…where he belongs!
I didn’t want to blog about this, but since everyone else is doing it, I decided to do it, too (yes, if everyone jumped off a cliff, I’d jump off, too). Here’s a synopsis: Sandy, National Security Advisor under Clinton, pilfered classified documents to help the Democrats, Clinton, himself and the Kerry campaign. Minions surrounding Berger will be the ones to get fired. As for “Sandy” himself, watch for a book and a fat advance next year.
Although Sandy stuffed his pants with secret papers, John Kerry, the man who wants to be your president, said it was an “honest mistake.” The sad part is that people who want to believe that nonsense will believe it.
Berger is not going to jail because the old boy network has too much to lose if he does. Republicans and Democrats do this stuff, probably more than we all realize. Berger took the files to withhold information that makes Clinton look bad and used information that makes Kerry look good (to the unfortunate souls voting for him). That’s my assessment.
If Berger goes down for this, he’s taking a lot of people with him. That is why he’s not going to jail.
Warning: I am about to make some bold assertions. The left’s hatred for George Bush runs this deep. Men are willing to end their careers, subject themselves to shame, criminal charges and risk our national security to bring him down. May we all get what we deserve.
I hate this and don’t know what else to say that hasn’t been said. Look at this tripe:
Democrat John Kerry’s presidential campaign accused the Bush White House on Wednesday of disclosing a criminal investigation against former national security adviser Sandy Berger for political gain, while Republican lawmakers announced their own probe of Berger.
So what if the “Bush White House” leaked it? Something criminal transpired. Who cares about the timing? What Berger did could very well have undermined our national security. But so what, right? Republicans leaked Berger’s criminal activity, which now renders the American people incapable of forming a rational judgment about what Berger did.
I’m feeling irrational right now. When I’m this angry, it usually happens. The whole system is corrupt! Berger’s no worse than any political bottom-feeder in Washington.
You know what? Politicians think we’re all stupid sheeple playing follow-the-leader games as they act unscrupulously right under our very noses. You know what else? They might be right.
Berger Bloggers:
Blogs For Bush
Evangelical Outpost
Aaron’s Rantblog
Baldilocks
Discriminations
Michelle Malkin
Backcountry Conservative
Instapundit
Vodka Pundit
{ 35 comments }
Of course I’d jump off a cliff if everyone else would, unless we were directed by a cult leader. And nice site redesign (saw the link at Fringe) - nice pic of you.
I still maintain that it wasn’t the drafts themselves that Berger was interested in but the handwritten comments on the drafts. Anone who has commented on a document under revision knows that the comments are often much more revealing than the document. I believe that is why he took the documents, because of something in the comments, something worth taking this big chance for.
Compare this to Watergate. Chuck Colson did time for admitting to illegal access of FBI files.
Of course, no one ever took responsibility for the hundreds of illegal files held in the Clinton White House. We do have a different Justice Department in charge now. Perhaps that will make a difference in the prosecution of Berger.
I think this incident is one of the most discouraging political events in a long time — not so much because of what Berger did, although that’s bad and criminal and should be punished severely, but because of the response to it in certain quarters. The NYT focuses not on the scandal itself (hellooooo? A former National Security Adviser took not one but perhaps as many as six copies of the same code-word classified document on different occasions, and now cannot find some of them!) but on when the White House knew about it, and CNN replaces the Berger lead on their news updates with personal interest stories. It is discouraging to see what we have allowed ourselves to come to as a culture and a community.
I think you’re dead right, La Shawn — the whole system is corrupt, on all sides and in all quarters.
I think G. Gordon Liddy said it best on Scarborough Country he sarcastically wished there could’ve been a (paraphrasing) *simple resolution” to his Watergate problem, as the Party of Clinton seems to think is gonna happen.
Ann Coulter ’bout fell outta her chair.
He also asked: Where is the Justice Dept. on this?…….alluding to what just happen with Martha Stewart on relatively less, though post-offense perjury is clearly nothing to sneeze at. Berger can simply go down for the classified document offenses AND lying like a true Clintonista.
Speaking of which, ya think we can go back get Clinton’s butt now? Send him the the Lewisburg, PA Federal Hilton? Okay, my wishful thinking. A black man can have dreams can’t he? (I don’t believe I just played the race card!!)
Ashcroft needs to get with program and quit muckety-muckin around. The new democrats are making a mockery outta him.
