David Limbaugh Commentary
The resurrection of outrage
Why are many of us so outraged over Bill Clinton's illegal
bodily seizure of Elian Gonzalez? He's grossly abused his
power before. He's twisted and broken the law before.
He's misused the Justice Department countless times
before.
Why aren't we numb by now? What distinguishes this act
so much that we can't let it go?
I believe this Elian issue -- the whole thing, not just the
raid -- crystallizes for us all that is repugnant about Bill
Clinton and his sordid administration. It is the culmination
of seven long years of corruption.
Our chief complaint is not that he has committed crimes
while serving as chief law enforcement officer of the
nation or even that he has been the most corrupt
president in history. The nation is resilient enough to
endure and survive his criminal acts.
But he's done much more than break the laws. He has
also distorted the law and subverted the Constitution to
save his skin and serve his political ends. And in the
process, he has corrupted everything and everyone
around him.
He broke numerous campaign finance laws, then
proposed new laws to create a diversion from his crimes.
He refused to enforce existing gun laws but then called
for more laws that would do nothing to prevent the
violence he decries.
Far more damaging than his impeachment crimes were:
His enlistment of law professors to contort the
plain meaning of the Constitution as to what
constitutes an impeachable offense, significantly
raising the bar of misconduct and establishing the
odious precedent that the president is above the
law
His surreal public and grand jury denials that his
lies weren't lies because sex isn't sex and is isn't is
His defamation and demonization of his accusers
and political opponents
His persuasion of fellow Democrats that it was
worth dishonoring the nation to prevent any
political benefit that may accrue to Republicans in
the event of his removal from office
While most of us regard the Constitution and the law as
sacred institutions, as foundations to ordered liberty, Bill
Clinton views them as convenient instruments for political
manipulation. And this couldn't be more clear in the case
of Elian Gonzalez.
When the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals refused his
request to transfer custody of Elian to his putative father
he publicly misrepresented the Court's ruling. Then he
fabricated a false affidavit to procure an illegal search
warrant to justify an illegal and violent raid on someone's
home. Then, after further corrupting the Justice
Department and the federal officers assigned to do his
dirty work, he audaciously claimed that he did it not to
break the law, but to uphold it.
Bill Clinton has bequeathed us a corruption so pervasive
and contagious that it has tainted an entire party -- an
entire political ideology. Has it ever occurred to
Democrats to ask themselves what precisely is the limit of
corruption they will tolerate from Clinton and his
administration? The fact that only a handful of liberals
have denounced Clinton's obliteration of the Fourth
Amendment is proof positive that he has corrupted them
beyond recognition. Say what you will about liberals, but
before their Clintonization most of them were Fourth
Amendment hawks. No longer, because our right to be
secure in our own homes had to be subordinated to
Clinton's nefarious purposes. It is just one more in the
long list of our freedoms that have been sacrificed in the
outworking of Bill Clinton's dubious legacy.
The Miami raid represents the unbridled abuse of
presidential power accelerated to a terrifying crescendo.
It is emblematic of an America that has fundamentally
changed while under the stewardship of an unrestrained,
unaccountable adolescent leader. It symbolizes the death
of the rule of law inflicted by the law itself -- the Chief
Executive and his dutiful enforcers. Clinton has even
made flag-wavers ashamed of America.
But I refuse to end on a negative note. On the positive
side, Elian will forever remind us of what is at stake as
we fight over the future direction of this country. Let not
Clinton's despicable sacrifice of Elian be in vain. Let it
serve to reinvigorate patriots to redouble their
commitment to resurrecting the principles and values that
form the underpinnings of this Republic.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
The resurrection of outrage
Why are many of us so outraged over Bill Clinton's illegal
bodily seizure of Elian Gonzalez? He's grossly abused his
power before. He's twisted and broken the law before.
He's misused the Justice Department countless times
before.
Why aren't we numb by now? What distinguishes this act
so much that we can't let it go?
I believe this Elian issue -- the whole thing, not just the
raid -- crystallizes for us all that is repugnant about Bill
Clinton and his sordid administration. It is the culmination
of seven long years of corruption.
Our chief complaint is not that he has committed crimes
while serving as chief law enforcement officer of the
nation or even that he has been the most corrupt
president in history. The nation is resilient enough to
endure and survive his criminal acts.
But he's done much more than break the laws. He has
also distorted the law and subverted the Constitution to
save his skin and serve his political ends. And in the
process, he has corrupted everything and everyone
around him.
He broke numerous campaign finance laws, then
proposed new laws to create a diversion from his crimes.
He refused to enforce existing gun laws but then called
for more laws that would do nothing to prevent the
violence he decries.
Far more damaging than his impeachment crimes were:
His enlistment of law professors to contort the
plain meaning of the Constitution as to what
constitutes an impeachable offense, significantly
raising the bar of misconduct and establishing the
odious precedent that the president is above the
law
His surreal public and grand jury denials that his
lies weren't lies because sex isn't sex and is isn't is
His defamation and demonization of his accusers
and political opponents
His persuasion of fellow Democrats that it was
worth dishonoring the nation to prevent any
political benefit that may accrue to Republicans in
the event of his removal from office
While most of us regard the Constitution and the law as
sacred institutions, as foundations to ordered liberty, Bill
Clinton views them as convenient instruments for political
manipulation. And this couldn't be more clear in the case
of Elian Gonzalez.
When the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals refused his
request to transfer custody of Elian to his putative father
he publicly misrepresented the Court's ruling. Then he
fabricated a false affidavit to procure an illegal search
warrant to justify an illegal and violent raid on someone's
home. Then, after further corrupting the Justice
Department and the federal officers assigned to do his
dirty work, he audaciously claimed that he did it not to
break the law, but to uphold it.
Bill Clinton has bequeathed us a corruption so pervasive
and contagious that it has tainted an entire party -- an
entire political ideology. Has it ever occurred to
Democrats to ask themselves what precisely is the limit of
corruption they will tolerate from Clinton and his
administration? The fact that only a handful of liberals
have denounced Clinton's obliteration of the Fourth
Amendment is proof positive that he has corrupted them
beyond recognition. Say what you will about liberals, but
before their Clintonization most of them were Fourth
Amendment hawks. No longer, because our right to be
secure in our own homes had to be subordinated to
Clinton's nefarious purposes. It is just one more in the
long list of our freedoms that have been sacrificed in the
outworking of Bill Clinton's dubious legacy.
The Miami raid represents the unbridled abuse of
presidential power accelerated to a terrifying crescendo.
It is emblematic of an America that has fundamentally
changed while under the stewardship of an unrestrained,
unaccountable adolescent leader. It symbolizes the death
of the rule of law inflicted by the law itself -- the Chief
Executive and his dutiful enforcers. Clinton has even
made flag-wavers ashamed of America.
But I refuse to end on a negative note. On the positive
side, Elian will forever remind us of what is at stake as
we fight over the future direction of this country. Let not
Clinton's despicable sacrifice of Elian be in vain. Let it
serve to reinvigorate patriots to redouble their
commitment to resurrecting the principles and values that
form the underpinnings of this Republic.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
