Mittwoch, 9. September 2015
Dienstag, 8. September 2015
Considerations regarding Obstruction of Justice - President Richard Nixon and Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton
During the famous Watergate Scandal, it became known, at one Point, that the White House had installed an elaborate System for recording numerous Conversations with President Nixon. This Fact became known, almost offhandedly, when a certain Aide to the President, Alexander Butterfield, disclosed the Existence of the Contraption during a Congressional Hearing.
Obviously, a furious Battle thereupon ensued, to have the Recordings released and President Nixon, predictably, tried to do everything possible in order to avoid doing so. The Issue was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court and the Ruling went against the President.
Interestingly, at some Point or another, or perhaps at more than one Point, President Nixon, who was also a Lawyer, considered „erasing” or „destroying” the Recordings. Several of his Advisers, including James St. Clair, who was his Criminal Defense Lawyer, strongly advised him against doing so, because that would likely result in the President being accused and indicted on Obstruction of Justice Charges. Nixon ended up not erasing the Tapes (except for the Mystery of an 18 Minute Gap which was supposedly and inadvertently erased by President Nixon's Secretary, Rosemary Woods).
We think it is possible to put these Events into Juxtaposition with both hypothetical and current Events. Imagine yourself, imagine any of us, being in Posession of Evidence which we are asked to turn over to the Government, the FBI, any Federal (or lower) investigative Authority and refusing to do so. Worse yet, imagine that we would have erased or destroyed such Evidence, either before or after we were asked to turn such Evidence over. Any of doing such a Thing would find himself or herself in Front of a Federal Judge answering Charges of Obstruction of Justice so fast, it would make your Head spin.
But, and that is the interesting Thing, not Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton erased (deleted, whatever) Records which arguably were Recordings of Federal Government Correspondence, some possibly classified, some not (certainly Mr. Nixon's famous „Expletive(s) Deleted” were not classified, although deleted)...and now, she maintains among other Things, that she is „sorry” but there is an Explanation for everyting...that she is not going to issue an Apology...that she is concerned about other „Things and Issues” as she pursues her Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States.
There has been one Incident after another, concerning both Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, we do not want to mention the salacious ones here...there have been those and there have been others which, at the very least, involved bad Judgment and, possibly or likely, worse.
And, technically, using the Rationale of „Reductio ad Absurdum” we can even assume for a Moment that they, in this Case, Mrs. Clinton has (have) done nothing wrong. We can even assume that if Mrs. Clinton were to be dragged before a Federal Judge or Jury by the FBI and the Justice Department on Obstruction of Justice Charges, she would be found not guilty by a Jury of her Peers (or, perhaps, People of lower Stature than her).
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/clinton-says-sorry-for-email-confusion-denies-wrongdoing/ar-AAdXja0?li=AA54ur&srcref=rss&ocid=iehrs
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/clinton-says-no-email-apology-what-i-did-was-allowed/ar-AAe3cjH?li=AA54ur&srcref=rss&ocid=iehrs
We think such an Argument misses the Point.
Because, even in such a Case, the Question nonetheless remains, if this Country, at this critical Juncture in its History, confronted by a large Series of Problems which require not only good Judgment, Vision and Creativity...but also a Reputation and Integrity beyond Reproach...if this Country needs or wants a President who, Mrs. Clinton would argue, succesfully or not, is just on this Side of the Line of having done nothing illegal.
This is the Question which, ultimately, the Democratic Party would have to decide, irrespective of what Mr. Sanders is able to do in his Campaign and irrespective of whether Vice President Biden, who arguably may not have the intestinal Fortitude to endure an arduous Campaign, after the personal Tragedy which has beset him and, who, after all, is not young.
And if the Democratic Party decides that all this does not matter, then, even more importantly, this Decision, which is, it would seem, is not one to be taken lightly, would fall on the American People, whether to entrust the Destiny of coming Generations, the Destiny of America...into the Hands of Mrs. Hillary Clinton.