Beau,
Lets be inclusive and diverse on this, can’t I share the dream too:-) (Ahh…finally seeing Clinton where he belongs…)
Since lying to a Federal agent is in and of itself a crime, just the fact that he would say that he did this “inadvertently” should get Berger a trip to the slammer.
La Shawn,
The new site looks very nice. I like that your picture is now at the top of the page (where it belongs). BTW nice pic of you and Star.
You are absolutely correct in your assesment of this situation. Things like this make me feel irrational too. The Bush haters will be able to totally look past the criminal and security issues, and spin it that the investigation was leaked for political gain, totally ignoring any discussion about what Berger did, and why he did it. To think that this man was once in the same powerful policy making position that Condi Rice now occupies is positively scary.
Berger will in all likelyhood never be charged criminally on this, unless it can be turned into a misdemeanor. No one be they Republican or Democrat will be after charges because they will be thinking “There, but for the grace of God, go I”.
Jail him.
Fine him.
Well, glory be to God, Montie. We may get that fool after all.
And if it wasn’t so crooked, it’d be hilarious. They act like they just slipped & fell & pocketed the documents!! “Oops, sorry bout. Bye, bye. Going to check my direct deposit.”
Take it from me, I was a CMS (Comsec Material) Custodian in charge of handing out & getting pack cryptographic material from Navy P-3 Orion Naval Communications Officers.
Would you believe they sent a P-3 down to Ft. Lauderdale from Brunswick, Maine to get me off leave when a piece of 4×2 inch paper was unaccounted for? Nothing foul was goin on, it was found, but that was nothing compared to this!!
And considering the Clinton administration is long gone, I’d say the boy had neither a TRUE clearance, nor the need to know.
Oh John!?
Later, Mont.
This whole thing makes me ill.
If I were to ever-so-slightly violate ANY security procedures or even do something as stupid as stealing classified documents (which were MORE SECRET than nuclear launch codes), I’d be dead meat.
Berger should have his head nailed to a desk.
Ughhhh! It makes me crazy thinking about - that’s why I haven’t written about it….yet.
Something else G. Gordon Liddy said, and he wasn’t the first: Can you imagine what would happen if Condi Rice had tried to sneak a secret document (or even notes) out of the National Archives in her clothing? Do you believe there wouldn’t be banner headlines in the NYT, and calls for a special investigator, and dark hints of impeachment for the president? Can you say “Double Standard”?
Congratulations on the move. Love your new place. Wish I had a housewarming gift for you. Changing the link on my blogroll right now. Best,
If you don’t mind me commenting off-topic, love the new digs. But is your RSS link working? I can’t link to it. Hope life after Blog*Spot treats you well.
There are enough people in this country that have experience in handling classified material–like that funny, crazy Beau and myself. For us, the media fixation on the timing of the revelation and whether the documents were copies or originals is infuriating. Whether Mr. Berger lifted these documents to deliver to President Clinton, to destroy, to wallpaper his kitchen or to wipe his butt–which may have been the case, in light of where the docs were placed–he deserves to go to prison. But, like you, LaShawn, I doubt that it will happen.
Lars,
To paraphrase the great antique collector Fred Sanford - that’s S-A-N..F-O-R-D, period….”You ain’t lyin; You ain’ neva lied”. Dr. Condoleeza Rice packin up her purse on the way out?? Puh-lease.
Before long, She’d be draggin a cross up a hill with some dude behind her carryin a bag-a-nails & a hammer. After they yanked all her fingernails out.
We need to serious consider changing that double standard to “squared” or “cubed”………as much as our liberal caretakers apply it as they do.
Heaven help us all. What’s next?
I hate it. No government official’s head rolled for September 11, and no one’s head will roll for this.
With ny deepest apologies to Dr. Seuss:
“I am Sam. Sam I am.”
“Did you stuff your Sandy pants?”
“I did not stuff them. I did not stuff my Sandy pants.”
“Did you stuff them here or there?”
“I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff them, not a chance.”
“Did you take those secret docs? Did you stuff them in your socks?”
“I did not stuff them secret docs. I did not stuff them in my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff them. I’m not France.”
“Did you take them from the box? Are you acting like a fox?”
“I’m not a fox who took the docs from the box. No secret docs inside my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff them,” was his chant.
“Did you shred them? Did you? Did you? In the trash? Where, oh where’s that secret stash?”
“I did not, did not shred the stash of docs in socks into the trash.”
“I know you have them. You will see. You may soon just have to plea.”
“I will not, will not make a plea. Not in my trash! You let me be. I’m not a fox who took the docs from the box. No secret docs inside my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff them,” said the sycophant.
