Yes, Virginia, There is Criminalization of Politics
The problems keep coming for the Republicans in the White House. After quite a long investigation, a federal grand jury indicted Chief of Staff to the Vice President I. Lewis Libby on felony charges. Karl Rove has not been indicted as of yet but is still under investigation and it is still within the realm of possibility that he will also face charges.
The news speaks for itself, no need to type more about that.
However, all through October as Republicans have found themselves in trouble, from Tom DeLay's indictments to Bill Frist's investigation to these new indictments, defenders of their party's brethren have been quick to defend and attack. In the Weekly Standard, conservative standard-bearer William Kristol and Jeffrey Bell call the problems facing these Republicans a "criminalization of politics" and that these charges are coming merely because they're conservatives.
This is eerily similar to DeLay's charge that the prosecutor that investigated him was a "partisan fanatic." Kristol and Bell also forget, like DeLay, that it took a grand jury to bring those charges against these people. Even if the prosecutor was a "partisan fanatic," nothing could be done if the grand jury laughed it out of court.
Kristol's right on one thing. But partisanship led it down the wrong direction.
But Kristol and Bell are correct on one thing. There is a criminalization of politics. But it's those that use these means to advance their political goals. Innocent until proven guilty, of course, but that an investigation had to come and there was enough evidence to indict already means they were pushing the ethical boundaries. We will see how these trials play out, if more indictments follow, and if more people are sucked into this legal hole. However, the events of this past month have shown much of America the criminalization of politics.
The news speaks for itself, no need to type more about that.
However, all through October as Republicans have found themselves in trouble, from Tom DeLay's indictments to Bill Frist's investigation to these new indictments, defenders of their party's brethren have been quick to defend and attack. In the Weekly Standard, conservative standard-bearer William Kristol and Jeffrey Bell call the problems facing these Republicans a "criminalization of politics" and that these charges are coming merely because they're conservatives.
This is eerily similar to DeLay's charge that the prosecutor that investigated him was a "partisan fanatic." Kristol and Bell also forget, like DeLay, that it took a grand jury to bring those charges against these people. Even if the prosecutor was a "partisan fanatic," nothing could be done if the grand jury laughed it out of court.
Kristol's right on one thing. But partisanship led it down the wrong direction.
But Kristol and Bell are correct on one thing. There is a criminalization of politics. But it's those that use these means to advance their political goals. Innocent until proven guilty, of course, but that an investigation had to come and there was enough evidence to indict already means they were pushing the ethical boundaries. We will see how these trials play out, if more indictments follow, and if more people are sucked into this legal hole. However, the events of this past month have shown much of America the criminalization of politics.
posted by Will at 10:57 PM
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