So Now It's Serious

Last Thursday, Lawman in Chief George W. Bush called the current events in Washington "Distractions", "Chatter" and "Background noise." At some point over the weekend someone must have told him that securities fraud, perjury, obstruction of justice, money laundering and revealing CIA agents' identities are felonies and that he, as Lawman in Chief, is obligated to prosecute these via the office of Attorney General. Bill Frist is under suspicion for securities fraud and insider trading. With the Senate Majority Leader playing on the same field, no wonder we can't get meaningful legislation on white collar crime. Tom Delay is under investigation for money laundering. Given that tactic, I suppose campaign finance legislation is dead in the House. Scooter Libby and Karl Rove will most likely face at least perjury charges. Bodes ill for honesty in government, doesn't it.

To the Prevaricator in Chief, this counts as chatter. Background noise. A distraction. Of course, he once said anyone involved in the Plame affair would be out of his administration. Once he realized that someone very close to him in the administration was involved, it became if anyone is convicted in the affair, they would no longer be a part of his administration. I can see what happens if Rove is indicted. Anyone taking bets on the next quote being "Anyone convicted of outing a CIA agent will not have a place in my administration"? Notice perjury, the crime Clinton was impeached over, is not mentioned in the quote I predict? It's referred to as shifting or managing expectations, one of the primary tactics of our current government.

Over the weekend, it became serious to Bush. To Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas, perjury, the crime Clinton was impeached over and for which she twice voted for impeachment, is a technicality. Thanks to Chris Paulitz for telling us what the senator meant once she found out that the balloon didn't fly: Someone who lies to a Grand Jury should be prosecuted but they're concerned that the perjury charge has become something to be used when there's not enough evidence to convict of an underlying crime.

Anyone remember what Al Capone was finally convicted of? Tax evasion. No one could find enough evidence to convict him of the underlying crimes so finally Elliot Ness had to convict him on the lesser charge. Mr. Fitzgerald has been compared to Elliot Ness. Should he indict on the lesser charges of perjury, the comparison only becomes more valid.