A
story published last week proves my
earlier assertions that the reason why the Clinton administration has remained both corrupt and still in power is because the “opposition party”
is no
better.
On Wednesday, the wires put out a story briefly detailing a “secret memo” that had been written about two-and-a-half years ago by FBI Director Louis Freeh.
The memo urged Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint an independent counsel to look into denials made by Vice President Al Gore that there “was no controlling legal authority” preventing him from raising campaign money in his White House office. In short, the FBI thought Gore was lying.
Duh.
The article then went on to say that Justice Department investigator, Charles LaBella, who had also encouraged Reno to get an independent counsel to look into all White House fundraising practices, including Gore’s, also though the veep was lying.
Double duh.
Ah, but then we read this:
“In his 94-page memo, LaBella also said the Republican Party ‘had its fair share of abuses,’ including funneling $2 million in foreign money into the Republican National Committee in a single hidden transaction that may have been illegal. ‘The RNC accomplished what it took the DNC over 100 White House coffees to accomplish,’ LaBella wrote.” (emphasis mine)
“Republican Party”? I thought just the Democrats were doing this. “$2 million in foreign money”? I thought just the Clinton administration took “allegedly” illegal foreign cash. “A single hidden transaction”? I thought only the Clinton administration tried to hide its foreign contributions?
Well, well, well, Republicans. Shame on you and your phony indignation over Democratic indiscretions with foreign campaign cash.
I would say the next obvious question is to ask where this money came from. But, who could you ask? Nobody in D.C. has been honest about a great many things, least of all fund raising.
However, as LaBella’s memo hints, somebody in the GOP establishment already knows where it came from. Republicans — and the Republican National Committee in particular — know. They’d have to; if LaBella knows, the GOP knows.
But the GOP isn’t talking. In fact, for months Republicans didn’t tell us a thing about “foreign money” rolling into their party. They just pointed fingers at “the other party” instead and shouted, “Hey, look at them!”
Last week, nevertheless, there was
Texas Governor George W. Bush,
assuring anyone who would listen that things will be different when he’s in office.
No more corruption. No more “politics of war rooms and focus groups and enemies lists.” No more harsh tones and no more finger-wagging.
In other words, it sounds like he is saying that his would be “the most ethical administration in history.”
Hoo, boy. Where have we heard that one before?
Even if Bush turns out to be ethical and honest, he will still have to deal with the filthy histories of the charlatans serving in Congress.
Unless, of course, Americans boot them out on their posteriors en masse in November. Who among us seriously believes we don’t need to do that?
But I won’t hold my breath. Knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are two different things in politics.
In the meantime, ponder this: I’ve heard that continually repeating the same mistakes is a sign of insanity. With insiders Gore and Bush running for president and the known felons in Congress likely coming back for more terms after November … well, I’ll leave it at that.
How not to think about Syria
Josh Hammer