Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
Friday, March 28, 2008
Bill Clinton made a significant admission in Corpus Christi, Texas this month - saying he had decided to pardon Puerto Rican terrorists back in 1999 "based on the stuff I was given by the staff."
But Ron Kolb, the citizen whose questioning prompted the ex-president's comment, rightly pointed out that the FBI and Justice Department had opposed the pardons. The clear conclusion is that it was Clinton's political staff who pushed for clemency - with the obvious goal of helping Hillary Clinton's bid to become a New York senator. Bill still denies that was his motive, of course - but no one believes it. The lobbying by Hispanic politicians from New York on the issue had been years-long; the culmination was noted by the New Republic noted back in '99: "Two days before the president announced the clemency deal, New York City Councilman Jose Rivera personally presented Hillary with a packet on clemency, including a letter asking her to 'speak to the president and ask him to consider granting executive clemency' to the prisoners."
The FALN, a terrorist group devoted to independence for Puerto Rico, bombed the Fraunces Tavern here in New York City in 1975, killing four and injuring 54 others.
It also:
* Bombed five other downtown New York buildings in 1974.
* Booby trapped a building in Manhattan and then called the police, seriously injuring and partially blinding an officer.
* Exploded two bombs in Chicago's Loop in 1975.
* Bombed the Merchandise Mart in Chicago in 1977.
* Bombed a Mobil Oil office in New York, killing one person, in 1977.
* Bombed two Chicago military recruiting offices in 1979.
* Injured three police officers in New York bombings in 1982.
Even in those pre-9/11 days, pardoning terrorists who weren't even remorseful drew public outrage; candidate Hillary soon wound up condemning Bill's decision.
But when it comes to politics, they really are a team - Hillary's administration would be staffed from the same pool that Bill drew upon.
The same team that freed hardened terrorists to win political markers for Hillary - the same team that's now willing to tear the Democratic Party apart in its desperate bid to steal the nomination for Hillary - would once again be empowered to free the guilty and endanger the innocent, whenever it suited their political needs.
Why does Hillary think America will trust her enough to make her president?
Morris, a former political adviser to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and President Bill Clinton, is the author of Condi vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race. To get all of Dick Morris’s and Eileen McGann’s columns for free by email, go to www.dickmorris.com
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