 | ||||
| Dr. David Marlett, Editor | 28 February 2001 | Vol. II #30 | ||
|
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| Dr. David Marlett, Editor | 28 February 2001 | Vol. II #30 | ||
|
| ||||
| ||||
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Norma Holloway Johnson did nothing wrong when she deliberately assigned court cases involving President Clinton's friends and supporters to federal judges appointed by President Clinton, according to a panel of seven federal judges who reviewed the evidence against Johnson.
In a ruling on Monday, the 7-member judicial panel said Johnson "did not assign cases with a political or partisan motivation, or engage in any deliberate or even clear violation of any rules."
The Washington Post quotes Johnson's attorney, Michael J. Madigan, as saying, "We are very pleased that after an incredibly detailed investigation, the judicial council has found that Chief Judge Johnson did not assign any case for political or partisan purposes and that she did not violate in any way the Code of Judicial Conduct."
On several occasions in 1998, Judge Johnson bypassed the typical practice of letting a computer randomly assign cases to judges. Instead, she chose judges appointed by Clinton to hear criminal cases involving Webster L. Hubbell, the Clinton's former friend and Justice Department official; accused of tax evasion; and Yah Lin "Charlie" Trie, a Clinton friend accused of violating campaign finance laws.
The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, which instigated the ethics investigation involving Johnson, now says it will appeal the judicial panel's ruling.
"This decision shows that the judiciary is incapable of policing itself," said Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch.
[ CNS ]
TCN Comment: The judiciary will fight to the death the concept that they are accountable for their conduct on the bench. If a judge holds another judge accountable, then he is setting a precedent that he may have to face at a later date. It isn't going to happen.
NORTH BERGEN, NJ-Bill and Shereelynn Koehler narrowly avoided a court-ordered home investigation by social workers when on Friday, Feb. 9, 2001 a New Jersey court of appeals "summarily reversed" an earlier court order to allow the investigation.
It was good news that the court of appeals upheld a parent's right to refuse a social services investigation of an uncorroborated anonymous report.
But it was the kind of a close call that Bill, Shereelynn, and the five Koehler children would have gladly done without.
Earlier, following an anonymous tip to the New Jersey Department of Youth and Family Services, a social worker visited the Koehler home. The Koehlers, relying on their Fourth Amendment right to be safe and secure in their own home, refused to allow the social worker to inspect their home and to interview their children.
Fourth Amendment rights didn't mean much to the social worker, who asked a New Jersey court for an order to investigate the Koehler home.
On Feb. 6, 2001, the court used the false anonymous tip to justify home invasion by social workers into the Koehler home. The judge observed that the New Jersey child abuse investigation statute authorizes a court order to investigate when it is "in the best interest of the child."
The Home School Legal Defense Association immediately filed an emergency application to block the order and appeal the decision. The court of appeals granted the emergency application for a stay and gave both sides a short time to supply additional legal briefs.
On Friday, February 9, 2001, after reviewing the briefs of all parties, the appellate court struck down the order to investigate the Koehlers.
The court explained, "[a]bsent some tangible evidence of abuse or neglect, the Courts do not authorize fishing expeditions into citizens' houses." The court went on to say, "[m]ere parroting of the phrase "best interest of the child" without supporting facts and a legal basis is insufficient to support a Court order based on reasonableness or any other ground."
Instead, as the court said, "The home is often the 'last citadel of the tired, the weary, and the sick,' and one of the primary purposes of government is to protect the 'well-being, tranquility, and privacy' of the home."
[ HSLDA ]
TCN Comment: HSLDA Koehlers - 1, Busy Body Bureaucrats - 0 We like it!
"For every social problem A caused by government program X, problem A can be solved by abolishing program X. The principle can be applied at all levels of government --federal, state and municipal. The possibilities are intriguing and should appeal to partisans of all political persuasions." --William J. Stepp
[ The Federalist ]
Last week, we alerted you to the most recent effort by Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) to dismantle the gun control legacy of President Clinton. Because of your help, Hostettler has almost three dozen Representatives joining him on the letter.
