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CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — Because of the intense scrutiny and criticism of the pardons of Marc Rich and his partner Pincus Green and because legitimate concerns have been raised, I want to explain what I did and why.
First, I want to make some general comments about pardons and commutations of sentences. Article II of the Constitution gives the president broad and unreviewable power to grant "Reprieves and Pardons" for all offenses against the United States. The Supreme Court has ruled that the pardon power is granted "[t]o the [president] . . ., and it is granted without limit" (United States v. Klein). Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared that "[a] pardon . . . is . . . the determination of the ultimate authority that the public welfare will be better served by [the pardon] . . ." (Biddle v. Perovich). A president may conclude a pardon or commutation is warranted for several reasons: the desire to restore full citizenship rights, including voting, to people who have served their sentences and lived within the law since; a belief that a sentence was excessive or unjust; personal circumstances that warrant compassion; or other unique circumstances.
The exercise of executive clemency is inherently controversial. The reason the framers of our Constitution vested this broad power in the Executive Branch was to assure that the president would have the freedom to do what he deemed to be the right thing, regardless of how unpopular a decision might be. Some of the uses of the power have been extremely controversial, such as President Washington's pardons of leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, President Harding's commutation of the sentence of Eugene Debs, President Nixon's commutation of the sentence of James Hoffa, President Ford's pardon of former President Nixon, President Carter's pardon of Vietnam War draft resisters, and President Bush's 1992 pardon of six Iran-contra defendants, including former Defense Secretary Weinberger, which assured the end of that investigation.
On Jan. 20, 2001, I granted 140 pardons and issued 36 commutations. During my presidency, I issued a total of approximately 450 pardons and commutations, compared to 406 issued by President Reagan during his two terms. During his four years, President Carter issued 566 pardons and commutations, while in the same length of time President Bush granted 77. President Ford issued 409 during the slightly more than two years he was president.
The vast majority of my Jan. 20 pardons and reprieves went to people who are not well known. Some had been sentenced pursuant to mandatory-sentencing drug laws, and I felt that they had served long enough, given the particular circumstances of the individual cases. Many of these were first-time nonviolent offenders with no previous criminal records; in some cases, codefendants had received significantly shorter sentences. At the attorney general's request, I commuted one death sentence because the defendant's principal accuser later changed his testimony, casting doubt on the defendant's guilt. In some cases, I granted pardons because I felt the individuals had been unfairly treated and punished pursuant to the Independent Counsel statute then in existence. The remainder of the pardons and commutations were granted for a wide variety of fact-based reasons, but the common denominator was that the cases, like that of Patricia Hearst, seemed to me deserving of executive clemency. Overwhelmingly, the pardons went to people who had been convicted and served their time, so the impact of the pardon was principally to restore the person's civil rights. Many of these, including some of the more controversial, had vigorous bipartisan support.
The pardons that have attracted the most criticism have been the pardons of Marc Rich and Pincus Green, who were indicted in 1983 on charges of racketeering and mail and wire fraud, arising out of their oil business.
Ordinarily, I would have denied pardons in this case simply because these men did not return to the United States to face the charges against them. However, I decided to grant the pardons in this unusual case for the following legal and foreign policy reasons: (1) I understood that the other oil companies that had structured transactions like those on which Mr. Rich and Mr. Green were indicted were instead sued civilly by the government; (2) I was informed that, in 1985, in a related case against a trading partner of Mr. Rich and Mr. Green, the Energy Department, which was responsible for enforcing the governing law, found that the manner in which the Rich/Green companies had accounted for these transactions was proper; (3) two highly regarded tax experts, Bernard Wolfman of Harvard Law School and Martin Ginsburg of Georgetown University Law Center, reviewed the transactions in question and concluded that the companies "were correct in their U.S. income tax treatment of all the items in question, and [that] there was no unreported federal income or additional tax liability attributable to any of the [challenged] transactions"; (4) in order to settle the government's case against them, the two men's companies had paid approximately $200 million in fines, penalties and taxes, most of which might not even have been warranted under the Wolfman/Ginsburg analysis that the companies had followed the law and correctly reported their income; (5) the Justice Department in 1989 rejected the use of racketeering statutes in tax cases like this one, a position that The Wall Street Journal editorial page, among others, agreed with at the time; (6) it was my understanding that Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder's position on the pardon application was "neutral, leaning for"; (7) the case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff; (8) finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich because of his contributions and services to Israeli charitable causes, to the Mossad's efforts to rescue and evacuate Jews from hostile countries, and to the peace process through sponsorship of education and health programs in Gaza and the West Bank.
While I was troubled by the criminalization of the charges against Mr. Rich and Mr. Green, I also wanted to assure the government's ability to pursue any Energy Department, civil tax or other charges that might be available and warranted. I knew the men's companies had settled their disputes with the government, but I did not know what personal liability the individuals might still have for Energy Department or other violations.
Therefore, I required them to waive any and all defenses,
including their statute of limitations defenses, to any civil charge the
government might bring against them. Before I granted the pardons, I received
from their lawyer a letter confirming that they "waive any and all defenses
which could be raised to the lawful imposition of civil fines or penalties in
connection with the actions and transactions alleged in the indictment against
them pending in the Southern District of New York."
I believe my pardon decision was in the best interests of justice. If the two men were wrongly indicted in the first place, justice has been done. On the other hand, if they do personally owe money for Energy Department penalties, unpaid taxes or civil fines, they can now be sued civilly, as others in their position apparently were, a result that might not have been possible without the waiver, because civil statutes of limitations may have run while they were out of the United States.
While I was aware of and took into account the fact that the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York did not support these pardons, in retrospect, the process would have been better served had I sought her views directly. Further, I regret that Mr. Holder did not have more time to review the case. However, I believed the essential facts were before me, and I felt the foreign policy considerations and the legal arguments justified moving forward.
The suggestion that I granted the pardons because Mr. Rich's former wife, Denise, made political contributions and contributed to the Clinton library foundation is utterly false. There was absolutely no quid pro quo. Indeed, other friends and financial supporters sought pardons in cases which, after careful consideration based on the information available to me, I determined I could not grant.
In the last few months of my term, many, many people called, wrote or came up to me asking that I grant or at least consider granting clemency in various cases. These people included friends, family members, former spouses of applicants, supporters, acquaintances, Republican and Democratic members of Congress, journalists and total strangers. I believe that the president can and should listen to such requests, although they cannot determine his decision on the merits. There is only one prohibition: there can be no quid pro quo. And there certainly was not in this or any of the other pardons and commutations I granted.
I am accustomed to the rough and tumble of politics, but the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful because for eight years I worked hard to make good decisions for the American people. I want every American to know that, while you may disagree with this decision, I made it on the merits as I saw them, and I take full responsibility for it.
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States.
I am accustomed to the rough and tumble of politics, but the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful because for eight years I worked hard to make good decisions for the American people. I want every American to know that, while you may disagree with this decision, I made it on the merits as I saw them, and I take full responsibility for it.
Ah dyud not have sex with tha' womin..."
A "LOL" Bmp.
Sure, Willie, we believe ya. You've never lied to us before.
The real story here is not that Bill lies again, or that Bill's really hurtin' on this one.
