On Scandals

I was reading through the Wall Street Journal today, and happened upon a piece about Federal prison farms. It discussed the typical view of them as a cushy place where non-violent criminals do easy time. However, apparently some of the 'perks' have been reined in now.

One of the former inmates interviewed for the piece was Webster Hubbell. Hubbell's conviction on various charges while in Clinton's Justice Department landed him in a Federal prison farm.

And that got me to thinking.

I hear all these accusations George Bush's administration as corrupt or scandalous. I don't think any of his cabinet officers or deputy cabinet officers have been jailed for corruption. To my knowledge, none are currently serving time in a Federal prison, farm or otherwise.

For scandal, Clinton's administration was really up there. You had Hillary and her friend, Mickey Kantor, being investigated and charged by Judge Royce Lambert for being, then not being, Federal employees on Hill's Healthcare Taskforce, depending upon which classification suited her best that day. And let's not forget his Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown, in the midst of being investigated for gross and significant graft and bribe-taking. He died in rather suspicious circumstances while on a work-related trip.

How convenient.

But let's not forget the biggest embarrassment of them all. The big cheese of scandal- Bill himself. The infamous cigar and the intern on her knees. Bill's equally famous equivocations before a grand jury on the meaning of sex, so that he could say, with a straight face, "I did not have sex with that woman." Sure, Bill. Sure.

And for my liberal acquaintances' education, Bill was not impeached for adultery. He was impeached for obstruction of justice. If not for some procedural fumbling by the House team, he probably would have been convicted.

No, no matter what liberals tell you about the current administration, Clinton had it all over this one when it came to scandal and shameful behaviors in office.