Hostettler is leading the drive in Congress to petition HUD Secretary Mel Martinez to eliminate the so-called Communities for Safer Guns Coalition. This coalition was formed under President Clinton's watch, and it has been very active in helping cities and localities in bringing lawsuits against gun makers. Now almost three dozen Congressmen, whose names are listed below, have agreed to sign on to the Hostettler letter addressed to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Martinez. (The text of the letter has been posted at http://www.gunowners.org/hs0101.htm if you wish to read it.)
** Representatives Currently Signing the Hostettler Letter As of Mid-afternoon Tuesday
|
Bartlett (MD) Everett (AL) Pombo (CA) Brady (TX) Goode (VA) Riley (AL) Callahan (AL) Hansen (UT) Ryun (KS) Camp (MI) Hart (PA) Sessions (TX) |
Cannon (UT) Hayes (NC) Shimkus (IL) Cooksey (LA) Hilleary (TN) Strictland (OH) Cunningham (CA) Hoekstra (MI) Taylor (NC) Doolittle (CA) Hostettler (IN) Tiahrt (KS) |
Duncan (TN) Hutchinson (AR) Wamp (TN) Ehrlich (MD) Istook (OK) Wicker (MS) English (PA) Petri (WI) |
ACTION: If your Congressman is NOT listed above, please urge him or her to cosign the Hostettler letter. The deadline for doing so is the end of this week.
If you are not sure what to say, you can use the pre-written letter below, provided by GOA, to help direct your comments to Capitol Hill. You can call your Representative at 1-877-762-8762 (toll free) or at 202-225-3121. To identify your Representative, as well as to send a message via e-mail, see the Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm on the GOA website.
----- Pre-written message -----
Dear Representative:
According to Gun Owners of America, you still have not signed on to the letter being circulated by Rep. John Hostettler. He will soon be sending a very important letter to Mel Martinez, the new Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I urge you to join Rep. Hostettler in asking HUD to pull out of the so-called Communities for Safer Guns Coalition.
This group is assisting cities and localities all over the country to bring lawsuits against the gun makers of America. I completely disagree with this use of taxpayer funds and hope that you will sign on to the Hostettler letter. Please let me know what you intend to do. Thank you.
Sincerely,
TCN Comment: You need to make your voice heard and here is a good time and a simple way to do it. Even if your representative is a flaming liberal and there is no chance that they might consider signing the Hostettler letter, they still need to know that you think they should. Often the only ones talking to liberal reps are the most liberal of their constituents. Let them hear the other side of the issue.
London (CNSNews.com) - Britain's Conservative Party has accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of misleading President Bush during their first meeting about the nature of the planned European rapid reaction force.
Bush said at Camp David that Blair had assured him the force would not jeopardize NATO.
"He also assured me that there would be a joint command, that the planning would take place within NATO, and that should all [of] NATO not wish to go on a mission, that would then serve as a catalyst for the [European] defense forces moving on their own."
Bush said the idea "makes sense" for the United States, and gave it his blessing.
But the Conservatives have ridiculed Blair's position, saying he had given the American president assurances Britain was in no position to honor.
The European Union treaty signed in Nice, France last December, outlining the defense initiative, made it clear that NATO's primary position would be undermined, claimed the party's defense spokesman, Iain Duncan Smith.
"Tony Blair has given assurances to President Bush which are simply untrue."
Bush had given his support to the notion of increased European military capability under a NATO structure - not to the European force envisaged in the Nice Treaty.
"The Nice Treaty satisfied French demands that the [European] force should be autonomous, have a separate planning command and control, be treated as an equal and make the decision when and where to operate," said Duncan Smith.
Either Blair has changed his mind about how British troops will operate - in which case he has "torn up the Nice Treaty" - or he has deceived Bush.
"[Blair and Labor] are trying to have it both ways. They will end up losing friends once this deceit is found out."
