Time: Sun Sep 21 23:55:00 1997 by usr05.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id RAA00417; Sun, 21 Sep 1997 17:32:03 -0700 (MST) Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 17:31:46 -0700 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: The Fred Thompson Wimpout (fwd) <snip> > >http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/21safi.html > >September 21, 1997 >Thompson Take a Breather [a/k/a The Thompson Wimpout infra] >Safire, William >New York Times > >WASHINGTON -- Why, just as the investigation into Clinton campaign >corruption was hitting pay dirt, did Fred Thompson suddenly strike a >deal with Democrats to shift the hearings into a softer, gentler >discussion of legislative changes? > >Consider the momentum building: > >1. Venerable Gore, now wisely hiring criminal lawyers, was shown to be >fund-raising from Federal property for his own campaign, which forced >Janet Reno to shake up Justice's hapless bureaucracy -- in hope of >evading the law's mandate to seek court appointment of a real >prosecutor. > >2. Our rogue President, after selling face time to an engaging hustler >for $300,000, was shown to have directed his aide to be "supportive" >of the donor at the Energy Department. Mack McLarty swore this >attempted fix was merely "seeking information," echoing the words of >Sherman Adams to excuse his improper intercession for Bernard >Goldfine. > >3. One of two Clinton 1992 fund-raisers who became high officials at >Energy was shown to be a perjurer. "Somebody's lying," concluded a >senator. In that connection -- > >4. D.N.C. chairman Don Fowler was shown disremembering conversations >held with a C.I.A. operative named Bob to help sanitize donor Roger >Tamraz. This triggered a C.I.A. Inspector General investigation likely >to reveal abuse of authority within the Directorate of Operations. > >With all that -- plus evidence of China's fund-funneling -- what >caused Fred Thompson to veer off into legislative la-la land? His >reasons: > >1. The coming week's hearings were to be Democrats' payback time, and >G.O.P. leaders did not want to offer a chance to argue "everybody did >it." > >2. Thompson thought he was running low on ammunition. The best >witnesses -- Huang, Middleton, Trie -- were taking the Fifth or hiding >overseas. > >Only exposes on tap were the Democrats' ripoff of a Native American >tribe and the complicated tale of Gore confidant Peter Knight's >delivery of millions in contracts to donor Molten Metal Technology. > >3. After a slow start that drew media derision, Thompson reached a >level of interest and grudging respect that would be hard to maintain >(ain't gonna get no betta); soon the pack's mantra would become >"petering out." > >4. Thompson believes this is the time for a deep breath; to see if New >York U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White's prosecution of teamsters leads to >the A.F.L. and the White House's Harold Ickes (whom he will depose >again); to press the Freeh-Reno crowd on the Asian connection; and in >three weeks, to take another look at his hand. > >Is, Thus Thinking Tactically -- About How The Hearings "Play" -- >Thompson making a strategic blunder. > >A serious Senate investigation has three purposes: first, to use its >subpoena power to expose to public view, often in dull detail, the >widespread wrongdoing and potential lawbreaking that corrupted a >Presidential election. Next, with the public educated and aroused, to >shame the see-no-evil, conflicted Justice Department into action. >Purpose three: to propose legislation to make certain future >wrongdoing of this kind is prosecutable. > >But just when the committee's exposing purpose was getting traction -- >when front pages and even TV network news shows were paying attention >-- Chairman Thompson cut away from the chase. > >Because he mistakenly thought he was running out of fresh ammunition >and running out of time, the Tennessee Senator switched -- three >months too soon and to the White House's huge relief -- to the general >legislative purpose. > >It was part of a deal with Trent Lott to steal a march on the >Democrats' domination of campaign finance reform. > >With Thompson taking his heavy breather, who will take up the torch? >Not Ms. Reno's latest in-house delayer, who spent three years losing >to Imelda Marcos. > >That leaves it to Intelligence Chairman Richard Shelby, who plans to >examine Democratic penetration of the C.I.A. , perhaps publicly, as >former D.C.I. John Deutch urges; to Dan Burton's House committee, >bedeviled by cover-upper Henry Waxman but unencumbered by deadline; to >41-year-old Mary Jo (Death to Drug Smugglers) White; and to slowpoke >prosecutor Hickman Ewing Jr., administering water torture to Webster >Hubbell. > >Too bad about Fred Thompson's wimpout. Hope he catches his breath in >time. > >Copyright 1997 The New York Times Company > <snip> ======================================================================== Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness B.A., Political Science, UCLA; M.S., Public Administration, U.C. Irvine tel: (520) 320-1514: machine; fax: (520) 320-1256: 24-hour/day-night email: [address in tool bar] : using Eudora Pro 3.0.3 on 586 CPU website: http://www.supremelaw.com : visit the Supreme Law Library now ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this As agents of the Most High, we came here to establish justice. We shall not leave, until our mission is accomplished and justice reigns eternal. ======================================================================== [This text formatted on-screen in Courier 11, non-proportional spacing.]
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