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Doc's DIS-patch
April 23 --- New York (APJP) -- Pundits and pols on the hard right are girding themselves for what looks to be impending failure by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. His investigation into alleged wrongdoing by the President -- over a land deal in which then-Governor Clinton and his wife lost a sizable sum of money at the hands of ripoff artists including the late Jim McDougal -- has spun out of control and into a fishing expedition and attack on the President’s private life.
Americans have not been fooled by these anti-democratic attacks in the phony guise of "moral outrage," and the President’s approval ratings continue to rise.
Which leaves people like Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, with only one alternative:
Call the President names and intimidate his friends.
Last week, Burton met with the editorial board of the Indianapolis Star, which quoted Burton as saying about Clinton "If I could prove 10 percent of what I believe happened, he'd be gone. This guy's a scumbag. That's why I'm after him."
The problem is, he can’t prove ten percent of the phonied-up charges against the President. He has failed at uncovering evidence of wrongdoing by Clinton. And he continues to push completely discredited fantasy rumors that Bill and Hillary Clinton’s friend Vincent Foster -- who had killed himself in the throes of depression -- was "murdered."
So, in his frustration and deep-seated personal hatred of Clinton, he turns around and calls Clinton a "scumbag."
To make matters worse, Burton later said he "stands behind the comment."
White House Spokesman Mike McCurry's reply was on the money, saying that Burton's use of a two-syllable vulgarity was "rather ambitious."
Memo to Dan:
I'm sure that you're relieved that you’ve finally come clean on why you’re out to "bring down" the President -- plain and simple, you just don’t like him, so you’re trying to do your part to overturn the results of two fair and free elections in which Clinton quite clearly won. And you’re failing miserably.
Not only that, but if you think calling the President names in front of the press isn’t going to be made public, you must be a complete fool.
As if that weren’t bad enough, on top of bad-mouthing the President, you add injury to insult by planning to make public tape recordings of Clinton friend Webster Hubbell's prison telephone conversations. He’s done his time for tax evasion and mail fraud tied to his phonied-up legal billing records, but you can’t resist an opportunity to further embarrass Clinton and Hubbell.
There’s a term for this, Dan. It’s called "abuse of power." If your party were in the minority, you’d be kicked off the committee faster than you could say "Let’s go shoot some melons in my backyard."
In fact, ranking HGROC Democrat Henry Waxman (CA) has already written Attorney General Reno about the situation, citing not only abuse of power but an onerous -- and possibly illegal -- invasion of Hubbell’s privacy.
Waxman also dropped you a note both restrained and measured in tone: "Please ask yourself whether this is the attitude and approach toward congressional investigations that the American people have a right to expect."
Waxman also told the press that he feels "that's a vile comment for a congressman to make. Here you have the man who is the Chairman of a committee that's doing the investigation on campaign finance and other abuses, and he's out to get the president. He's pretty much indicated he's on a vendetta."
He’s got a point, Dan -- especially in light of not only the heavy-handed investigative tactics you allowed your committee to use, but your utter failure to uncover anything resembling a crime on the part of the President.
So instead you continue shooting yourself in the foot and letting your staff help you. Your spokesman, Will Dwyer, said the Hubbell tapes will be released "in the course of committee business" and that "the American people should know if senior White House officials conspired to buy Webb Hubbell's silence."
Problem is, the contents of the tapes reportedly show NO evidence of such a conspiracy. The American people will know that despite your efforts you have utterly failed to prove any conspiracies -- and that your only goal is to bad-mouth and embarrass people who you just plain don’t like.
You are a member of the Congressional leadership that swore it would live by the same laws Average Janes and Joes must abide by. May I remind you that these laws include the Privacy Act, a law whose spirit and letter you are breaking by releasing these tapes? If the Democrats were in the majority, it is YOU who would be dragged before the Government Reform and Oversight Committee for this unethical and possibly illegal act.
I know you’re going to "explain" your comments of last week later today, and I expect the same shameless grandstanding that has put off the American public and made you the laughingstock of the Beltway. Even Newt Gingrich -- the man who manoeuvered you into your Chairmanship -- reportedly has expressed his regrets over this foolish decision to allow such a flaky loose cannon the power position you hold.
The only way to redeem yourself in the eyes of the majority of Americans would be a full apology for the name-calling. And we hope you can explain why you absolutely must ignore the Privacy Act when there is reportedly no "there" there on the tapes.
But I doubt you’re man enough to say you’re sorry, or explain your actions. At your advanced age, it’s probably impossible to change your tactics of leadership by namecalling and intimidation.
'Nuff said.
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