The Nice Treaty provides for the establishment of an EU military staff, which is being set up during the course of this year.
Late last month, the British officer in charge of the new structure, Maj. Gen. Graham Messervy-Whiting, admitted that once the force has developed the capacity and resources, it will inevitably start to compete with NATO.
"Initially, we would in no way want to compete with NATO," he told a seminar in Brussels. "In the early years we'll be looking at things below the NATO threshold, things NATO doesn't do, like disaster relief and evacuation of citizens.
"In due course, once our collective capabilities are developed and we have strategic transport, the EU should be in a position to go higher. At that point, there will have to be a critical conversation between the European Union and NATO over who takes on what."
In response to queries last week about the Anglo-American "special relationship", Jacqueline Grapin, president of the European Institute in Washington, said the British government was sending out "two different sets of messages - one for the Europeans and one for the Americans.
"This double language, which is intended to please everyone, risks pleasing no one," Grapin said.
[ CNS ]
TCN Comment: Can someone offer a reason for opposing a European defense force that doesn't require or include US troops and US dollars? Why should Europe be required to clear their defense plans with the US?
It makes as much sense as the US being required to clear a missile shield with the EU… absolutely none.
** Lott Also Killed Clinton Impeachment Trial
Today, the New York Post reported in an article by Vincent Morris that:
Yesterday's Pardongate developments came amid signs that [Republican] Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - who praised President Bush for ignoring the pardon issue - is unenthusiastic about the probe.
And Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who was leading a separate pardon probe, appears to have temporarily shelved his investigation.
Several lawmakers added that the plan to merge the House and Senate pardon probes also is dead.
[ Vincent Morris, "New Pardon Probe," New York Post, February 27, 2001 ]
"Senator Lott's actions obviously follow President George W. Bush's remarks that the Pardongate scandal should not be looked into and that instead, 'It's time to move on.' Senator Lott, who himself does fundraising through the University of Mississippi (Bill Clinton uses the University of Arkansas for his Presidential Library), should be ashamed. Judicial Watch is pursuing an investigation of Senator Lott's fundraising activities at the University of Mississippi, and will report the results sometime in the future," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
[ Judicial Watch ]
TCN Comment: Trent Lott has as much business in a place of leadership as a caboose does at the front of a train. There is no wonder that a Republican controlled Senate has not been able to get anything of a conservative nature done, it has no leadership!
All Lott has done since becoming majority leader is parrot the will of the White House. Whether it was the Clinton White House or the Bush White House hasn't really mattered.
We suggest that he be replaced.. or maybe the position could be out-sourced to a courier service that would simply deliver the presidents messages to the Senate. Surely it would be less expensive and accomplish the same results. Come to think of it, cabooses are used anymore either.
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, Inc., the public interest watchdog that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, has called on President George W. Bush to exercise his authority and declare void the list of 44 pardons issued by former President Bill Clinton during his final hours in The White House. The subject pardons were issued without the required specificity to allow the U.S. Department of Justice to process the applications. Indeed, the President's letter attempting to grant pardons stated only that the pardonees were being pardoned to the extent set forth in their applications. There were no applications, since the pardons were largely obtained through fraud, bribery, extortion and other illegal acts.
Well-established case law demonstrates that presidential pardons are - and can only be - effective to the crimes specified in the President's pardon, here his "Executive Grant of clemency." See, e.g., Ex Parte Weimer, 29 F.Cas. 597, 598 (C.C.E.D. Wisc. 1878) (No. 17,362); Stetler's Case, 22 F.Cas. 1314, 1315-16 (C.C.E.D. Pa. 1852) (13,380). Further, the law is clear that a pardon does not take effect until the warrant is issued, delivered and accepted. U.S. v. Wilson, 32 U.S. 150 (1833); In re DePuy, 7 F.Cas. 506 (D.C.S.D.N.Y. 1869) (3,814). A warrant cannot be issued and delivered without knowing what was the express basis of the pardon. Finally, until the pardon is delivered, the President may cancel it. This applies even to a pardon issued by a President's predecessor in office.
