Mark My Words - commentary on news, politics, religion, philosophy, science and social issues

Remember how Bill Clinton reacted to the accusation that his former National security adviser, Sandy Berger, had stolen classified records from the National Archive? Here's a reminder:

"We were all laughing about it on the way over here," Clinton said at the time. It was just another example of disorganized old Sandy being disorganized. "All of us who've been in his office always found him buried beneath papers." (from the Ethics Scoreboard)

Aww, how cute, just an accidental scooping up of papers, typical for an unorganized pack rat. Except it isn't true.

Report says Berger hid archive documents (selected excerpts)

President Clinton's national security adviser removed classified documents from the National Archives, hid them under a construction trailer and later tried to find the trash collector to retrieve them, the agency's internal watchdog said Wednesday.

Yes, that's what I usually do when I absent mindedly pick up papers I didn't mean to.

National Archives employees spotted Berger outside the building, bending down and fiddling with something white around his ankles.
The employees did not feel at the time that there was enough information to confront someone of Berger's stature, the report said.
Later, when Berger was confronted by Archives officials about the missing documents, he lied by saying he did not take them, the report said.

He should have figured out a way weasel around what the word is means. Worked for his boss, sort of.

on one visit, ..."He headed toward a construction area. ... He then slid the documents under a construction trailer, according to the inspector general. Berger acknowledged that he later retrieved the documents from the construction area and returned with them to his office.

Remember, Clinton tried to laugh the matter off.

"He was aware of the risk he was taking," the inspector general's notes said.

That would be the definition of an understatement.

Berger had "destroyed, cut into small pieces, three of the four documents. These were put in the trash."

And for all of this lying, and abuse of classified documents what did he get?

For his guilty plea, Berger was fined $50,000, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and barred from access to classified material for three years.

A slap on the wrist, but as we shall see it's more than the original fine. But hey, BJ Clinton laughed it off, so it must be ok. I guess he also wasn't so concerned about an earlier Berger problem noted here at Wikipedia.

Berger selected Mary O. McCarthy for a top intelligence position at the National Security Council in the Clinton administration. McCarthy was reportedly fired by the Central Intelligence Agency in April 2006 for leaking classified information to journalists.

Also noted at the Wikipedia entry:

On April 1, 2005...U.S. attorneys recommended a fine of $10,000 and a loss of security clearance for three years. However, on September 8, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson increased the fine to $50,000 at Berger's sentencing. Robinson stated, "The court finds the fine [recommended by government prosecutors] is inadequate because it doesn't reflect the seriousness of the offense."

I would say $50,000 is hardly adequate, but at least the judge saw the matter as more serious than the pathetic government prosecutor.

Just think, if the GOP continues it's incompetence, we may see a Clinton in the White House again. If we're "lucky" we may have more such stories after her tenure, that will make BJ giggle some more. Too bad it's concerning national security, in a day and age when our enemies intend to hit is with whatever they can, including nuclear devices and biological weapons. But hey, such things are of little concern, as "they" have been saying, it appears the nation is ready to have a female president. Besides, BJ could just crack a joke and all would be ok.

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Filed under: Politics -- NewsPolitics -- News -- Crime

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