The real story is that his response is an Op-Ed in the Times.
"I did not take a bribe from that woman...."
"I never asked anyone to bribe, never, not once."
I believe my pardon decision was in the best interests of justice.
Bwwwwahahahahaha. Glad he wrote a lot of words. Most people can't comprehend and the ones that can either have already drank the kool-aid or can discrimminate the chaff from the bull.
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States.
Well, at least we can believe that sentence . . . .
I wouldn't believe Clinton if he told me the sun came up in the East and set in the West.
I could not bring myself to read the text of this post. I'm sorry, but I assume anything "x" says is a lie and not worthy of my time.
Can you sum it up for me:-)
Crap Crap Crap Crap Crap
Hey*bLObba*
NO ONE shivvs a GITTTTTTT*
...and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich...
Just another International Jewish Conspiracy, huh, Bubba?
You jackass.
"Ah believes" are just lawyer weasel words meaning "Ah lies."
LOL!! I AGREE!! You know he was pacing the floors wonderin' HOW he was gonna' GET THE MESSAGE OUT!
I LOVE THAT THOUGHT!
I'm sorry, but I am with you. I could hear his horrible voice droning on as I started to read, and then my eyes glazed over and I just scrolled down to the replies.
What is particularly aggravating is the "review section" on pardons at the beginning of the article.
I cannot contain my contempt.
I wonder who wrote this up for him.
But most of all, I pardoned Rich because his ex-wife gave me millions of dollars and a blowjoob.
...finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich because of his contributions and services to Israeli charitable causes...
I suppose Slick has never been to the lavish celebrations bankrolled by John Gotti for the residents of Howard Beach. Why not pardon him, too?
"The real story is that his response is an Op-Ed in the Times."
No kidding.... Whassup with that?
You both are right. It must mean that he has been DENIED network time. LOLOL!
Skip all the above and stay on the real fact that Clinton got paid one way or another for each move.
Dear Bill Clinton,
LIAR!!!
Just, GO AWAY!!!
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States.
Wweeellll, that clears it up for me.
I'll see you all in the morning. The Parse O Matic will need all night to warm up.
"I wonder who wrote this up for him."
Jack Quinn!
"Because of the intense scrutiny and criticism of the pardons of Marc Rich and his partner Pincus Green and because legitimate concerns have been raised, Because of the intense scrutiny and criticism of the pardons of Marc Rich and his partner Pincus Green and because legitimate concerns have been raised, I want to explain what I did and why.."
Translation: Because my funds are drying up, my approval ratings are tanking, my speaking engagements are being cancelled, and even prominent Democrats are not defending me.........I want to explain what I did and why.
I just sense that this is going to be a GOOD thread!!
I guess this means he didn't get the air time he was hoping for from the networks, so he had to resort to the NYTimes. I keep telling me son, Bill Clinton is like the boy who cried wolf, even if he were to tell the truth at this point, no one would believe him. He left office by signing Ray's statement, his credibility is gone, and no excuse will be believed. He's such a good example of a bad example.
Liar, Traitor, deceiver, sex fiend, rapist, white trash! Did I miss anything?
"The vast majority of my Jan. 20 pardons and reprieves went to people who are not well known."
Yeah, right, because NO ONE has had time or energy to look them up. But, never fear we haven't finished YET!
Enough of this gobbledygook! Who has got the handcuffs?
We will need a front and side mug shots, and an ink blotter for the FBI fingerprints. Oh, and someone has to read Clinton his Miranda rights since he will try to get off on any technicality he can think of.
So what?
Who cares???
(recall the impeachment mantra?)
I am accustomed to the rough and tumble of politics, but the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful because for eight years I worked hard to make good decisions for the American people. I want every American to know that, while you may disagree with this decision, I made it on the merits as I saw them, and I take full responsibility for it.
Lest anyone be fooled, this is not anything else but a dressing down for all of us. We are a most ungrateful nation. He is scolding "the people."
How much responsibility can he be taking? An op-ed peice in the NYT? Boy, that must have been a period of self-examination with some pretty tough questions.
On a post like this, I usually just start at the last reply and scroll up.
I got here early.
Did I miss anything?"
I'm sure you did but that was a good start! LOL!
The edited out the following:
"Oh yea, I forgot to mention that Denise Rich gives great h**d and by the way, she's a virtual cash machine for the DNC and Hillary."
Liar, Traitor, deceiver, sex fiend, rapist, white trash! Did I miss anything?
Lots. But, there's not enough bandwidth to accomodate.
Good start, though.
In the Politics Section of the NY Times, they've already caught him in TWO LIES.
"In the article, Mr. Clinton said that three prominent Republican lawyers had favored the pardon. But two of them denied that today.
Leonard Garment, a former official in the Nixon administration who worked on Mr. Rich's behalf from 1984 to 1993, said, "It is absolutely false that I knew about and endorsed the idea of a pardon."
Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, said that Mr. Clinton misstated the role of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby, a former lawyer for Mr. Rich. "While Mr. Libby was involved in the original case concerning Mr. Rich, he was in no way, shape, manner or form involved in the pardon," Mr. Fleischer said.
The third Republican lawyer, William Bradford Reynolds, could not be reached for comment.
I wonder who wrote this up for him.My guess is a joint effort between Clinton, Kendall, and Quinn. The part in the middle about the "merits" of the Rich pardon I would bet came straight out of the documents from Quinn that advocated the pardon.
And another thing:
6) it was my understanding that Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder's position on the pardon application was "neutral, leaning for"; (7) the case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff; (8) finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich because of his contributions and services to Israeli charitable causes, to the Mossad's efforts to rescue and evacuate Jews from hostile countries, and to the peace process through sponsorship of education and health programs in Gaza and the West Bank.
Notice how the blame is so-oo-o smoothly inserted into the meat of the article? The Republican factor doesn't even register. He respects a Republican like I respect him.
Battered husband -- if Hillary ever gets her hands on him again. LOL!! His actions have exposed her role in the Hasaadim pardons,causing HER approval numbers to drop to 38% -- poor baby.
". . .(7) the case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff;. . .
Mr. Libby's response to this should be interesting. He wasn't seeking a pardon.
Subject of criminal investigations over which Clinton has no DIRECT influence.
I don't really need to read all that drivel do I? I know it's risky but I'm going to assume he's lying again so I'll just read everyone's witty comments and save the blood pressure meds.
no quid pro quo
'Course not, Bubba. We feel your pain and bewilderment over how you could be so misunderstood. LOL.
**Bill Clinton: My Reasons for the Pardons**
Money.
Okay, I'll expound.
A SH**LOAD of money.
I am accustomed to the rough and tumble of politics, but the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful because for eight years I worked hard...
Make your own jokes. Must have effected his golf swing.
WH spokesman just released a statement that the IMPOTUS lied already and the ink on this issue of the NY Times isn't dry yet. VP Cheney's Chief of Staff Libby never worked on the Marc Rich pardon issue.
--------------------------------------------------------
A quickie....the DOJ operating under the expired Independant Counsel Law and now Special Counsel Rule may require that a President and head of a Polictical Party (Terry McAlliffe) can be investigated up to a year after they have left office by an outside investigator.