“You lie! You lie! You lie! You lie! How could you just flat out lie?”
“I did not lie! I will not a plea to docs in socks! You let me be. I’m not a fox who took the docs from the box. No secret docs inside my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff my Sandy pants. I did not stuff them,” he continued to rant.
“Say! In the dark? Kerry says he’s in the dark! Is he really in the dark?”
“I really kept him in the dark.”
“Would you, could you, please explain?”
“I did not lie! I will not a plea to docs in socks! You let me be. I’m not a fox who took the docs from the box. No secret docs inside my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them anywhere!”
“You did too stuff docs in socks! Witnesses are on the dock.”
“I did not stuff them. I’m not France! My name is Sandy. See? Here’s my pants!”
“Could you, would you, be Clinton’s scapegoat?”
“I would not, could not, be his scapegoat!”
“Would you, could you, alter votes?”
“I could not, would not, alter votes by taking docs to Kerry’s dolts. I will not be Clinton’s scapegoat. I will not even try to explain this inadvertent shell of a game. I did not lie! I will not plea to docs in socks! I’m not a fox who took the docs from the box. No secret docs inside my socks. I did not stuff them here or there. I did not stuff them ANYWHERE! I did not stuff my Sandy pants! I did not stuff my Sandy pants! I did not stuff them. May I please have back my pants?”
“You did not steal them. SO you say. Liar! Liar! You will pay. Tell the truth, or you will pay, I say”
“Sam I am! If you will let me be, I will testify it wasn’t me.”
“Uhh, Sandy? What’s that sticking out of your socks? Are they those missing secret docs?”
“Say! I HAVE the docs! I do! I do have those docs! I took them,” said Sandy Pants! “This WILL alter votes! And I WILL be Bill’s scapegoat. And I WILL go to jail in shame for playing this political shell game. And I DID lie. I’ll have to plea to docs in socks. Oh my, oh me! I am the fox who took the docs from the box with secrets here so plain to see! You see? I did so stuff these docs in socks. I did so stuff them here and there. I stuffed them practically EVERYWHERE! I did so stuff my Sandy pants! Just let me serve my time in France!”
We are not worthy, we are not worthy!!
(Bowing up & down in reverence to Trubador)
(MEMO TO ME: You are not EVEN in his league, so don’t even think about it, Mr. Wannabe Funnyman. That was classic.)
Hmmmmmm…I think I’ll go shopping tonight, and have some new clothes inadvertently, mistakenly, and without my knowing it’s wrong slip into my socks and under my clothes. Hey! Leave me alone! Why am I being arrested? Who leaked this to security? You people are wrong and bad for telling security that I’m stealing clothes. I am not! It was an honest mistake. I don’t know how they got in my socks and under my clothes. Really! I wouldn’t steal anything. You can even ask my friends LaShawn and Beau. They would tell you that I’m an honest, upright person, and this was all an honest mistake. Yeah, Right! I would be in jail in 2 seconds flat if I did that.
Here’s some interesting articles from World Net Daily on this. The second one is very interesting in that it shows Berger refusing to go after Bin Laden FOUR different times!
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39594
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39612
I guess the evidence against Bin Laden isn’t so skimpy anymore! Berger has been Kerry’s security advisor on his campaign. If this is the type of security we would have under Kerry, Bush should have 100% of the vote come November. Well, maybe 90%. Hollywood doesn’t care if we’re all killed.
The only reason the Dems won’t speak out on this is that they really don’t feel that they can be wrong in anything. They are always right. They feel that they are above the law, and if anyone points out a wrongdoing or says otherwise, prepare for the personal attacks to discredit the whistleblower. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” I do seem to recall from history that many people were punished for Watergate and a President resigned over it, especially after Woodward and Bernstein wrote an expose on it. Big Question: Is Woodward going to consult “Deep Throat” again, and write an expose on the corruption of Berger and Clinton? Where’s is that “unbiased”(sarcastically speaking) reporter?
Sam I am, I do not like Green Eggs and Ham, but I relish Trubador’s pan.
*asks Beau to skootch over so she can sit in the wannabe funnyman’s(or woman’s) section, too.
La Shawn,
Did you see where someone is alleging that Kerry’s website had ‘intelligence recommendations’ that seemed to be from the missing files? Sounded like Berger shared them with the Kerry camp.
Trubador, that rocked ROTFL
Arrrgh. This is all so pathetic.
