When politics infects justice

[babylonsister]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/03/06/EDGRJN7AHK1.DTL

When politics infects justice

Pete McCloskey


It seems ironic that U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who was listed on Nixon's Enemies List, will be the one wielding the gavel in another search for the truth at a time when so many of us have begun to wonder whether our government is capable of providing us with the truth.

snip//

Now, 32 years later, another Republican attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, faces questioning by both the Senate and House Judiciary committees, on grounds that he has used his high office for political purposes to remove eight U.S. attorneys, several of whom had been involved in investigations of Republican congressmen, such as Randy "Duke" Cunningham of San Diego, Robert Ney of Ohio and John Doolittle of Rocklin (Placer County).

And who chairs the Judiciary Committee today? None other than Nixon's old enemy, John Conyers.

Among the reasons many Americans have lost faith in their government, the perceived use of the U.S. attorney general's office for political purposes looms large. In the past, independent prosecutors, such as San Francisco's John Keker, who prosecuted Lt. Col. Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal, and former Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who is the chief prosecutor in the Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial, have preserved respect for the judicial process despite the machinations of political appointees in Washington. Under the Bush administration, however, the White House has been able to convince its attorney general to provide questionable legal opinions on the use of torture, warrantless wire-tapping and other practices that cause ordinary citizens to wonder whether government lawyers, like politicians, can be prevailed upon to change their views for political gain.

The investigations now being conducted by both the House and Senate Judiciary committees can go a long way toward restoring the faith of the people that our nation's courts, laws and prosecutors remain untainted by political influence. Having served with Conyers for some 15 years, I would not want to be in the shoes of Attorney General Gonzales when he is asked to stand and swear to tell the truth about the recent wave of firings of U.S. attorneys, at least eight of whom were presiding over public corruption investigations.

The truth will out and justice will be served.

[Parisle]

1. And what about "deterrence?"

--- Pro-death penalty conservatives have been going on about "deterrence" for literally decades. One has to wonder if they would not agree that deterrence-in-sentencing may have a place in the effort to get lying, cheating and corruption out of politics and government.

--- I once saw a speech by Texas governor John Connolly, in which he strongly suggested that shoplifting didn't exist in Saudi Arabia for the simple reason that the penalty for shoplifting was to have one's hand cut off.

--- Now let's apply this to our problem of rampant and pervasive political corruption, shall we? I guarantee that as soon as we bury a few big offenders, the rest will straighten right up.

[L. Coyote]

2. Conyers was listed on Nixon's Enemies List. Experience is valuable!

It is important to consider Rep. Conyers shoes with this sort of broad historical context.

To what extent is the world of dirty trickster Nixon still with us today? Cheney, a Nixon White House veteran, is now under scrutiny for political tricksterism re: Plame/Wilson. If the dirty tricks stuff is originating at the level where Gonzales' orders originate, we definitely need Rep. Conyers. for the truth to out and for justice to be served.