Teamster Case against McAlliffe and the investigation of Clinton's Pardons may have to got to a special counsel. Will never happen, but it could.
Lastly, Denise Rich hired lawyer Carol Elder Bruce as her new lawyer. Name sound familiar?
She was the independent counsel that cleared Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in the Indian Casino case that came out of the 1996 campaign finance scandal. This case was supposed to justify a larger independent investigation of campaign finance abuses by the Clinton/Gore 1996 Presidential Campaign and Chinagate outside the Justice Department. Stinks to high heaven.
The equivalent is former Ex-President Clinton hiring Ken Starr to represent him in the pardon investigation.
You can heard the china crashing in Chappaqqua, NY now if you listen closely...
"Bill, you FJB....I'm a Senator now, damn it."
Cheers
My guess is a joint effort between Clinton, Kendall, and Quinn.
Maybe, but you can be damned sure the little woman had a lock on his gonads.
Cluck Finton!!! Norb
Notice the large number of "In my understanding" type clarifiers for each item.
This is so that, as each lie gets uncovered, he can say that he was misled.
On the other hand, It is nice to know that the pardon is not valid, since it only becomes effective "on the completion of sentence". Since there was not sentence, then can be no pardon. Or better yet, he can come back, get convicted, do the time, and then the pardon kicks in.
With friends like Billy, you don't need enemies.
I wonder what our friends at the Mossad have on Billy, that he would cave so easily to them.
Don't blame the NY Times, this is "The Rapist's Manifesto."
Denise Rich hired lawyer Carol Elder Bruce as her new lawyer. Name sound familiar?
She was the independent counsel that cleared Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in the Indian Casino case that came out of the 1996 campaign finance scandal.
A COZY BUNCH aren't they?!
Clinton, you always remind me of what floats to the top in the bowl....
Therefore, I required them to waive any and all defenses, including their statute of limitations defenses, to any civil charge the government might bring against them. Before I granted the pardons, I received from their lawyer a letter confirming that they "waive any and all defenses which could be raised to the lawful imposition of civil fines or penalties in connection with the actions and transactions alleged in the indictment against them pending in the Southern District of New York."
Sounds like an open invitation to take them to civil court
I'm sure Rudy is up to it.
Of course it's kind of hard to take someone to court if they are OUT OF THE COUNTRY
(8) finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich
Hmmm Am I hearing he was set up by the Jews?...Again?...First Monica Lewinsky, now Denise Rich, the NY hassidic community, Barak and the Mossad...He just might become anti-semitic before it's all over..
Please, Mr. Clinton, those of us who despise your many despicable actions request that you proceed to your next scandal. We wouldn't want to interrupt someone so intent on destroying himself.
What a pig...how I loathe this lyin', pathetic excuse for a leader.
Oh,.....well O.K. then.....that certainly clears things up.
The former president has given us all a civics lesson, and explained why he pardoned Marc Rich. I feel much better. Why would we Americans have any reason to doubt such a fine, upstanding citizen?
We should all be ashamed of ourselves.
Let's leave poor Billy alone now.
but the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful because for eight years I worked hard to make good decisions for the American people.
Shut the hell up and go away.
William Jefferson Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States.
Well, at least we can believe that sentence....
Yeah, but only because Clinton didn't write it.
BTW ..."[a] pardon . . .is . . . the determination of the ultimate authority that the public welfare will be better served by [the pardon] . . ." (Biddle v. Perovich).
"It depends on what the definition of IS, is." - William Jefferson Clinton
"The ex Mrs Rich sure has some nice tits....I can tell ya that..."William Jefferson Clinton ,the 42nd president of the United States.
The Rapist Manifesto
Well said.
Lo and behold WJC turns out to be a self-admitted flunky for the Israelis when all along we thought he was a creeping acolyte for the Chinese Communists - we of course never thought he was President of the United States and had our best interests at heart.
It just means he didn't have to talk to a reporter to have it published.
But most of all, I pardoned Rich because his ex-wife gave me millions of dollars and a blowjoob.
100 visits=100 blowjobs.
Coward that he is, X couldn't bear the thought of having to answer any questions. Much safer just to write up a bunch of his typical tripe and get the NYTimes to publish it(Op-Ed page - What a hoot!). Time for him to stand in front of a Congressional committee and face the music.
Swiss bank account
"I could not bring myself to read the text of this post. I'm sorry, but I assume anything "x" says is a lie and not worthy of my time."
I feel just as you do.
Hey, Bill....we feel your pain!
Klinton left out the part about March Rich making deals with Iran while some of our soldiers lay dead in the desert in a feeble attempt to rescue the hostages. Treason, traitors and klinton. Peas in a pod.
It must mean that he has been DENIED network time.
I can't believe he couldn't get time on the Sunday talks....CNN would of cleared the whole day for him.
I was just watching a few minutes of the XFL and I could swear I saw X42 in the stands. Maybe he couldn't get back east in time.
(8) finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich because of his contributions and services to Israeli charitable causes, to the Mossad's efforts to rescue and evacuate Jews from hostile countries, and to the peace process through sponsorship of education and health programs in Gaza and the West Bank.
If foreign policy regarding Israel had anything to do with the pardon, why not Pollard? Getting Pollard out might actually have helped Clinton's chosen one - Barack - win re-election. While I hope Pollard rots in jail for his treason (is there a cell next to his for IMPOTUS?), I think there is a much better case to be made for his pardon than for Rich's - especially on foreign policy grounds. Israel would love to have Pollard pardoned, exchanged, commuted, or whatever, since he was their spy. To say that Israeli leaders wanted Rich pardoned seems stupid. After all, his being a fugitive from the US has not stopped him from doing all these good works while in exile.
Oh well, another Clinton lie. What a surprise.
The Washington Post has already ripped this op-ed apart on its front page:
The reason the framers of our Constitution vested this broad power in the Executive Branch was to assure that the president would have the freedom to do what he deemed to be the right thing, regardless of how unpopular a decision might be.
I got this far, 2nd bloody paragraph, before I can see he is so full of sh*t...he is SO full of sh*t...HEY BILL READ THE FEDERALIST PAPERS A-HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
National security...that's the reason for pardons, not fundraising, you piece of filth...you worm ridden pile of human waste. When did you sign that pardon again???
Tell us some more crap, jerk...some people aren't entirely stupid and they don't buy whatever you have to say like some...
Herb Tarlek wanna-be...
I couldn't bear to read the article and came straight to the replies also. I thought it was a joke at first! Wonder how much he lied in the article that the US Attorney will now use against him.
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, this article is irrelevant. It's good canon fodder for our discussion and I'm glad Pokey78 posted it but the content is irrelevant.
He is now the subject of an investigation(s) that will help clarify the relationship between this pardon and the exchange of money. If our system of justice performs, he will not be able to influence its outcome.
There would be no need for this explanation, if, in fact, that's what it is, had he followed the usual procedure for this pardon. He did not and the confusion that surrounds it is the result.
An objective examination of the evidence will make his statement moot. Knowing that this would be a controversial decision in advance, there was nothing stopping him from providing his explanation at that time. How can anyone look at this with anything but mistrust given the circumstances? As with any characterologically flawed individual, it's OK to listen to what they say but more important to WATCH WHAT THEY DO.
