The NYT’s does it’s best to show the people of this country why they should be marginalized with this ridiculous op-ed piece by Seth Lipsky who argues that the Marc Rich pardon was right, and Eric Holder, Obama’s pick for Attorney General, should defend it:
There are, however, those of us who have long maintained that Mr. Clinton was right to pardon Mr. Rich and his partner, Pincus Green. Having covered the case for years, I, for one, came to view the attempt to prosecute them as an error and a tragedy — and Mr. Clinton’s decision as precisely an example of how the pardon power was intended to be used.
Of course Seth fails to mention the 450 grand in contributions Denise Rich made to Hillary, and Bill’s library fund. He doesn’t like the fact that RICO was used in the prosecution but again fails to mention why a person who evaded his taxes should NOT be prosecuted at all. I mean were talking about 48 million dollars in tax evasion.
This part is a doozy:
I met with them a number of times in the years after in the hope that they might be willing to go on the record to The Journal and tell their side of the story. I was not successful, but I came to like them both.
Ohhhhh, that changes everything then.
Eric Holder shouldn’t be put down for his help in getting the pardon because the pardon was just and Marc Rich is a swell guy.
Sheesh.
Powerline quotes from George Lardner’s post, A pardon to remember, which describes Holder part in this whole thing, including how Holder helped Rich circumvent the Justice Department:
On Nov. 18, 2000, Mr. Quinn told Mr. Holder that Mr. Rich was going to go for a pardon, a step his team had been contemplating for months. After the conversation, Mr. Quinn told colleagues that Mr. Holder had advised him to “go straight to” the White House and that the “timing is good.” On Dec. 11, just over a month before Mr. Clinton was to leave office, Mr. Quinn delivered the pardon papers to the White House. “The greatest danger lies with the lawyers,” Mr. Quinn wrote in an e-mail message to an aide to Mr. Rich, referring to the prosecutors in New York. “I have worked them hard and I am hopeful that E. Holder will be helpful to us.”
Under the rules governing pardon petitions — rules that were approved by Mr. Holder’s office — the views of United States attorneys “are given considerable weight” because of the “valuable insights” they have. And yet Mr. Holder did not consult Ms. White and her colleagues about the Rich pardon petition; they did not know of it until it had been granted.
Then, on Jan. 19, 2001, Mr. Holder delivered his pardon assessment to the White House, telling Beth Nolan, the White House counsel, that he was “neutral leaning favorable” on the Rich pardon. His decision, he added, was influenced by the support of Ehud Barak, the Israeli prime minister.
The people in the United States attorney’s office in New York weren’t the only ones surprised by Mr. Holder’s decision. Deborah Smolover, his top deputy for pardon cases, did not find out about the pardon for Mr. Rich until the White House called to inform her of it after midnight on Jan. 20. (Mr. Green won a pardon, too.) After the pardon was signed, Mr. Quinn has testified, Mr. Holder called him to commend him on “a very good job.” Mr. Holder also asked Mr. Quinn to consider hiring two former aides, one of whom had already contacted Mr. Quinn on Jan. 2 “at Holder’s suggestion.”
Yes, the President can pardon who he wants. But that doesn’t preclude the citizens from criticizing the pardon and the way it came about, which in this case appeared sleazy as hell.
Meanwhile the NYT’s stock keeps sliding, and they wonder why.
See author page
The only thing unforgivable by the left is departing from their doctrine. As long as they stay on the slave plantation, liberals can do no wrong. We saw what happened to Lieberman. Liberman agreed with them on 99% of issues but he dared to break ranks when their goal was defeat of America.
The only thing that the left is unable to forgive or justify is leaving the liberal slave plantation in any way. Look what they did to Lieberman. He agreed with them on 99% of issues, but because he wanted to win the war in Iraq and set aside partisan politics, they tried to run him out of office. Look how Condi, Powell, and Clarence Thomas were treated for not having the leftist beliefs that libs demand minorities have.
Some here call me hateful or full of venom, but until you have to deal with the left or pay a visit to Huff Po, DUNG, or D-KOS, you don’t know what hate is.
Weird. My first post wasn’t showing in any way, yet there it is. Ooops.
Curt:
I followed the Marc Rich saga as it unfolded. The article you refer is simply another symptom of the cancer in the Leftist media today that is rapidly causing their demise, as there are simply not enough on the Left to support the NYT. Liberal rags everywhere are laying off employees as the web blogs are taking all the traffic.
The comments in the NYT are not surprising, simply disgusting.
Such articles used to be Angering. But really, I found an excellent way to manage my anger, thus now can write fairly well without bouncing off the walls:
When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don’t take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don’t know.
I was sitting at my desk one day when I remembered a phone call I’d forgotten to make.
I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying “Hello.”
I politely said, “This is Steve. Could I please speak with Robyn Carter?”
