feel the same way?
Yes. Exactly the same way. A traitor is a traitor is a traitor.
I met an idiot savant once. Came into the pizzeria one of my brother's owned. Could multiply seven digit numbers in his head, figure the days between any two dates, and some other interesting tricks.
What feats have you?
Oh, I see. Calling me a “hater” wasn’t good enough.
Because I want to see National Security enforced, you call me an “idiot.”
Resort to personal attacks is highly unbecoming. Good day.
Well, you are a hater. Trying to hate two at once too. Hate Guiliani and Pollard. Spics and Jews. Otherwise there’s ZERO to the argument for holding Pollard longer. The facts are that he spied for an an ally, and his time already served — mostly in solitary, iirc — is far harder than ANY comparable case.
Adminmod:
I believe this poster has gone over the line.
I tried to be as polite as I could be in the presence of personal attacks,
but this is offensive and unwarranted.
Rudy and Olson's position is that Pollard's punishment did not fit the crime when compared to others of the same ilk.
Do you have a problem with that??
Bibi Netanyahu has many fans here. Why shouldn't Rudy, or any American pol, have fans in Israel?
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