Where is the decency and honor, let alone civility? Steven den Beste at USS Clueless about The Bush Masterstroke”–granted Bush has a MO of rope-a-doping the Moonbats time and time again. But I want to see some righteous anger and a attitude adjustment of ethical behavior.
I understand that Bush had problems getting traction on Domestic issues due to the “stolen election” rhetoric. But seriously, if absolutely nothing else changes in the next 4 years, I’d be satisfied with tearing down that elevated platform from which the elites conspire to lord it over the common man.
Mr. Bush, the economy is doing fine and will continue to take care of itself. And aside from social security and tort reform, since you are going to win by a landslide (hopefully with generous coattails), this is your Domestic Mandate:
1) Start with any public officials for whom the statutes of limitations haven’t yet expired and “book ‘em, Dano”. If it takes out some of “our own”, so be it.
2)Next fill up all the empty judicial seats by ramrodding serious legal scholars over the objections of sandbaggers–it’s your perogative Mr. Bush, so do it and quit worrying about bi-partisanship. I think Bork could make himself available. No quarter given to attempts to reformat traditional rules and procedures, like the “super-majority” crap for processing appointments. Shortcircuit legislation-by-proxy by making it so that Judges can no longer legislate from the bench and legislators are made to take credit for any legislation they pass/reject.
3)We the People OWN the government, so take it and the documents it generates–excepting security/confidential materials–and put it squarely back in the public domain, catagorized and indexed so the average Joe can find it on the web.
4) Finally return the government to us by using your bully pulpit to call for term limits for all elected officials, so Mr. Smith gets a chance to inject some common sense, and cHillary won’t have a leg to stand on come ‘08.
Ahh rats, who am I kidding…
Anyway, it’s my dream and I can cry if I want to.
It’s sad when someone will sell their principles, and common sense down the river for a few extra votes.
Glad you have a new website. Sandy Berger commited a crime, as a lawyer he knew it and proceded to break the law and steal security documents. How many documents did he steal, alter, destroy or flush down the commode at the National Archives. He was J.F. Kerry’s political aid, so who else is involved? If it was the opposition party, they’d be constructing the gallows right now. He knew better, jail him.
Some of our friends on the left think it is no big deal that Sandy Berger removed/lost sensitive national security materials copies exist? Well, think again because the drafts of the documents he lost/destroyed DO contain precious and potentially revealing handwritten notes and other explanatory materials as explained in this article.
Here is the excerpt that explains why this is important:
Now crucial drafts of an important report are missing, and no one has reported if exact duplicates–not “copies”–have been found. Unless and until “red-lined” versions of the previous and following drafts are produced and compared to the “missing” drafts, we will never know what vanished from the record in Berger’s pants. Could it have been a reference to Osama’s flight from Sudan, or a warning of airplanes as missiles? No one can know unless some other repository existed for all of the drafts, and only if copies of all handwritten notes exist in that same file. The trouble with widely circulated papers is that principals make handwritten notations on all of them, which are then returned to the central record keeper. Every “copy” is an original if a note has been made in the margin.
I’m not saying that Berger necessarily had any sinister motives for his actions. However, the fact that these documents are apparently lost forever means that critical information that could have explained some unanswered questions about the governments failures leading up to 9/11 is now gone.
Sandy Berger stole and destroyed Top Secret documents on several occasions. He distracted the Archive staff and evaded security procedures. If he isn’t prosecuted, the US government should stop pretending to classify anything.
They should stamp documents Top Secret Unless You Think Otherwise and Hey Why Not Top Secret.
But Janet Reno is no longer Attorney General.
Berger was in the Archives by request of Bill Clinton, doing the former president’s bidding. Now he is in trouble and the Clinton shadow government is in a bind. Look for a Webb Hubbell replay: make-believe cooperation and a windfall of Chinese-Indonesian cash for the Berger family.
Berger’s thefts took place back in October but no charges have yet been filed and Berger has still not been interviewed.
The DNC party line is that the Justice Department held off until this politically advantageous moment. But that makes no sense. There will be better, more damaging opportunities later. Now is the best moment for Democrats to leak this, not Republicans. The Clinton shadow government had their minions briefed and their spin ready.
It makes you wonder how many lives would have been saved if the Clintons had been as dedicated to destroying al-Qaeda as they are to spinning scandals, coordinating lies, and slandering Republicans.
Both the administration and the Dems knew about this investigation from the beginning. Since it was going to come out in the 9/11 report this would be the ideal time (for the Dems) to ‘leak’ it. Blaming the White House is just smoke or a reflex action.
