ORRIN HATCH'S "RULE OF LAW" IS FOR DEMOCRATS ONLY

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ORRIN HATCH'S "RULE OF LAW" IS FOR DEMOCRATS ONLY

Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is like the kid who shot both his parents and then pleaded for “mercy” from the Judge because he was an orphan and had no one to care for him.

Just look at these examples of tortured hypocrisy “Orrin Hatch style”:

Orrin Hatch was instrumental in holding up Clinton appointments to the Federal bench in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Now that there are too many vacancies as a result, he is blaming the Democrats for partisan behavior in not filling the Republican-caused backlog with Bush Federalist Society appointees. The Democrats are impeding the administration of justice, Hatch charges.

Orrin Hatch led the Senate Judiciary Committee in insisting that President Clinton could not “parse” the truth and had to fully answer questions about his Paula Jones testimony. Now Orrin Hatch claims that the Democrats are persecuting Ted Olson because they won’t just take his word for things, even though he clearly played fast and loose with the truth, parsing language in his initial oral and subsequent written testimony, even, perhaps, perjuring himself.

During the last few years of the Clinton administration, Orrin Hatch would not hold a hearing on any Clinton appointment to the bench if a home state senator of that nominee objected (read “thumbs down” requests from GOP senators). Now Hatch is calling the Democratic demand to extend the same “blue slip” policy to them a partisan attempt to slow down Bush appointees.

BuzzFlash has written many an editorial commentary about the Grand Hypocrisy Party Double Standard. But Orrin Hatch, who is being touted as a Bush appointed replacement for Chief Justice Rehnquist, has raised the double standard application to new levels of intellectual and political dishonesty.

This is not a tentative, milquetoast, dip-your-feet in the water kind of hypocrisy. No, Hatch practices the bold, brazen, bullying Republican brand of hypocrisy. He is being joined by a swaggering chorus of sneering right wing junkyard dog stalwarts like Robert Bork, Rush Limbaugh, the Wall Street Journal and the National Review.

Even Ted Olson’s wife has her friends weighing in, according to a New York Times article:

"I think it's part of this endless cycle of character assassination," said Barbara Ledeen, who is involved with Mrs. Olson in conservative groups. "They are paying back Ted and Barbara for their outspokenness about the rule of law in the previous administration."

Like a true character assassination turned “orphan,” Ms. Ledeen skillfully continues to attack the Clintons for violating the “rule of law,” while avoiding responding to the charge that Ted Olson violated the “rule of law” when he misled – even, perhaps, out-and-out lied under oath – the Judiciary Committee in sworn testimony. In short, Ted Olson, it seems, broke “the rule of law” in the same manner that he ferociously charged was an indicator of Clinton’s moral failings.

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, is demanding further investigation of Olson’s statements to the Committee. But however admirable the current actions of the Judiciary Democrats may seem, not one of them has spoken the simple, honest words that could disarm the Republicans and change the chemistry that currently forces the Democrats into a chronic servile position, like dissenters in Iran who have to choose their words carefully for fear of being silenced altogether by the country’s bullying regime.

This is what Senator Leahy should say:

“Senator Hatch, Ted Olson, in his testimony, made statements that appear to conflict with evidence that has come forward since the time he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Not long ago, you and your colleagues made it quite clear that the role of the Judiciary Committee was to ferret out the truth and that “parsed” or evasive testimony was not an acceptable response based on your concern for “the rule of law.” Indeed, during the efforts to impeach President Clinton, you personally stated that finding out the truth, wherever that might take us, was the most important goal. You said that the President couldn’t govern until he adequately explained the conflicts in his testimony. You were steadfast in applying “the rule of law” to his sworn testimony.

In the case of Ted Olson, we ask you to hold that same standard to a nominee of your own party – no more and no less.

To apply one “rule of law” to Democrats and another to Republicans is not fair. Some would even call it un-American.

We can only have one standard for investigating the truth, particularly when it concerns potential perjury -- whoever may be the nominee before this Committee, and whatever their party.

The American people want fairness and they want justice. They will not tolerate a strict standard of justice for Democrats and a less stringent one for Republicans.

The Democrats on this committee will object to the nomination of Ted Olson moving forward until such time as we can fully investigate the conflicts in his testimony. We know that you would agree that a person nominated to be Solicitor General must, in order to maintain the confidence of the American people, be cleared of any potential charge that might blemish his ability to represent the American people in the highest court of the land.”

Say it Senator Leahy, just say it. Put the bully in his place. The truth shall set us free.

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL COMMENTARY

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), May 19, 2001


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