A most ringing indictment on our political culture is the extent to which Powell and Fitzgerald are held up as heroes and, I’ll say it, honorable men — to the point where we’re to care who an opportunistic “Republican” like Powell is going to vote for in 2012, having publicly supported a left-wing socialist in 2008.
That Scooter Libby was prosecuted while Richard Armitage wasn’t even been sanctioned for what we’re told was an egregious leak that the liberal myth makers have turned into a narrative of right-wing malfeasance — a leak whose source Powell and Fitzgerald knew — is proof, to my mind, that the current Democrat party (and many RINO estabishment types) would with alacrity, could they get away with it, punish conservatives who best represent opposition to institutionalized leftism. And they would do it with hardly a second thought.
We were witness to, and expected to simply accept and move on from, the scapegoating and destruction of a public servant for strictly political ends.
Libby’s prosecution was a travesty of justice. And it speaks poorly of us that the hue and cry surrounding it has never reached the fever pitch it should have.
I’m embarrassed, frankly, at what we’ve allowed the greatest country ever conceived to turn into — all because we fear what the left will do and say.
Check back with me after you get a bunch of smelly hippies camping out on your front lawn, eh?
Whazzat?
You brandished your non-metal brass knuckles and a nifty knife and they scattered like roaches?
Huh.
Government actively (and passively) doing injustice is threatening our standing political order. Silly geese like Powell and Obama think they can continue doing wrong and no one will notice. They undo themselves.
Powell was always at best a weak player for the Republicans once he entered politics. I think the only reason the left is interested in his endorsement (I doubt anyone on the right is) is that they hope he will again choose racial identity rather that political expediency. Then again, perhaps racial identity is a political expediency of its own, just one that’s antithetical to what I believe this country is actually about.
I was always under the impression that a prosecutor was to stop investigating when it could be confirmed that no crime had, in fact, occurred. Apparently Mr. Fitzgerald believed otherwise.
This is also a case where what we think we’re doing when we’re interpreting matters, as in sloppy reasoning leads to sloppy outcomes in the real world (to put it mildly).
There was never any crime here, but they investigated anyways. And they kept investigating until they got a set of “facts” that matched up with their predetermined “crime.”
The White House punished that Plame woman because her husband exposed the fraud that led to an unjust war. Scooter Libby’s conviction for the process crime of perjury proves it, sorta.
You blame Powell and Armitage and not Bush? Bush at least could have gotten Libby’s sentence commuted, if not outright pardoned.
In this one case, I blame Bush.
Bush should have pardoned Libby, yes. And I blame him for not doing so.
But my gripe here was with those who stood by and watched the prosecution (or engaged in it) knowing at the time what they knew.
Agreed about Bush.
And did you just imply that Powell and Armitage aren’t good men?
Colin Powell is without doubt one of the most corrupt and cowardly pieces of shit ever to serve as secretary of state
Gen. Colin Powell is what you get when you mix the US Army and Affirmative Action.
Scooter was the poster child for why there is such a thing as a presidential pardon. Bush is in the same category as Powell and Armitage. Self interest over justice. It’s the story of the establishment ruling elite.
“And did you just imply that Powell and Armitage aren’t good men?”
I imply that Powell and Armitage are what we used to call in the Army “buddy-fuckers.” Nothing lower.
Powell should stop being a buddy fucker it’s never too late to change you just have to put your mind to it
But my gripe here was with those who stood by and watched the prosecution
Every one of those SOBs in Washington have something in their closets that they don’t want exposed, so they can’t afford to denounce travesties of justice and other corruption.
Bob Schieffer is running a nice little influence factory there – all of his cronies get to come on and trash their enemies – John McCain, Colin Powell, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham.
And Tim Russert too, in terms of leaving Libby twisting.
Well said Outlaw!!!
“Bush at least could have gotten Libby’s sentence commuted”,
Slart,
He did commute the sentence:
But justice really demanded a pardon.
Thanks for the correction, Danger.
I should always Google before posting. GIMF.
Powell was a fine field grade officer, not a bad general officer, started to get a bit in over his head when he was elevated to the top of the flag ranks, and was “Peter Principled” as Sec State.
I don’t particularly give his ruminations much attention – it is a pity others do. I guess we can only point out what a bend-in-the-wind, anchorless man he seems to be.
Oh, and Richard, in the spirit of the new, polite age in which we live…. we usually call them “Blue Falcons” now. As in “Say, I now know what the story of our Brigade should be called! ‘Flight of the Blue Falcons, 2004-2005’!”