Under oath? Heck, he lies under anything with 4 legs that is in heat.
Wonder how much he lied in the article...
Put it this way...if he was Pinnochio, he could sniff the cocaine from the table in his brother Roger's house in Arkansas....from his Harlem office.
Does Any-one Believe...The RAT FINK..'Did'nt' Have Vince Foster and Ron Brown Liquidated/Murdered?...ANY-ONE BELIEVE HE DID'NT EXCHANGE 'EVERY' NATIONAL SECRET FOR CA$H?.....
You wanted to know who wrote it?
From the Washington Post
Clinton's personal attorney, David E. Kendall, wrote the first draft, and advisers such as former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta worked extensively on the final version.
Well, I am sure Tim Russert would have liked to question him, but that is not what X-42 wanted. He wanted a podium and the ability to read a statement in front of a flag and probably a bust of Harry Truman. At this the networks, have apparently and finally, reached their limits and said "no".
It's a good thing..
David Kendall, also attorney of record for the National Enquirer. David Kendall, the impeachment defense attorney.
David Kendall, who SAT ON HIS BRIEFCASE when he testified at the House hearings, so that he would look taller. Hahahaha!
"The real story is that his response is an Op-Ed in the Times."
And you know he's been sleepless in Chappaqua over this fact.
Enough of this gobbledygook! Who has got the handcuffs?
We will need a front and side mug shots, and an ink blotter for the
FBI fingerprints. Oh, and someone has to read Clinton his Miranda
rights since he will try to get off on any technicality he can think of.
Okay . . . here's Billy
First, I want to make some general comments about pardons and commutations of sentences. Article II of the Constitution gives the
president broad and unreviewable power to grant "Reprieves and Pardons" for all offenses against the United States.
Relevent Section of Constitution
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when
called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the
executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves
and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
I'm sorry. I'm not a Constitutional Scholar. I'm just a math grad student who's taken a few graduate level courses in logic theory. Just because you have the power to do X does not mean Y has no power to REVIEW it. I do not know if Congress (or other parts of our government) are prohibited from conducting a review, but there is nothing in the quoted text which forbids review. Congress may not be able to overturn it, but they can review.
LOL! I would agree with that. I still cannot believe he wrote this knowing it would be picked apart and the lies exposed.
My goodness, the "brief case episode" had escaped my memory.
LOL
But one of the former prosecutors who had been involved initially in the case, Morris "Sandy" Weinberg Jr., said Clinton does not address the fact that Rich and Pincus were fugitives and could have made all of those arguments in federal court. "If you analyze what the president has said, it really is a criticism of the American justice system," Weinberg said. "What he is really saying is here is a guy who couldn't get a fair trial in the United States and he has to be pardoned."
Weinberg noted that Clinton cited only Rich's attorneys in his explanation. "What about lawyers who represented the United States government? What about asking one of them?" he asked.
Weinberg also noted that Clinton's article does not address two facts in the Rich case that many critics said made lenient treatment indefensible: the charge that Rich and Green illegally traded with Iran during the hostage crisis, and that they fled rather than face justice.
Dittos to that. I can no longer abide that man. It is looking more like the folks who were pulling clinton's strings no longer have any use for him and he is flying alone. Over the next 2 months, expect anything.
...and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich...
If Israel feels so strongly, why didn't they volunteer to reimburse the US for all the money Rich stole, plus interest.
Off topic, when is the Califonia FR thing going to air? Is there a thread?
The column was part of a damage-control campaign organized in recent days by lawyers and former White House aides to counter the controversy. Clinton's personal attorney, David E. Kendall, wrote the first draft, and advisers such as former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta worked extensively on the final version.
"There was absolutely no quid pro quo."
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
LOL
Aides said Clinton's own grievances at how he was treated during the Whitewater investigation have made him sensitive – perhaps too much so, they acknowledge – to claims of prosecutorial excess.
Frankly my dear, I don't give a da** about your reasons. You lie like the dog you are. No insult intended to dogs, they are a far superior being than Clinton could ever hope to be.
Clinton's personal attorney, David E. Kendall, wrote the first draft, and advisers such as former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta worked extensively on the final version.
Well, heck, it sure looks like with all that expensive legal power they could have come up with something better than this tired old stuff. Did anybody find anything new here? I sure didn't.
I have vivid memories of those hearings. In fact, I have vivid memories of the last 8 years. I am a walking font of trivia---I know names, I know faces, I know incidents. LOL!
I also paid attention especially to this guy because he is originally from Indiana, my home state.
Good job.
Let's NOT forget this man with his hand out, AGAIN!
Here's Slick Willie spilling his guts (1 minute movie) LOL:
http://199.34.53.67/ramgen/bill28.rm
The reason you can believe that statement is that Clinton did not make it. The Times did!
Don't read him his Miranda rights or he will be running after Miranda all night!
Mr. Jack Quinn, of course, and we sheeple will get his bill.
It might have been believable if this statement was issued right after he made these pardons, but since it has taken nearly a month to issue this statement IMHO all this is just legalist BS to try to cover his a$$.....
So when can I send $$$ to your campaign :-)
Make no mistake, we need people like you.
Not only cozy, it was downright miraculous that Babbitt was not jailed for that most obvious of his many illegal activities. We despise the jerk out West!
Isn't it time that guy we sent out came back with the rope?
Hey, he's got reasons, good reasons, for all the pardons. In fact, he's got $millions of reasons.
I beg your pardon, I thought you promised me a rose garden
Bubba,
I really proud of you. Those pardons you gave validated everything I have been telling my to my liberal family for years. But till now they refused to see.
Well, I finally broke down and went to the NYTimes myself only to find that the article isn't even mentioned on the front page! Boy, they are really impressed with this! Just kind of stuck in the middle on the Op Ed page. Who would have ever thought it of the NYTimes?
If he was soooooooo receptive to the pleadings from Israelis, then how come Johnathan Pollard is still rotting in prison with a life sentence?
Maybe if Johnathan Pollard's family had a few million to donate to the Clinton Library -- and perhaps a younger Sister with a size 42 bust (like Denise rich) -- he'd be free today.
Its amazing how just a few measly millions can so dramatically reinforce the arguments of concerned Israeli officials.
It is a glowing tribute to our Republic that we could survive 8 years of Clintigula's rule. Thank God, that this lowlife is now enjoying his retirement/exile next to the chilly breast of Evita Rotten in Chappaqua.
A punishment perhaps more severe than Levenworth.
Exactamundo!!!
You forgot, "it's only about sex" - well, that would work for this one too since he's openly romancing Ms. Rich.
Thank you mucho for the link. And the article is by Jill Abrahamson. Even better that she's the one to expose the major lie in Clinton's letter. hee hee, the one about Rich's previous lawyers working on a pardon too.
With the NYTIMES having this rebuttal to Clinton's letter out already, there's no way Clinton's letter will work it's black magic, for even one news cycle.
"particularly painful"
Oh, now he's feeling the pain! I thought he was feeling our pain - Oooops! that was just feeling - 'scuse me!
Translation: "It took this long for my people to figure out a good explanation why I did that pardon, because there ain't as many of "my people" as there were before January 20."