Suddenly a manic voice yelled out in my ear “Get the right f***ing number!” and the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn’t believe that anyone could be so rude. When I tracked down Robyn’s correct number to call her, I found that I had accidentally transposed the last two digits.
After hanging up with her, I decided to call the ‘wrong’ number again.
When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled “You’re an asshole!” and hung up. I wrote his number down with the word ‘asshole’ next to it, and put it in my desk drawer. Every couple of weeks, when I was reading the NYT or Huffington post to see what the enemy was doing or simply had a really bad day, I’d call him up and yell, “You’re an asshole!” It always cheered me up.
When Caller ID was introduced, I thought my therapeutic ‘asshole’ calling would have to stop.
So, I called his number and said, “Hi, this is John Smith from the telephone company. I’m calling to see if you’re familiar with our Caller ID Program?”
He yelled “NO!” and slammed down the phone. I quickly called him back and said,
“That’s because you’re an asshole!” and hung up.
One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a parking Spot. Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn and yelled that I’d been waiting for that spot, but the idiot ignored me. I noticed a “For Sale ” sign in his back window, so I wrote down his number.
A couple of days later, right after calling the first asshole (I had his number on speed dial,) I thought that I’d better call the BMW asshole, too.
I said, “Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?”
He said, “Yes, it is.”
I asked, “Can you tell me where I can see it?”
He said, “Yes, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd , in Atlanta. It’s a yellow rambler, and the car’s parked right out in front.”
I asked, “What’s your name?”
He said, “My name is Don Hansen.”
I asked, “When’s a good time to catch you, Don?”
He said, “I’m home every evening after five.”
I said, “Listen, Don, can I tell you something?”
He said, “Yes?”
I said, “Don, you’re an asshole!”
Then I hung up, and added his number to my speed dial, too. Now, when I had a problem, I had two assholes to call.
Then I came up with an idea. I called asshole #1.
He said, “Hello.”
I said, “You’re an asshole!” (But I didn’t hang up.)
He asked, “Are you still there?”
I said, “Yeah,”
He screamed, “Stop calling me,”
I said, “Make me,”
He asked, “Who are you?”
I said, “My name is Don Hansen.”
He said, “Yeah? Where do you live?”
I said, “Asshole, I live at 34 Oaktree Blvd, in Atlanta, a yellow rambler, I have a black Beamer parked in front.”
He said, “I’m coming over right now, Don. And you had better start saying your
prayers.”
I said, “Yeah, like I’m really scared, asshole,” and hung up.
Then I called Asshole #2.
He said, “Hello?”
I said, “Hello, asshole,”
He yelled, “If I ever find out who you are…”
I said, “You’ll what?”
He exclaimed, “I’ll kick your ass,”
I answered, “Well, asshole, here’s your chance. I’m coming over right now.”
Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying that I lived at 34 Oaktree Blvd, in Atlanta, and that I was on my way over there to kill my gay lover.
Then I called Action News about the gang war going down in Oaktree Blvd. in Atlanta .
I then quickly got into my car and headed over to Oaktree . I got there just in time to watch two assholes beating the crap out of each other in front of six cop cars,
an overhead news helicopter and surrounded by a news crew.
NOW I feel much better.
Anger management really does work. Try it!
Curt:
Cool!! Right after commenting on your article, I turned over to Drudge and Lo and Behold!
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/08/business/08times.php
“Times Co. to borrow against building” …… well, makes my day!!
Seth Lipsky is no liberal – he founded and wrote for the (very) conservative NY Sun – so unless you beleieve that the SUN was liberal – and unless you believe that the Op_ed is actually the editorial position of a newspaper, then you’ve got this all wrong…
“Meanwhile the NYT’s stock keeps sliding, and they wonder why.”
Interesting – the NY Sun folded a few weeks back – and the Rocky MT News is about to fold – so we have Two major conservative voices down and out – and still the ding bats on the right think that the Times’ trouble is caused by their political position. Take a look at how OTHER papers are doing before you posit such idiocy…
Apparently talking tough to power instead of truth to power is not empowering profitability.
Warpublican Review:
The New York Sun does not compare to the New York Times, not does the Rocky Mountain News.
“The New York Sun does not compare to the New York Times, not does the Rocky Mountain News.”
No they don’t. But to suggest their failings were financial – while claiming the Times’ trouble is political – smells funny…
i would say the newspapers were getting to snooty and secure. i buy a newspaper only on thanksgiving and sundays for the adds. other than that i get all of my news online. i think the whole presidential pardon think kinda hinky, at the end of terms there is a flood of them. maybe some are deserving, most aren’t though and it looks like it takes alot of money and pretty people to rush in on your behalf. i don’t care who gets the pardons, really, i just think that they are kins bs. there is a reason these people are in prison and unless they were sentenced to 50 years for stealing a twinkie they don’t deserve it.