By the time their convention gets underway this will disappear from the mainscream media. Watch. It’s already fading from many ‘news’ sources.
I fail to understand why Berger is not already facing some serious charges leading to some serious jail time. Anybody else would already be serving time in the cross-fire hotel.
You know, God set down a law that says: “Thou shalt not steal.” There’s a good reason for it — 9/11 might not have happened! This guy ought to be put in the “Pit of Despair” with no chance of coming out.
By the way, Trubador, that was an immensely funny parody! I loved it!
Shayne
Love the new site La Shawn. Love it. It loads faster, looks better, its easier to read. Great job.
__________________________
Everyone else has said pretty much what’s on my mind about the Berger thing. I am so angry. If it was you, or me, or anyone else we know we’d be cooling our heels in an orange jumpsuit not acting indignant that people are asking about our behavior. We’d immediately be thrown in chains, hauled to jail, strip searched, hosed down and locked up til trial - no “out on personal” bail. Then we’d be crushed through the criminal justice system like a grape through a sieve and locked away to be beaten and raped for a few years.
These guys act offended that people even look at them funny. And the media plays right along. We’re told it was an accident. We’re told its an evil Repug leak.
1) This makes far more sense as a Dem leak than a Pub leak. If its a Pub leak it was stupid. It should have been leaked immediately after the Dem convention when they had been strutting around with Berger for a week and were getting their post-convention bounce.
2) These weren’t “copies”. They were original drafts of an after-action review of national security results post-2000 with hand-written notes from high administration officials in the margins. They are forever lost since he destroyed them We’ll never know for sure what they said. They archives are permanently scarred from this critical time period immediately prior to 9-11.
3) Accident my ass. He repeatedly went back to look for different copies of the draft that had been passed around and took them all. If this was an accident why did he only steal copies of this single draft? Was sticking them down his socks and in his pants and accident? Anyone that’s worked in a secure facility knows why he was hiding them in his clothes.
4) The Kerry camp didn’t know? What rot. Clinton admits he knew for months. So berger is under investigation for commiting a fedral crime for months, Clinton knows etc, Berger is a senior advisor to Kerry, but nobody told the Kerry campaign? Uh huh….sure.
I am sick of these people thinking they can flaunt laws that the rest of us would be locked up for violating - then laughing at us on our TVs. It makes me nauseous. I don’t care who did the crime, Ken Lay, Martha Stewart, Berger, Clinton…pick anyone Pub or Dem. Its time for them to pay the same price the rest of us would pay.
Does anyone else wonder if Berger still has his Top-Secret Codeword security clearance even now?
Lock them up. Their fans in the media can interview them in the pokey.
I think you’re right, LaShawn. No way will Berger go to jail. I doubt he’ll even be charged. He could take a huge number of folks, including Repubs, with him.
The whole 9/11 report can be summed up: The US was attacked. It’s not liberalism’s fault! Imagine my surprise.
This affair has been quite nostalgaic…”Oh, it’s no big deal..”; “Oh, it was just an honest mistake, committed by a Faithful Servant of the American People…”. Reminds me of the good old days of the 90s.
It never ceases to amaze us about the free passes one obtains as a result of having the magic letters of “L.D.” (Liberal Democrat) beside his/her name. A far-fetched remark? Just ask Gary “Lady-Killer” Condit, Bill “China’s Doll” Clinton, Gray “Campaigning in Churches” Davis, Barney “Gay Whorehouse” Frank, Gerry “Boyfriends” Studds, John “Turncoat Gigelo” Kerry, Ron “Fidelista” Dellums, Ted “Stunt-Driver/Hate-Monger” Kennedy, David “Pushers’ Pal” Denkins, etc., etc., etc..
Would Republicans commit the offenses perpetrated by the honored list of names above and keep their careers, or their freedom?
Not likely.
You’re right he wont go to jail. He will get a hefty fine but that is for show purposes and will be enough for average joe sixpack to say “Gee they fined him $50,000 what do you want.” Joe sixpack wont realize that that is chickenfeed for Berger.
This entire Bergler thing is getting very, very odd. He also took stuff relating to the Oslo Accords
AND links via the Blogfather, put stuff in
“AND adding an entirely new layer of intrigue to the story is word that telephone calls made by Berger during those latter two visits may have been monitored by an “unauthorized agency.”
Very nice site!
Oh, oh, oh my! This is a very interesting article!
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005403
If, when I was in the military, I had done what Berger did, I would now be looking at the world through the bars at Leavenworth.
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