A president may conclude a pardon or commutation is warranted for several reasons: the desire to 1. restore full citizenship rights, including voting, to people who have served their sentences and lived within the law since; a belief that a sentence was excessive or unjust; 2. personal circumstances that warrant compassion; or other 3. unique circumstances.
In other words his reasons were 1. so that they could vote for Hitlery in 2004, 2. because Marc's x had been so nice to him and 3. because he was paid so much money to do it.
The same old, tired,depends on what "is" is explanation. Pure bull sh*t!
Enough of this gobbledygook! Who has got the handcuffs? We will need a front and side mug shots, and an ink blotter for the FBI fingerprints. Oh, and someone has to read Clinton his Miranda rights since he will try to get off on any technicality he can think of.
I've already started sewing the black and white striped suit. It's almost finished.
"It is nice to know that the pardon is not valid"
Is the above statement a fact, or is this just wishful thinking??
Harpu - you are the master.....we are not worthy!
How odd that in this lengthy text he never mentioned the 100 visits by Denise Rich to the White House, the $1.3 million given to the DNC, to Hillary Clinton, and others, the $450,000 given to his Presidential Library ("the House that Bribery built), nor the secrecy and violation of the law in not pursuing this pardon through the normal channels including getting comments from the prosecutors and judges.
But Bill Clinton was a busy and important man. Those minor details must have just slipped his mind. When potential criminal violations are involved, his legendary memory seems to fade in and out.
Oh, there is just one other possibility. Perhaps Bill Clinton is a lying sack of sh*t, and he no more means what he says here than when he stuck his finger in the face of America and said, "I did not have sex with that woman." I dunno, it's so hard to choose which analysis is correct. Maybe I'm biased, but I tend to go with the lying sack of sh*t explanation.
The (More er Less) Honorable Billybob,
cyberCongressman from Western Carolina
I feel violated! Posting an article from the most shameless and disgraceful President in US history on FreeRepublic seems kinda like bending over in San Francisco and getting a bad suprise.
I suggest all within the sound of my voice [or the click of my keybaord] write the NYT and ask them why they chose to give Clinton a forum to speak, a forum that allows him to go unchallenged by the very nation he has betrayed. Why give him a platform that allows him to go unchallenged by the families of those dead servicemen laying in the desert while Marc Rich traded with Iran.
Forget Clinton, let the NYT have it.
I never got past the first sentence - "I want to explain what I did and why..."
This is impossible for the Great Obfuscator himself.
The suggestion that I granted the pardons because Mr. Rich's former wife, Denise, made political contributions and contributed to the Clinton library foundation is utterly false. There was absolutely no quid pro quo.
Was he wagging his finger as he wrote this?
....write the NYT and ask them why they chose to give Clinton a forum to speak, a forum that allows him to go unchallenged by the very nation he has betrayed.
Simple answer....greed. If the NY Times refused it, another paper would have grabbed at the chance. It's $$$, that's all it is about. That is why I refuse to take The Times, and enjoy telling the telephone solicitors that ask me to subscribe why I refuse to do so.
"The case for the pardons was reviewed and ADVOCATED....by three distinguished Republican attorneys..." Hah, here's the chink in the armor welded by the spin team. We must employ their tactics. Concentrate and keep hitting on this obvious LIE! This will create doubt in the WHOLE statement. A trick the left uses all the time.
Leni
Me, too. Refused to read it. Also, people who have nothing to hide usually don't even bother to respond to their detractors. It's the liars who go in to these lengthy, involved tap dances about why they did what they did. We all know clinton is a supreme liar. Judging from the length of this latest spew, he's really got a lot to hide this time!
This man has an ego that just won't quit, too. He drones on and on, thinking we are all just dying to read every word his majesty writes...you are a classless imbecile, clinton. You are totally, 100% repulsive in every sense of the word.
the accusations made against me in this case have been particularly painful
I feel your pain.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Well, you know, I finally skimmed part of this. If Kendall and Quinn did help write it, I think they CLEANED IT UP so that it wsan't even MORE lying and self-serving. He probably told them he had the piece ready to go, and they decided they had better rework it to keep him from offending everyone in North America.
I am sure the original had references to Cap Weinberger, President Bush's "stolen" victory, how he is just a "poor boy from Arkansas", how he deserved that furniture, etc. etc.
Probably it even had a slam at Reagan, in fact, I am SURE the house reference was in there.
I would pay cash money to get my hands on the rough draft.
That NY Times article that you linked to has apparently been revised. William Bradford Reynolds, the third of the Republican lawyers named by Clinton, now also denies that he supported or had anything to do with a pardon for Marc Rich. That's three out of three now who deny Clinton's claims.
I have two questions: If this appeared on the Op-Ed page, doesn't that mean this is only Clinton's "opinion," as in "opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one?"
and
Should Toon be giving any kind of a statement, except with his attorney present, when he is under investigation by Mary Jo White as of last week???
On the other hand, It is nice to know that the pardon is not valid, since it only becomes effective "on the completion of sentence".
Can you cite a source or provide a link for this, please? I have yet to see the text of the pardon. I'm still wondering what crimes it covers.
If his lips are moving; he's lying!
Those three Republican lawyers should sue the CREEP for libeling & falsely connecting them to the Rich pardon.
This one should have been a given - after all, Clinton did send Carville over there to help Barak win the election. Which, BTW, was for the purpose of being able to control Barak - and which, did not work out too well for Billy. Clinton thought Barak would fold and Billy could get the nobel prize for bringing peace to the middle east. However, Barak found part of his backbone and wouldn't cave into Billy's demands. Thus, the PLO was extremely irritated that Barak wouldn't fold as they had been promised. Once a traitor, always a traitor.
So, to dump on Barak is absolutely no surprise at all. It's Billy's typical get even technique.
REALLY good photo of the next Mayor of New York City, and future Gov. of New York State!
The Washington Post has already ripped this op-ed apart on its front page
Jealousy is always such an ugly emotion. It particularly grieves me to see such great pillars of the media establishment as Bill Clinton, the Post, and the Times going at one another hammer and tongs.
Ah, well. They can put a little ice on that. We'll just have to keep getting our news and views right here.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
He didn't write this, so go ahead and read it. If he wrote this, in the middle of every paragraf (biting my lip now) would be inserted. If ,at the END OF THE DAY Terri(?sp) wrote this it would be the BEGINNING OF THE DAY. I think Terri with an i looks more fitting.
Has anyone else noticed that Clinton has never said that he's done nothing wrong, only that there's no evidence that he's done anything illegal...
Kind of makes you wonder, huh?
Mark
"In other words his reasons were 1. so that they could vote for Hitlery in 2004, 2. because Marc's x had been so nice to him and 3. because he was paid so much money to do it."
WORKS FER ME!!
What was it Shakespeare (Sp?) said, "me thinks thou protesteth too much". In normal English, I think that means that those who are the most guilty are the ones who protest toooooo much that they are innocent.
Clinton, you always remind me of what floats to the top in the bowl....
Actually, Clinton is the little piece that that keeps hanging around, even after 3 or 4 flushes. It just refuses to go away....
