With those Republican presidents, we get people like Alberto Gonzales.
Former attorney general Alberto R. Gonzales told investigators he did not remember whether he took home notes regarding the government’s most sensitive national security programs and did not know they contained classified information despite notations on the papers that they were ‘eyes only — top secret,’ according to a report released this morning.
The Justice Department’s inspector general concluded that Gonzales had improperly handled materials about the government’s most sensitive national security programs, carrying the notes home in an unlocked briefcase for an ‘indeterminate’ period of time. Gonzales failed to keep them in a safe at his Northern Virginia home because he ‘could not remember the combination,’ according to the report.
An Aricept salesman could retire after going to the RNC convention for a night with all the sudden onset senility in the party
In Gonzales’s defense, he really did think “Eyes Only” meant the possessor of the documents could ONLY read them with their eyes. Thinking this was something of a “no-duh” triumph of deducifying for the nation’s top law enforcement official (he’s got the DoJ coffee mug stamped “Top Cop!” to prove it, bitches!), he went ahead and took the documents home, confident in the knowledge that he would never, ever try to read them with his asshole.
So what do we think is a fair punishment? $50,000 fine and 100 hours community service? I think that’s the going rate based on what happens when you vote for Democratic presidents.
What is it with this guy? Can he not remember ANYTHING?
@ JWG – AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! “Going rate” you says! Priceless! Man you really showed us. Glad we can always count on you wingnuts to shrug off National Security issues when it’s your own boys shoving Eyes Only docs down their pants. I’m sure you were absolutely as non-chalant when Sandy Berger wore a Top Secret diaper out of the National Archives, right?
Two words for you lefties:
Sandy “Burglar”
There, now isn’t THAT a nice little cup of STFU……
On behalf of my alma mater I would like to apologize for this dimwit. Seriously. (Hangs head in shame)
Oh well, at least we’re not Yale.
Sandy Berger wasn’t the man in charge of law enforcement for the entire country while breaking the law as he saw fit.
Let’s compare outcomes, shall we?
Sandy Berger (from the Wiki):
Berger eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material on April 1, 2005. Berger was fined $50,000 [16], sentenced to serve two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, and stripped of his security clearance for 3 years.[17] Berger also relinquished his license to practice law.
Andrew Gonzales:
NOTHING. No prosecution, no fine, no disbarment, no plea. Yeah, he broke the law, but we need to move forward, right?
Remember – American law only applies to non-Republicans. Republicans are always right, no matter what the law says. That’s how it works when you create your own reality.
How many years did it take for the Berger stuff to make its way through the justice system?
Of course Gonzales deserves some sort of punishment. My original comment neither says nor implies anything different. I just wonder how obvious of a hack do you need to be to associate this with voting for a Republican?
Maybe you’ve forgotten John Deutch, who stored classified information on a computer at home that was CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. Let’s compare the likelihood of compromise–hell, likelihood of EXPOSURE even–between the two cases. What party was the President who appointed him?
KC, maybe you could also work Deutch into your analysis:
Over two years after his departure, the matter was referred to the Department of Justice, where Attorney General Janet Reno declined prosecution. She did, however, recommend an investigation to determine whether Deutch should retain his security clearance. President Clinton pardoned Deutch on his last day in office. (Wikipedia)
Remember – American law only applies to non-Republicans.
Sandy Berger wasn’t the man in charge of law enforcement for the entire country while breaking the law as he saw fit.
For those not aware, Deutch was the DIRECTOR OF THE CIA when he was using the home computers for classified work.
Shorter Scratch: Look over there!
It would only be a “look over there” if Oliver had merely pointed out the story. Instead, Oliver tried to frame it as a by-product of a Republican president. Even the “enlightened” liberals on this site can’t deny that the same problems existed under Clinton. That doesn’t excuse the action — it just makes it non-partisan.
EL…
Do you think that voting for a Republican president leads to security violations like that committed by Gonzales? If so, then what led to the violation committed by Deutch?