Ran across a timely LTTE I wrote, published 7/27/2004

[zbdent]

in the Akron Beacon Journal. Thought I'd share it with you. It seems to hold up.

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Last July, syndicated columnist Robert Novak revealed the name of a CIA operative, which is a violation of federal law. This information was revealed to several reporters as intimidation of an investigator, but only Novak decided to publish it. After this was done, the current misadministration was asked what would be done about this violation of national security and the ``rule of law'' (remember that phrase?). The response was: ``We may never know who did it.''

I have continually asked people, ``How would this be handled if it were done by Bill Clinton.'' Well, I guess we now know how it would be handled.

In October 2003, Sandy Berger, a national security adviser in the Clinton administration, wrote down notes from his own papers dealing with terrorism. Whether by mistake or intentionally, he left the room with copies of three papers (which were still on file and available to the 9/11 commission).

The Department of Justice sprang into action and investigated Berger for this. He returned two of the papers and could not find the third.

No matter which side of the fence you're on, Novak compromised national security. Vice President Dick Cheney has hidden his Energy Commission meetings behind the shroud of ``national security'' for more than three years, despite several court decisions and orders calling for him to reveal whom he met with. (In a similar situation, Hillary Clinton was forced, by court order, to reveal the names of whom she met with -- two months after the meetings).

The situation with Berger marked the first time any person from the Clinton administration had problems cooperating with the 9/11 commission. Getting any cooperation from the Bush misadministration has been like pulling teeth. The best that Bush and Cheney were able to do was meet with the commission for one hour, with no notes allowed to be taken.

So now the liberal media are calling for Berger's head because he did something reminiscent of Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, yet no investigation has been done into the breach of national security in the revelation of a CIA operative.

Some leadership from the guy who only assumed the presidency (apparently) after Sept. 11, 2001.