Clinton seems to make a great effort to establish that the power to pardon is unrestricted in the president and stands to defend the Framers of the Constitution for giving it. There is no argument here. This is absolute and at some point, checks and balances come down to where you have to put trust into the last check and the last balance.
He goes on to say, "Some of the uses of the power have been extremely controversial," and this is where he doesn't get it. It is not the use of that power but the abuse of that power that is the issue. It is not a legal issue to be proven but an abuse of a trust that must be exposed.
Close the tags, thanks.
"The suggestion that I granted the pardons because Mr. Rich's former wife, Denise, made political contributions and contributed to the Clinton library foundation is utterly false."
This overblown gigolo and lay-about never knows when to shut up. He has avoided paying for this trait, but if he keeps yakking that string of luck may just run out.
I couldn't read it either!!!
Next week in the New York Times: Bill explains his commutation of child molester Mel Reynolds.
The damage control was needed because it was reported that Deknees was going to offer to testify in exchange for immunity. SHE WAS GONNA ROLE OVER ON BILL (this time figuretively)....
Not one word about the fact that this man traded with the Iranians while Americans were being held hostage, nor one word about him trading with South Africa during apartide. But then, why would such little details like treason bother someone like Clinton?
Liar, Traitor, deceiver, sex fiend, rapist, white trash! Did I miss anything?
...thief...
I couldn't read it either ---- I'll just read all of your comments
A president may conclude a pardon or commutation is warranted for several reasons: the desire to restore full citizenship rights, including voting, to people who have served their sentences and lived within the law since; a belief that a sentence was excessive or unjust; personal circumstances that warrant compassion; or other unique circumstances.
Marc Rich never served a sentence and has not lived within the law otherwise he would have faced justice; Marc Rich was only indicted, never sentenced (excessively or unjustly); Clinton never explained personal circumstances that warrant compassion (is he on his deathbed making a repentance?); This must be some "other unique circumstance."
"I pardoned him because he is the greatest money-launderer in history, and I need his services.
Whoops! I think he left that one out.
Fixed?
Money talks! Follow the money - Rich gave generously to Iraeli charities and got the Israelis to beg his pardon. And Rich's ex-wife and daughters gave generously to Clinton, his co-prez, the DNC, and his library. Remember when HIS LIPS ARE MOVING, HE MUST BE LYING ---- AGAIN.
Iraeli should be Israeli - sorry, it's late and I missed this one. But Bill Clinton is still a very accomplished liar, among other criminal tendencies he exhibits.
As Billy Martin once said of Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner, respectively, "One's a born liar (HILLARY!), and the other's convicted."
Isn't it interesting that the only forums Clinton could get for his unchallenged defense are (1) Geraldo and (2) the NYT. Birds of a feather...
Notice the gratuitous mention of pardons going out to those indicted by the "Independent Counsel?"
Is he whining about having to pardon Susan MacDougal again?
And why doesn't he justify step-bro Roger's pardon specifically?
This must be some "other unique circumstance."
Sure there were "unique circumstances". An excessivly large donation to the Great Pyramid of Arkansas.
"While I was troubled by the criminalization of the charges..." "I knew the men's companies had settled their disputes with the government, but I did not know what personal liability the individuals might still have for Energy Department or other violations." DUH..........WHY DIDN'T HE BOTHER TO PICK UP THE PHONE????
I don't think he WANTS to go on TV.
To the American People:
I want you to know why I did what I, as President, I did. I did it because I am I. I want you to know that. That is why I am I. I really am. Every decision I made was consulted by I. I acted out of faith in I.
I had no interest in DA Knees Richards 42 Inch Chest. I want you to know that. My eyes never noticed those, err them. I swear. And everthing I did as President I did so because I believe in I. I mean it.
By the way, I am NOT going away. I thank you.
Mr. Libby's response to this should be interesting.
Heard on the news tonight Libby denied having ANYTHING to do with this.
bump
"Put it this way...if he was Pinnochio, he could sniff the cocaine from the table in his brother Roger's house in Arkansas....from his Harlem office." .......I was beginning to sign off and get ready for bed, but your remark HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Thanks
not to mention murderer, pederast, deceiver, devil incarnate...
"The column was part of a damage-control campaign organized in recent days by lawyers and former White House aides to counter the controversy. Clinton's personal attorney, David E. Kendall, wrote the first draft, and advisers such as former White House chief of staff John D. Podesta worked extensively on the final version."
see #74
"not to mention murderer, pederast, deceiver, devil incarnate..."
Hey! You left off degenerate pervert and sadist.
The suggestion that I granted the pardons because Mr. Rich's former wife, Denise, made political contributions and contributed to the Clinton library foundation is utterly false.
But the suggestion that he granted the pardons after Rich deposited several million dollars in a numbered Swiss bank account controlled by Slick Willie and Hilly may be perfectly true.
Time for a reprise:
From "Bill Clinton - Vast
Bubba Cons"
(parody of "Bob Dylan - At Budokan"):
FOREVER DUMB (parody of "Forever Young")
(Dedicated to all SOB's [Supporters of Bill])
May God bless and keep my lawyers,
May my bitch not piss-off Jews,
May y'all do it to each other,
And let the government do it to you.
May ol' Bill still matter to the stars
And rise above his scum,
And may you stay, forever dumb,
Forever dumb, forever dumb,
May you stay, forever dumb.
May ya’ cooperate with leeches,
May you grow up to be fools,
May the knowledge of my half-truths,
Just block the light around you too.
May y’all ignore outrages,
And let my guys take all your guns
And may you stay, forever dumb,
Forever dumb, forever dumb,
May you stay, forever dumb.
Forever dumb, forever dumb,
May you stay, forever dumb.
May old "Handsome" always be sleazy,
May the meek always vote left,
May I mask equivocations,
When the winds of change may shift.
May my herd always be loyal,
May my throngs always be numb,
And may you stay, forever dumb,
Forever dumb, forever dumb,
May you stay, forever dumb.
RealAudio sound clips and ordering information at FreeSpeechRecords.com.
Also Available on Amazon.com
There he goes again, shakeing his finger at the American people!
clinton:
"There isn't a shred of evidence..." ---from
DECLARATION
OF SONYA STEWART The president,
still suffering from a raspy voice, and ordered by his
doctor to rest his vocal chords, carried a briefcase as
he strolled to the waiting helicopter to return to Camp
David. He wore a leather jacket and was followed by an
aide
of inaugural papers.
15.
Mr. Grafeld told me, referring to Judicial Watch's
allegations that Commerce Department trade mission
seats were sold in exchange for campaign
contributions, that "(Judicial Watch Chairman and
General Counsel) Klayman is right on target"
but
that he believes that the trade mission issues were
"only the tip of the iceberg -- that the really big
money went towards Presidential access."
Mr.
Grafeld indicated to me that he believes that Ms. Moss
was asking for political contributions in exchange for
seats on Commerce Department trade missions, likely
at the direction of Hillary Rodham Clinton,
In fact, there were effectively no security procedures
at the Commerce Department to ensure that sensitive
and secret documents and/or any documents which might
evidence criminal activity stayed in the building. The
purported letters referenced by Mr. Grafeld and
Nolanda Hill could easily have "left the building"
absent sufficient procedures to secure them.
clinton
hunt-and-peck
bump!
