How many of us who were around during the Clinton Impeachment remember the sacred principle known as THE RULE OF LAW? Remember that one? On an almost daily basis, Republicans from the Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich to Ann Coulter were telling us that this was THE fundamental principle that our democracy was founded upon and that NO ONE, not even the president of the United States should be allowed to violate it.
That's fine and good. I agree with the above statement that no one is above the law. And our friends on the right were telling us this almost 24/7 during the Lewinsky matter. It was why Clinton needed to be removed from office immediately and then prosecuted and sent to prison.
Now, we know that Republicans are NEVER hypocritial, right? Intellectual consistency is their forte, isn't it? Well, it shouldn't shock anyone, but apparently it is not. Consider, if you will, this smattering of right leaning editorials:
From the Wall Street Journal, one of the entities that wanted Clinton gone for (allegedly) committing perjury and obstruction of justice:
Mr. Bush will no doubt be advised to wait for the outcome of an appeal and the end of his Administration to pardon Mr. Libby. We believe he bears some personal responsibility for this conviction, especially for not policing the disputes and insubordination in his Administration that made this travesty possible. The time for a pardon is now.
From the New York Post, which was also a pro Impeachment cheerleader:
Taken at face value, the verdict means that the jury refused to believe Scooter Libby's claim of having a bad memory - though the witnesses against him all showed equally bad, even conflicting, recollections about the same event.
Libby's lawyers yesterday confidently predicted he'll be vindicated on appeal.
He shouldn't have to wait.
President Bush should make things right - by pardoning Libby.
Sure, he'd take a lot of political heat for it. But Libby was in the dock because of politics - and turnabout is fair play.
Free Scooter Libby.
http://www.nypost.com/...
And there's this from former Senator Fred Thompson, who voted to convict and remove Bill Clinton from office on the very same charges that Scooter Libby has now been convicted of:
Like most Washington political fights, very few participants have been left unscathed. Among the results of this investigation and trial, there will be less cooperation by public officials in future investigations and less ability of reporters to get information. We should ask ourselves: Are our institutions or is our sense of justice stronger because of this prosecution?
http://article.nationalreview.com/...
Thompson's quote is telling. Here is a man who insisted that the leader of the free world needed to be overthrown, even though he was never even charged with these crimes, but is now implying that our system of justice is out of whack because a Republican aide to the #2 man in the country has been proven guilty in a court of law of these same charges. What a difference 9 years makes. It's clear the Republicans never believed in the RULE OF LAW in the first place. It was just a rhetorical club with which they beat Clinton and the Democrats.