   | Oops! Another Bad "Tripp" for Starr! Saturday, September 12th, 1998 -- ON THE ROAD IN UPSTATE NEW YORK -- Anyone care for a little good news this morning? It turns out that there's a minor bombshell buried inside of Kenneth Starr's newly published "Beyond the Valley of the Interns" -- and a good thing for the pious Inspector-General that none of the corporate media outlets picked up on this one yesterday! An article in this morning's Washington Post focuses on a tiny portion of Starr's impressively footnoted tome, in which the burgeoning smut author states that he has launched an investigation into Linda Tripp and her testimony regarding tapes she made of phone conversations with Monica Lewinsky! That's right. Starr essentially admits that serious questions about Tripp's testimony exists -- in as few words as possible, of course -- but does not go so far as to say the obvious: this apparently small incendiary device carries enough firepower to explode Starr's handling of the entire Lewinsky fiasco. Tripp asserted in her testimony before Starr's grand jury that all of the tapes she forked over were originals. Well, guess what, smut fans? Starr's report mentions that preliminary FBI tests on several of Tripp's party tapes show evidence of having been duplicated! And to top that off, one of them "was produced by a recorder that was stopped and restarted during the recording process." That's waaaay bad news for Tripp: the amateurishly edited and apparently duplicated tapes "raise questions about the accuracy of Ms. Tripp's testimony regarding her handling of the tapes," in the words of our favorite emerging "blue" author Starr. That's a polite way of saying that Starr is probably more than a little torqued that Tripp appears now to have perjured herself in multiple instances -- and realizes it could land his entire investigation in hot water. And now Tripp finds herself under two investigations -- the other, by Maryland state prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli, is asking whether Tripp violated Maryland state law in making hot'n'bothered tapes of phone calls with Lewinsky. Already, Montanarelli's investigation has turned up what appears to be corroborated evidence that Tripp in fact knew she was violating Maryland law -- something she repeatedly said not to have done by wirtue of ignorance of the law. Radio Shack employees who sold her the phone taping device have testified otherwise -- they testified that Tripp was told. All of this raises a number of troubling questions concerning both Tripp and Starr: How long have they actually known each other? How is her zeal to get an anti-Clinton book deal through Lucianne Goldberg a factor in these tapings? How exactly does Goldberg fit into the bigger picture? Did Goldberg use her network of contacts to influence either the Jones case or the Starr investigation? When did she first have actual direct or indirect contact with the Paula Jones legal team? Just what were her actual motives in officially contacting Starr's office about these tapes? Did Starr have proper authority to wire Tripp for the one surreptitiously taped conversation with Lewinsky in January -- before his jurisdiction was expanded? Wouldn't want abuse of power raining on the Starr pornfest! Did Starr let leaking of salacious material from these tapes -- including the apparently edited and duplicated tapes -- to go on under his nose? Or was he aware that Goldberg allegedly had copies of the tapes? If so, why did he not move to prevent her from leaking them? And that's just for starters. Keep in mind that Starr's report makes only passing mention of Whitewater. We don't know why -- but we'd be willing to guess that testimony by Starr's "star" witness, discredited ex-Judge David Hale, was found too questionable. And if the same proves true of Tripp, by the time the dust settles Hale may not be the only discredited ex-judge to make headlines, if you catch our drift. We'd bet our bottom dollar David Kendall has!