You forgot, "it's only about sex" -
I wish I could forget that angle-- it's all so cheesy & sleazy & sordid.... kind of like being forced to witness the bathroom habits of somebody you do not like very much in the first place....
Every time I see or hear about "that Rich woman" I think back to an incident a couple of years ago in Miami where a "patron" of a, ahem! strip joint was suing one of the... errr.. "girls who worked there" for knocking him unconcious with her, ummm, "augmented" mammary glands.... is that image fitting, or just too crude?
Whatever, I just can't get it out of my mind...
BUMP
BTTT
The Washington Post has already ripped this op-ed apart on its front page
Thanks for posting the Washington Post analysis of Clinton's statement, Timeout. It is good reading.
I could not bring myself to read the text of this post.
Neither could I; however, FoxNews listed the points this morning.
For those who are still believers in clintbilly, they will say "See, he had good reasons."
For those of us who know that the only truth the man ever spoke was "Never" when asked if he would resign, even hearing FoxNews report the points was a waste of time!
But most of all, I pardoned Rich because his ex-wife gave me millions of dollars and a blowjoob.
100 visits=100 blowjobs.
Correction -- average 1.5 bj's/visit = 150 bj's
I can save you from posting this with one sentence:
If you've got the money.....Billy's got the time.
Didn't the New York Times publish Ted Kazinski's ravings too?
Note to New York Slimes: Bill did it for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Have you got that?
No interruptions, no cross examinations.
Uh huh.. NOW he calls on the Constitution to back his deeds. Funny how many times did he chose to ignore it and tromple on it?
The foul mouth of this TPT(Trailer Park Trash) infidel is being "reported" by the pressitutes that claim to be the honored 4th estate. Amazing! Will they ever quit?
This evil has been denounced, get that straight! His power has been removed!
The dawn has come for a great free people, and a saviour has been chosen. Right has replaced tyranny, and the Lord God is looking with favor on our land again. The powers of evil have been defeated. The fight was long and hard, but it was done. Rightiousness pervailed, and the goodness of the living God has been proven. The honor of the 4th estate are hanging on a thin thread. It is their plight to repair it, or sink in to the depths even further. Follow this evil man and they will undoubtedly fall to those depths.
Note to the 4th estate: Integrity is a verture that has no price. You can sell your soul to the Devil, but you can't buy it back.
Poor old chap, Slick Willy, after 8 long hard years he must surely be suffering from a huge blithering kool-aid hangover!
All I want to know is why he took the money and why he took the furniture and why he had Denise Rich visit him 100 times last year in the WH while he was suppossedly working hard for the American people and why he pardons a man who didn't pay his taxes?
After all Clinton loves taxes. The more the better. Gee, I wonder how many of Senator Tommie Daschel's Mufflers he could have bought for the good citizens of America, or Lexus's for the wealthy?
Well I'm sure Billy Clyde Clinton was so busy shredding the evidence that no one will ever know why, but he had a lot of fun while he was visiting and shredding, or shedding....hmmmm.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
.....stupid idiot acts like he's Rich's co-counsel.........
I shudder to think he was at the helm of our precious
democracy all those horrendous years....
....only did was best for HIM not the country.....
....he's no better than a traitor!!!!!!
Re your #17-Which is hilarious, by the way.
What's sad is the fact that if he actually said that, then a lot of this would not be happening. Want to know why? 'cause it's de truth, and de truth will set you free; Praise the Lord!
FReegards,
Shouldn't that last line read William Jefferson Clinton, Impeached 42nd President of the United States?
Billybob is whining again. Just because others have done something doesn't make it right. What a baby!
The funny thing here is the DEMOcRATS associate oil people with the REPUBLICRATS.Who is this oil person associated with?
LOL - OUTSTANDING WORK!
WRITTEN IN CLASSIC LAWYER-ESE: CRIMINAL OFFENSES HIDDING BEHIND A WALL OF INTRICATE LIES
My first question during the hearing would be, please name the individual or individuals that donated as much as Denise Rich that did NOT grant a pardon. Since you mentioned that other contributors to your library requested pardons that you denied.
"Note to the 4th estate: Integrity is a virtue that has no price. You can sell your soul to the Devil, but you can't buy it back".
An astute observation of what the bastards are attempting.
They now "appear" to have had the veil removed from their eyes -- and NOW they "see" the truth...
Much of the major media has been seen to have been willing co-conspriators in Clinton's crimes..
THAT will not be forgotten or forgiven...
Clinton will have best served America, when he assumes room temperature.
Semper Fi
These are not reasons, they are rationalizations for having taken the bribes. His previous statement about nobody having any evidence he had been paid for the Rich pardon was more Clintonesque.
Anyone see Giuliani on Face The Nation this a.m.? Punched major holes in Clinton's propaganda letter.
What could be more obvious?
While wagging finger.
"I did not have sex with that pardon."
Why won't this MF'er just please go away?
Six lies.
".(7) the case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff;. . ."
In fact, pardon neither reviewed nor advocated by any of the three. His misrepresentation of Holder's "opinion" (his own team-mate!) makes 7. I'm sure there are more--I'm just a dumb truck driver.
No kidding. The New York Times will stop at nothing to defend Klinton and will allow thier tainted pages to be used as pure propaganda for Klinton's lies.
roll over one more time , time.
bump
"I did not have
any involvement in the pardons that were granted or not
granted," insisted Sen.
KnowNothing,
seeming to forget her presence at the New-Square/Oval-Office
schmooze that secured pardons for the four Hasidic felons
who set up a phony school in Brooklyn to swindle the
government out of millions intended for the poor.
