From: L-Bueno@cup.portal.com (Louis Alberto Bueno)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: George Bush pardons criminals
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 14:47:07 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Distribution: world

jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann) writes:
>In article <72661@cup.portal.com> L-Bueno@cup.portal.com (Louis  
>Alberto Bueno) writes:
>> 	By the Constitution you seem to apply selectively to your 
>> frame of reality, correct.  I agree that morality can be a dangerous
>> instrument for running the affairs of government, but in MY eyes,
>> Weinberger IS a traitor to the American people in not blowing the
>> whistle on an affair he KNEW was Constitutionally criminal. 
>
>CONSTITUTIONALLY criminal?  Why this choice of adjective here?

	Because it pertains to the Article and Amendment in the
Constitution which both state: "Treason against the United States, shall 
consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, 
giving them aid and comfort..." "...No person shall be a Senator or 
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or
hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under
any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, 
or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state 
legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to 
support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in 
insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to 
                                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the enemies thereof..."

	Unless you have evidence to the contrary, Iran certainly was our
enemy in the time that the Iran-Contra affair took place, and selling
TOW missiles to our enemy, for *whatever* reason was most certainly
Constitutionally criminal.

>What they were doing may have been against the law, but not
>against the Constitution as such.

	The laws that elaborate against "sleeping with the enemy" are
the interpretations of our Constitution, unless, of course, you have
contrary proof, which I would be more than happy to research and discuss.

	I will re-state once again that my opinion about Weinberger being
a "traitor" (as he did not blow the whistle on those sought to undermine
the laws of this government by ignoring/obstructing said laws) is just 
that, my opinion, and I am more than aware that he HAD been indicted for 
lying to Congress, concealing evidence, etc...

>In fact, one of the problems
>in this whole debate (and in trying to evaluate who is
>"right") is that it is really unclear to what degree Congress
>has the power to limit the Administration's power in certain 
>areas of foreign policy.  While some parts of what those who
>were involved in Iran-Contra were clearly against the law, 
>a lot of things were in that muddy area in between.  For example,
>does the Congress have the right to tell the Administration that
>it may not encourage individuals or other governments to
>contribute to the Contras?

	I would say morally, no, as in the case of the Torricelli Law.
But the Contras is not the issue that bothers me as much as the whole
picture, which begins, of course, with Iran (which is why it's called
Iran-Contra :-)  Supplying weapons to the enemy is just that.  Iran
had been on the list of nations that spawned terrorism, and the
regime had been repeatedly condemned publicly by Reagan, his administration,
and Congress.  I'm not missing your point, but I refuse to see only
one side of the issue, which, of course, would have really made Ollie
North the hero and all the other convicted officials involved in the
whole mess.  Supplying arms against congressional prohibition to
the Contras against the "evil empire" Sandinistas so that the flag of
democracy may flap heroically in the wind of freedom may sound worth
the risk of a "policy difference," but not by "sleeping with the enemy."

	Interesting to note that President Bush has retained a lawyer in
these last few days :-)

Regards,

--Louis
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.bush