Comments and Letters on the Starr Report Saturday, September 12th, 1998 -- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- We wanted to take the opportunity to pass on some of the many letters we have received from readers, plus a few choice comments from politicians and members of the press. --- The Editors Subject: Get a Grip It may be TOO much to ask you stand by Bill. You never have. But how about not running like jackrabbits? This report has nothing. It's your behavior that will be the "news." If you stick together, you'll get through it. Anne Lloyd Subject: Chenoweth's Adultery Million dollar question: If a tree falls in a forest and the media refuses to report on it, does it make a sound? <sarcastic smile> Regards, Subject: Re: American Politics Journal -- September 11, 1998 We are witnessing an electronic Coup D'Etat. I regard all this an attempted Coup D'Etat by the right wing. Thank you for all you are doing. Subject: Re: American Politics Journal -- September 11, 1998 It was and remains axiomatic that once it became clear no possible charges could be made to stick to either Bill or Hillary, Starr had no choice but to grasp at straws. In fact it seems to me that Starr was aware that Tripp's tapes were recorded illegally and would not be permitted in a court of law. The two remaining options were the court of public opinion and the Republican-controlled Congress. The public kept rebuffing his innuendoes so Congress remained his only venue. Unfortunately for him, Congress does fear the voters a little bit. In the event that the public displays displeasure with the charges, the Congress will at most attempt to blackmail Clinton into screwing up Social Security so that when it collapses they will be able to claim that a Democrat signed the bills into law. Like all psychotics they will claim they hurt the country only because they were not permitted to have their own way in all things. It is not their fault they were forced into evil. It was the liberals who made them do it. Some years ago someone noted that I was not fond of republicans. I was asked if there were any good republicans. I said that the only good republican is a dead republican. I also added that the only good politician is of any party is lying on his deathbed and begging forgiveness for all the crimes and transgressions that were committed with his/her complicity during the time they held office. P.S. I challenge anyone to comprehensively define the term "politician" and/or "elected official" and leave out the concept of ready willingness to prevaricate in order to achieve and/or retain office. Subject: Well, isn't the future of america [sic] getting brighter i read with some interest your report on the cost of the starr investigation. wasn't he appointed by janet reno who was appointed by bill clinton? hmmmm,how ironic. i'm sure the cost of the report would've been more in the ollie north range had the white house not stonewalled all the subpeonas. just your average american making your average observation "Our thesis holds that Paula Jones and her husband Steve Jones may have fraudulently used the discovery process into 'other women' with malicious intent to humiliate Mr. Clinton and damage him politically. Materiality is a theme, as is the question of whether obstruction of justice can be pursued by Starr in the context of the Jones case when Lewinsky evidence was not material to the outcome of the Jones case." -- Jane Prettyman, The Real News Page, 9/12/98 Subject: Salacious Starr report Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 13:40:30 -0700 From: rabbit1 To: American Politics Journal -- New York The pack had the scent now. The wild dogs slobbering saliva from their jowls, nostrils flaring with the victims stench, breathed heavily whispered sounds, sex, lie, adultery, obstruction. Sam, Wolf, Tim, and Chris could see their prey now and like the dogs they are began leaping What are we going to have here. Will the decision of the citizens as expressed in election be thwarted. Will the small 15% of Ultra Conservative Right Wingers succeed in bringing down the government of the United States. Will America become a theocracy with the strings of power in the hands of TV evangelists like Robertson and Falwell. Stonings every Friday night, folks. Is that the future of this country. Citizens! We must resist. WE must call upon our Representatives and tell them to stop these bogus proceedings. There are NO high crimes. There is only the insatiable Ultra Conservative, Pseudo Religious, Right Wing desire to bring down an effective President who has kept the hands of government from every woman's womb and fostering their religion on our children at school. This is political folks and there is absolutely no reason for impeachment. Please write, phone or fax your Representative and demand an end to these bogus proceedings. Contact Congress here. Subject: Today's Article Re Starr NON-REPORT I am extremely upset (but not totally surprised) to read that this "report" contains nothing but sex and lies (by Monica to save her own fat, manipulative, sorry ass) about an affair. I am even more outraged that members of Congress, Republican judges and politicos, and their ilk have staged this obvious disgrace of a campaign to take back the White House, a White House that they lost because Bush was not connecting with the average American, just those fat cat rich bastards who want to make sure that they continue to make out like fat rats in a cheese factory. For those of us who have not declared a moratorium on thought, you are a much needed breath of fresh air. I only hope and pray that you can reach the President and tell him that we want to see him (1) sue that manipulative, spoiled and poisonous wench just on GP, for being the predatory slut that she is (and probably lying about Bill and the extent of their "activity" just to be able to use her "stay out of jail" card), and for whining and bitching to a low-rent snitch who masqueraded as a "friend," all the while egging her on to continue the relationship and (2) sue Ken Starr, the Rutherford Institute, Linda Tripp, Lucianne Goldberg and anyone else who has harrassed, betrayed or otherwise attempted to skewer him and his family in their desparate attempts to overturn two elections. As a legal secretary, I believe this qualifies as malicious prosecution (persecution???). I say several billion oughta do it! From: JM I'm sure you are aware that Starr got into the Jones case at the behest of Mrs. (Judge) Silberman who stated that she represented the Independent Women's Forum. That right-wing group is funded mainly by Richard Mellon Scaife. Do you think that someone will draw all these ends together and bring it to the public? I am sick and tired of this witch-hunt but I feel so helpless. Very few people are aware of how corrupt this investigation has been. Sex sells!!! |
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