Incredibly, Julian Epstein, Chief Democrat Minority Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, conceded yesterday on "Larry King Live" that President George W. Bush has the power to revoke the pardons.
". . . President Bush actually has the legal ability to rescind these pardons if they haven't been delivered. Ulysses Grant rescinded pardons that were given out by President Johnson in the latter - 1870 - . . ."
CNN Transcript, "Larry King Live," "Were Bill Clinton's Last-Minute Pardons Unpardonable?" February 26, 2001.
"The big question is, will President George W. Bush exercise his authority and not process the illegal pardons, given his mantra of 'let's move on?' The President should take the advice of Chief Democrat Minority Counsel Julian Epstein and do the right thing," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
[ Judicial Watch ]
James McDougal - Clinton's convicted Whitewater partner died of an apparent heart attack, while in solitary confinement. He was a key witness in Ken Starr's investigation.
Mary Mahoney - A former White House intern was murdered July 1997 at a Starbucks Coffee Shop in Georgetown. The murder happened just after she was to go public with her story of sexual harassment in the White House.
Vince Foster - Former White House councilor, and colleague of Hillary Clinton at Little Rock's Rose Law firm. Died of a gunshot wound to the head, ruled a suicide.
Ron Brown - Secretary of Commerce and former DNC Chairman. Reported to have died by impact in a plane crash. A pathologist close to the investigation reported that there was a hole in the top of Brown's skull resembling a gunshot wound. At the time of his death Brown was being investigated, and spoke publicly of his willingness to cut a deal with prosecutors.
C. Victor Raiser II - & - Montgomery Raiser, Major players in the Clinton fund raising organization died in a private plane crash in July 1992.
Paul Tulley - Democratic National Committee Political Director found dead in a hotel room in Little Rock, September 1992. Described by Clinton as a "Dear friend and trusted advisor".
Ed Willey - Clinton fund raiser, found dead November 1993 deep in the woods in VA of a gunshot wound to the head. Ruled suicide. Ed Willey died on the same day his wife Kathleen Willey claimed Bill Clinton groped her in the oval office in the White House. Ed Willey was involved in several Clinton fund raising events.
Jerry Parks - Head of Clinton's gubernatorial security team in Little Rock. Gunned down in his car at a deserted intersection outside Little Rock. Park's son said his father was building a dossier on Clinton. He allegedly threatened to reveal this information. After he died the files were mysteriously removed from his house.
James Bunch - Died from a gunshot suicide. It was reported that he had a "Black Book" of people which contained names of influential people who visited prostitutes in Texas and Arkansas.
James Wilson - Was found dead in May 1993 from an apparent hanging suicide. He was reported to have ties to Whitewater.
Kathy Ferguson, ex-wife of Arkansas Trooper Danny Ferguson, was found dead in May 1994, in her living room with a gunshot to her head. It was ruled a suicide even though there were several packed suitcases, as if she were going somewhere. Danny Ferguson was a co-defendant along with Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Kathy Ferguson was a possible corroborating witness for Paula Jones.
Bill Shelton - Arkansas State Trooper and fiancee of Kathy Ferguson. Critical of the suicide ruling of his fiancee, he was found dead in June, 1994 of a gunshot wound also ruled a suicide at the grave site of his fiancee.
Gandy Baugh - Attorney for Clinton's friend Dan Lassater, died by jumping out a window of a tall building in January, 1994. His client was a convicted drug distributor.
Florence Martin - Accountant & sub-contractor for the CIA, was related to the Barry Seal Mena Airport drug smuggling case. He died of three gunshot wounds.
Suzanne Coleman - Reportedly had an affair with Clinton when he was Arkansas Attorney General. Died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, ruled a suicide. Was pregnant at the time of her death.
Paula Grober - Clinton's speech interpreter for the deaf from 1978 until her death December 9, 1992. She died in a one car accident.