As Television Commentator Edward R. Murrow would have said (and most of us, admittedly, probably do not remember or do not even know who he was)...
„Good Night and Good Luck.”
Obviously, a furious Battle thereupon ensued, to have the Recordings released and President Nixon, predictably, tried to do everything possible in order to avoid doing so. The Issue was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court and the Ruling went against the President.
Interestingly, at some Point or another, or perhaps at more than one Point, President Nixon, who was also a Lawyer, considered „erasing” or „destroying” the Recordings. Several of his Advisers, including James St. Clair, who was his Criminal Defense Lawyer, strongly advised him against doing so, because that would likely result in the President being accused and indicted on Obstruction of Justice Charges. Nixon ended up not erasing the Tapes (except for the Mystery of an 18 Minute Gap which was supposedly and inadvertently erased by President Nixon's Secretary, Rosemary Woods).
We think it is possible to put these Events into Juxtaposition with both hypothetical and current Events. Imagine yourself, imagine any of us, being in Posession of Evidence which we are asked to turn over to the Government, the FBI, any Federal (or lower) investigative Authority and refusing to do so. Worse yet, imagine that we would have erased or destroyed such Evidence, either before or after we were asked to turn such Evidence over. Any of doing such a Thing would find himself or herself in Front of a Federal Judge answering Charges of Obstruction of Justice so fast, it would make your Head spin.
But, and that is the interesting Thing, not Mrs. Clinton. Mrs. Clinton erased (deleted, whatever) Records which arguably were Recordings of Federal Government Correspondence, some possibly classified, some not (certainly Mr. Nixon's famous „Expletive(s) Deleted” were not classified, although deleted)...and now, she maintains among other Things, that she is „sorry” but there is an Explanation for everyting...that she is not going to issue an Apology...that she is concerned about other „Things and Issues” as she pursues her Candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States.
There has been one Incident after another, concerning both Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, we do not want to mention the salacious ones here...there have been those and there have been others which, at the very least, involved bad Judgment and, possibly or likely, worse.
And, technically, using the Rationale of „Reductio ad Absurdum” we can even assume for a Moment that they, in this Case, Mrs. Clinton has (have) done nothing wrong. We can even assume that if Mrs. Clinton were to be dragged before a Federal Judge or Jury by the FBI and the Justice Department on Obstruction of Justice Charges, she would be found not guilty by a Jury of her Peers (or, perhaps, People of lower Stature than her).
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/clinton-says-sorry-for-email-confusion-denies-wrongdoing/ar-AAdXja0?li=AA54ur&srcref=rss&ocid=iehrs
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/clinton-says-no-email-apology-what-i-did-was-allowed/ar-AAe3cjH?li=AA54ur&srcref=rss&ocid=iehrs
We think such an Argument misses the Point.
Because, even in such a Case, the Question nonetheless remains, if this Country, at this critical Juncture in its History, confronted by a large Series of Problems which require not only good Judgment, Vision and Creativity...but also a Reputation and Integrity beyond Reproach...if this Country needs or wants a President who, Mrs. Clinton would argue, succesfully or not, is just on this Side of the Line of having done nothing illegal.
This is the Question which, ultimately, the Democratic Party would have to decide, irrespective of what Mr. Sanders is able to do in his Campaign and irrespective of whether Vice President Biden, who arguably may not have the intestinal Fortitude to endure an arduous Campaign, after the personal Tragedy which has beset him and, who, after all, is not young.
And if the Democratic Party decides that all this does not matter, then, even more importantly, this Decision, which is, it would seem, is not one to be taken lightly, would fall on the American People, whether to entrust the Destiny of coming Generations, the Destiny of America...into the Hands of Mrs. Hillary Clinton.
As Television Commentator Edward R. Murrow would have said (and most of us, admittedly, probably do not remember or do not even know who he was)...
„Good Night and Good Luck.”
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