Clinton Impeachment

This is a decidely left-of-center blog (or it will be when I get some more content written) but, when it comes to the Clinton years, I wasn’t a big fan. He did a nice bit of Wag the Dog-esque bombing, to the detriment of those who recognized that Iraq wasn’t a threat, and paving the way for his successor’s invasion.

More importantly: His impeachment was justified. Claiming in a sworn deposition that he didn’t have “sexual relationship” with Miss Lewinsky came close enough to perjury that he should have been put on trial for it. He was aquited, which was also, in my mind, the right outcome, since “sexual relationship” is such a nebulous term.

Yes, there was a massive amount of media BS, yes the right wing was on a witch-hunt, yes, it was none of Ken Starr’s business, but the fact remains, he received Teh Oral Secks from an intern, then swore that he didn’t have a sexual relationship with her. That’s close enough to perjury to warrant a trial. The correct response would have been something closer to the truth, or “none of your damn business, you panty-sniffing freak” or anything that wasn’t so close to a lie.

Bush should be on trial in the Hague for crimes against peace.

Clinton was right to be put on trial for perjury.

These two statements are not in any way in opposition to one another.

In Soviet Russia, the Party can always find YOU!!!

Ok, so for my first substancial post, I’m going into hard-core conspiracy mode. Might as well start out crazy.

Why is the Bush Regime so insistent on including Telecom Amnesty in the Protect America Act renewal? They have been willing to throw people under the bus before, why not now? Perhaps because the left blogosphere really wants Telecom amnesty stopped, or they really want corporations to think that there is no possible downside to breaking laws when the Bush admin demands it.

My theory: If the Telecos don’t get immunity, when the inevitable civil suits come arround, it will come up that the DOJ made it clear that refusal to cooperate would lead to jail time for the CEOs. Correlation isn’t causation, I know, but Qwest didn’t cooperate with the DOJ’s illegal requests, and look what happened to them. Nacchio is almost undoubtedly a crook, but to my cynical mind, the odds are against major Teleco execs not being crooks.

For this to be plausible the DOJ would have to be infested with Bush hacks, who think that answering to Rove is more important that dispensing justice. Not that the entire DOJ would have to be this way, much of it could still go about business as normal, investigating supremely corrupt congressmen regardless of party. Certain party hacks, however, would be devoted to prosecuting those in Rove’s sights, and if they didn’t, well USDAs serve at the pleasure of the President.

Summary: The DOJ is using selective prosecution of crimes to persuade companies, specifically, Telecoms, to violate the law if the executive branch demands it. Furthermore, the reason Telecom amnsesty is being pushed so hard is that if civil suits procedes, the fact that a notable fraction of the DOJ is inarguably working as Rove’s henchmen will come to light. Justice is relative, the real crime is to oppose the Party. Hell, it’s not like the Bush admin cares about fairness.

Unfortunately, what should be a wacko conspiracy theory is really goddamn plausible.

F1RST P0ST

the “o” is a zero, by the way