Danny Casolaro - Investigative reporter. Investigating Mena Airport and Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He slit his wrists, apparently, in the middle of his investigation.
Paul Wilcher - Attorney investigating corruption at Mena Airport with Casolaro and the 1980 "October Surprise" was found dead on a toilet June 22,1993 in his Washington DC apartment. Had delivered a report to Janet Reno 3 weeks before his death.
Jon Parnell Walker - Whitewater investigator for Resolution TrustCorp. Jumped to his death from his Arlington, Virginia apartment balcony August 15, 1993. He was investigating the Morgan Guarantee scandal.
Barbara Wise - Commerce Department staffer. Worked closely with Ron Brown and John Huang. Cause of death unknown. Died November 29, 1996. Her bruised nude body was found locked in her office at the Department of Commerce.
Charles Meissner - Assistant Secretary of Commerce who gave John Huang special security clearance, died shortly thereafter in a small plane crash.
Dr. Stanley Heard - Chairman of the National Chiropractic Health Care Advisory Committee died with his attorney Steve Dickson in a small plane crash. Dr. Heard, in addition to serving on Clinton's advisory council personally treated Clinton's mother, stepfather and brother.
Barry Seal - Drug running pilot out of Mena Arkansas, Death was no accident.
Johnny Lawhorn Jr. - Mechanic, found a check made out to Bill Clinton in the trunk of a car left at his repair shop. He was found dead after his car had hit a utility pole.
Stanley Huggins - Investigated Madison Guarantee. His death was a purported suicide and his report was never released.
Hershell Friday - Attorney and Clinton fund raiser died March 1, 1994 when his plane exploded.
Kevin Ives & Don Henry - Known as "The boys on the track" case. Reports say the boys may have stumbled upon the Mena Arkansas airport drug operation. A controversial case, the initial report of death said, due to falling asleep on railroad tracks. Later reports claim the 2 boys had been slain before being placed on the tracks. Many linked to the case died before their testimony could come before a Grand Jury.
THE FOLLOWING PERSONS HAD INFORMATION ON THE IVES/HENRY CASE:
Keith Coney - Died when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a truck, 7/88.
Keith McMaskle - Died stabbed 113 times, Nov, 1988
Gregory Collins - Died from a gunshot wound January 1989.
Jeff Rhodes - He was shot, mutilated and found burned in a trash dump in April 1989.
James Milan - Found decapitated. However, the Coroner ruled his death was due to "natural causes"
Jordan Kettleson - Was found shot to death in the front seat of his pickup truck in June 1990.
Richard Winters - A suspect in the Ives / Henry deaths. He was killed in a setup robbery July 1989.
THE FOLLOWING CLINTON BODYGUARDS ARE DEAD:
Major William S. Barkley Jr. , Captain Scott J. Reynolds, Sgt. Brian Hanley, Sgt. Tim Sabel, Major General William Robertson, Col. William Densberger Col. Robert Kelly, Spec. Gary Rhodes, Steve Willis, Robert Williams, Conway LeBleu, Todd McKeehan.
"I thought that I would never see
Marc Rich become a pardonee.
Likewise to me it didn't occur
That Bill would be his pardoner.
I should have known, without a doubt,
Since both have sold their country out
And Bill for money has an itch
He could be bought by rich Marc Rich.
He could be bought, but this we know,
Not for a song; it took big dough.
Marc had the bucks, Bill had the pow'r
And so in his last waning hour
Bill did the deed and pardoned Rich,
Thus satisfied his money itch.
Bill put again his country last.
Thank God the Clinton era's past."
--Joy Skilmer (AKA Lyn Nofziger)
The homepage and archives for The Conservative Newsletter are located on the WWW at http://www.wilderness-cry.net/tcn/
This newsletter is sent by subscription only. If you do not wish to be on the mailing list, please let us know and you will be removed immediately. To be removed from this mailing list, simply reply to this newsletter with the word REMOVE in the body of your reply. You may also send your request to tcn@wilderness-cry.net .
Thank you.