|
HER: Sen. KnowNothing Victim Clinton Effectively Pleads 5TH by Invoking Spousal Privilege
|
WASHINGTON- February 22. Sen. KnowNothing Victim Clinton held her premiere press conference today on Capitol Hill, ostensibly to answer questions about the peddling of White House pardons by her brother and her campaign treasurer. Notably absent among the press queries were any about her own involvement not only in those pardons, but in the larger universe of sold pardons--the incipient clinton scandal du jour--Pardongate. KnowNothing's brother, Hugh Rodham, secured two of the 141 clinton midnight pardons, one for a cocaine kingpin and the other for a snake-oil swindler. Rodham netted a quick $400,000 for his "work" according to various rodhams and clintons and their assorted lawyers. KnowNothing's campaign treasurer, William Cunningham III, himself a law partner of longtime KnowNothing adviser Harold Ickes, helped obtain last-minute pardons for two convicted felons. LA FAMIGLIA Displaying a willingness to throw her brother (along with her husband) to the wolves, Sen. Victim Clinton was quick to make a distinction between her big, bad brother's pardon "work" and that of her campaign treasurer, "a fine lawyer and a fine man." The "family" connection of brother Rodham to Clinton made brother Rodham's "work" bad, bad, bad, whereas the campaign treasurer Cunningham's connection to the senator and her campaign coffers made his securing of two pardons in record time a sterling example of highminded, effective public service. KnowNothing is apparently not the best of thinkers. If the "family" connection makes lobbying for cocaine-kingpin and snake-oil-swindler pardons bad, bad, bad for brother Rodham, then the "family" connection makes lobbying for the Hasidim 4 (see Keating 5) pardons bad, badder, baddest for the wife, First Lady and senator-elect. Moreover, pardons for votes is arguably worse than pardons for dough. EFFECTIVELY PLEADS 5TH BY INVOKING SPOUSAL PRIVILEGE KnowNothing specifically declined to answer when asked whether she discussed the pardons with her husband, effectively pleading the 5th. Turning aside questions about the pardon decisions her husband had made, she told reporters they should address those issues with him and his staff. She refused to say whether he should agree to appear voluntarily before congressional committees investigating the pardons. Interestingly, no one asked her whether she would agree to appear voluntarily before those same congressional committees. I DIDN'T HAVE SEX WITH THAT PARDON "I did not have any involvement in the pardons that were granted or not granted," insisted Sen. KnowNothing, seeming to forget her presence at the New-Square/Oval-Office schmooze that secured pardons for the four Hasidic felons who set up a phony school in Brooklyn to swindle the government out of millions intended for the poor. RESURRECTING RUFF KnowNothing noted that her"best memory" was that she never spoke to her brother or to Mr. Cunningham about the pardons. With variations of "I don't have a memory" and "my best memory, and avoiding the more obvious "I don't recall" and "my best recollection," KnowNothing reprised the Ruffian standard used during the clinton years to commit perjury without penalty. I GET LETTERS ...or more precisely, envelopes. During her denials of involvement in any of the pardons, KnowNothing made the curious claim: "People handed me envelopes, I passed them on [and never opened a single one. Honest.]" I AM VICTIM Reprising the role of victim that enabled her to win a senate seat in spite of record-high personal negatives and public failures, the senator peppered her answers about big, bad Hugh (understanding that the subtext was big, bad Bill) with "saddened" and "disappointed" and "heartbroken" and "shocked." UTTER CONTEMPT FOR THE PEOPLE This session today was cut short by a staffer when reporters appeared dissatisfied by Senator KnowNothing's lack of candor. In the end, this press conference full of poses, poll-tested phrases and prevarication was just another display of the clintons' utter contempt for the people. Bill Clinton committed the same error last Sunday in his shameless, lie-filled New York Times Pardongate Apologia. The clintons' fundamental error: They are too arrogant and dim-witted to understand that the demagogic process in this fiberoptic age isn't about counting spun heads; it's about not discounting circumambient brains.  |
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Anoter point of view..
"Many feel that the real problem for Hillary is in the Rockland country Hasidic community. Four people were convicted, and pardoned, but millions of dollars disappeared, and MANY other people took the cash..
Now, if the US atty, MJ White, gets these folks on income tax evasion, they'll cut a deal to avoid jail, and will spill the beans on Hillary.
THis is supposedly where White's investigation is aimed...May not be enough to secure a convinction, but enough to cause her to resign, possibly this summer...There's said to be lots of talk about this in DC.-......."
**Bill Clinton: My Reasons for the Pardons**
He would have been better off if he just said: "The devil made me do it. Honest.".
Regards, Ivan
The Voice of Conservatism in a Captive Nation - FREE BRITANNIA
My
I was Of course,
The
Rebbe told me plainly that The
Rebbe's face became very sad. He said that the
clintons have irreparably damaged our society.
He said that the clintons would have made
Goebbels proud. Heard an
interesting rumor from several people there. I won't
mention names or networks,but they obviously know what's
going on. Many
feel that the real problem for Hillary is in the Rockland
country Hasidic community. Four people were convicted,
and pardoned, but millions of dollars disappeared,
and
MANY other people took the cash..Now, if the US atty, MJ
White, gets these folks on income tax evasion, they'll
cut a deal to avoid jail, and will spill the beans on
Hillary.
THis is supposedly where
White's investigation is aimed...May not be enough to
secure a convinction, but enough to cause her to resign,
possibly this summer...There's said
to be lots of talk about this in DC, but I haven't
read anything about it yet. Too hot for
speculation..hmm??? Also, if she does leave, Pataki names
the new senator, so it has to happen soon. I think so,
cause the pressure will be immense, from all sides,
including the Dems. --ken5050 "I did not have
any involvement in the pardons that were granted or not
granted," insisted Sen.
KnowNothing,
seeming to forget her presence at the
New-Square/Oval-Office schmooze that secured pardons for
the four Hasidic felons who set up a phony school in
Brooklyn to swindle the government out of millions
intended for the poor. YOO-HOO ANDREW SULLIVAN,
USEFUL IDIOTS OF THE PRESS Paul
Greenberg,
The
man is an artist: He's not
just
'Slick Willie' anymore Rumor has it
William Jefferson Clinton himself is to recite Honest Abe's
lines in this New Year's Eve pageant. Whoever writes these
scripts has a natural talent for irony. For some
irrepressible reason, one cannot help but think of that
costume party in "The Manchurian Candidate,'' complete with
Red Queen and Abe Lincoln in stovepipe hat and fake beard.
Hillary Clinton
says it's a great opportunity to unite the nation. (The way
she's united New York?) But the Clintons are never so
polarizing as when they are intent on uniting us. How can
that be? Maybe it's their perfectly fabricated authenticity.
The Nineties have had much the same effect, stirring the
same vague dissatisfactions -- and sparking sudden outbursts
of temper. What was it that poor, embarrassed David
Brinkley, thinking his mike was off, said after the
president's victory speech in '96¿ "We all look forward
with great pleasure to four years of wonderful, inspiring
speeches, full of wit, poetry, music, love and affection,
plus more goddam nonsense.'' Hey,
what
a
party!
New
Year's at the White
House by
Mia T In seven years,
they have, collectively, uttered not one memorable word
save, "It was a vast right-wing conspiracy," "I did not
have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky,"and,
"It all depends on what the meaning of 'is'
is." Even the clintons'
attempts at alliteration fall flat. Compare Agnew's
(Safire's) "nattering nabobs of negativism" with
clinton's "preachers of pessimism," an impotent,
one-dimensional, plagiaristic echo (its apt
self-descriptiveness notwithstanding). Before they
destroy their backs along with their reputations, media
gentry genuflecting at the altar of the clinton brain
should consider Edith
Efron's, Can
the President Think? A
wasted
brain
is a terrible thing.
HILLARY!-Lieberman chat with a
Lubavitcher Rebbe
loading
groceries into my car, when, for an instant, I
thought Tevye (from Fiddler on the Roof) had
jumped (à la Purple Rose of Cairo)
directly into the parking lot--his black fedora
ringed with payos (sidecurls), his
scraggy face softened with fuzzy beard,
tzitzit (a white, four-cornered garment
with special tassels) peeking out from beneath
his black jacket. On closer inspection, I
realized this man was more golden-opportunity
Lubavitcher
Rebbe than
silver-screen Tevye, so I approached him.
HILLARY! clinton and Joe
Lieberman had immediately come to mind. What did
the Hasidim think of the anti-Semite and the
pharisee, I asked.HILLARY!
clinton won't win. He said that she is viewed by
New York Hasidim as an evil anti-Semite. He said
that they will be splitting their vote, an
intention underscored by their bumper stickers,
which read "Lieberman/Lazio". . . in hebrew.
HILLARY! clinton's heart and
nerve, he basically has it right. Anatomy is
destiny...
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