Orrin Hatch Lies About Fired Prosecutors.
Posted in H.L. News, Main Blog (All Posts) on April 6th, 2007 8:45 am by HL
Rachel Maddow’s Open Letter To Orrin Hatch
Crooks & Liars
Excerpt:
Dear Senator Hatch –
You don't call, you don't write…
I've just about exhausted myself trying to get someone in your office to call me back this week. Please apologize to your adorable receptionist on my behalf – the poor man now gets audibly exasperated as soon as I say "hello".
What I'd like to talk with you about is very simple: on NBC's Meet the Press this past Sunday, you said this about Carol Lam, the US Attorney for San Diego who was fired by the Justice Department in December:
"She was a former law professor, no prosecutorial experience, and the former campaign manager in Southern California for Clinton"
I checked the transcript against the video (or click here for the specific clip) and it's clear to me that you weren't misquoted.
Here's my question for you or your staff: what in the Lord's name are you talking about?
Here at Air America, we called John Emerson, who managed Clinton's California campaign in '92 and again in '96 to ask if Carol Lam had been the "campaign manager in Southern California for Clinton" – you might have thought we'd asked him if the sky was green.
First of all, uh, NO, she wasn't.
And second, Carol Lam was an Assistant US Attorney at the time of Clinton's campaigns, and she therefore couldn't have also been a campaign manager for any presidential candidate without violating the (ironically-named) Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal government employees.
Then we called a source close to Carol Lam in California, who expressed utter bewilderment at what old Orrin said on Meet the Press.
The source confirmed for us publicly-available documents about Lam's career which indicate that she is not a law professor, she's "been a federal prosecutor for nearly 18 years and [has] never been a fundraiser for any president".
Senator Hatch, what's going on here?
April 6th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
HL why don’t you tell me why is it that everyone is having a fit over a hand full of Prosecutors being fired when no one said a thing about Clinton firing the whole lot when he came into Office in 93 and than fired some of them when he was re-elected for his second term.
Never mind I get it. It’s alright for the Democrats to do it but by god the Republicans better not try it or we’ll hang them.
April 7th, 2007 at 6:19 am
The simple fact is H.L. that Clinton liked to sexually harass the ladies and got busted for it . His legal problems BEFORE he was president caused him to lie under oath WHILE he was president. Sexually harassing the ladies at will, which is illegal, then lying under oath about it to a federal prosecutor does give any investigating commities a legislative purpose to BUST!! That is what happend to William Jefferson Clinton. He got busted. Fireing your US attorneys however does NOT serve any legislative purpose. A president could legally do it even if those attorneys were not investigating enough democrats or because they looked at him funny or what ever the hell. So basicly, Patrick Leahy’s hands are tied like a sumbitch. That is too bad aint it H.L?? Yall want to bring down Bush so bad yall can taste it. How low on the limpo bar can you go H.L. Democrats are looking weak as usual. I see a big backfire in 08 for the dems. ha ha ha ha ha ha Buck out….
April 7th, 2007 at 6:39 am
A newly inaugurated President typically replaces the US Attorneys appointed by the previous President, just as he replaces the Attorney General and the other cabinet members.
What’s different with these 8 is that they were allegedly fired because they either would not prosecute certain Democrats because of insufficient evidence or they would not drop the investigation or prosecution of certain Republicans where there was evidence of crimes. In other words, it appears that these 8 attorneys were fired for doing their jobs – prosecuting federal crimes – and that the Attorney General, and his assistants tried to interfere with the administration of justice.
The part you said about him firing Prosecutors in the second term, I looked it up and could find nothing so show a link if you got one. Otherwise I am sure you are making it up as usual.
April 8th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Mullah Cimoc say him hatch good man but like all the man him not so perfect.
google: +”orrin hatch” +bcci
him so scared for this. him learn limit rulers place on man. him learn lesson for obey him master. him good man, but him not perfect man, him make the mistake too.