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Thomas Jefferson in the past and Sarah Palin in the future.
All opinions should be respected, but I couldn't help observe that it's quite a leap from an intellectual giant of the enlightenment to Sarah Palin. I'm reminded of a quote by Napoleon Bonaparte:
"From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step."
A tossup between Linclon and FDR. But I think Washington and Jefferson, too, for their committment to republican & constitutional government during the uncertain early period in our country.
best obamma why ? because he will prove that the media lied about him. He is nothing more than a muslim loving traitor. So he is the best, we will be done with his kind in 3 years.
You mean the same Ronald Reagan whose deregulation policies led to the S&L crisis, which cost taxpayers around $1 trillion, and set the stage for our current economic crisis? The one whose "trickle-down" economic plan coupled with massive spending budgets gutted the middle class and led to a huge deficit and a recession that Bush 41 inherited?
The one who presided over one of the most corrupt administrations in recent history?
In case you doubt, or are disinclined to look up actual history, here's a partial list of people who were actually employed by the administration, and who were convicted of crimes that were actually related to the office they served. It's a long list, so better settle in with a cup of coffee and a donut.
1. Lyn Nofziger-- White House Press Secretary - Convicted on charges of illegal lobbying of White House in Wedtech scandal. The lobbying would not have been illegal had he not been White House Press Secretary.
2. Michael Deaver, Reagan's Chief of Staff, received three years' probation and was fined one hundred thousand dollars after being convicted for lying to a congressional subcommittee and a federal grand jury about his lobbying activities after leaving the White House. Same as with Lyn Nofziger.
3. James Watt, Reagan's Secretary of the Interior was indicted on 41 felony counts for using connections at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help his private clients seek federal funds for housing projects in Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Watt conceded that he had received $500,000 from clients who were granted very favorable housing contracts after he had intervened on their behalf. Watt was eventually sentenced to five years in prison and 500 hours of community service.
4. John Poindexter, Reagan's national security advisor, guilty of five criminal counts involving conspiracy to mislead Congress, obstructing congressional inquiries, lying to lawmakers, used "high national security" to mask deceit and wrong-doing...
5. Richard Secord pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lying to Congress over Iran-Contra. Appointed by William Casey to assist Oliver North.
6. Elliott Abrams was appointed by President Reagan in 1985 to head the State Department's Latin American Bureau. He was closely linked with ex-White House aide Lt. Col. Oliver North's covert movement to aid the Contras. Working for North, Abrams coordinated inter-agency support for the contras and helped solicit illegal funding from foreign powers as well as domestic contributors. Abrams agreed to cooperate with Iran-Contra investigators and pled guilty to two charges reduced to misdemeanors. He was sentenced in 1991 to two years probation and 100 hours of community service but was pardoned by President George Bush...
7. Robert C. McFarlane, Reagan's National Security Advisor, pled guilty to four misdemeanors and was sentenced to two years probation and 200 hours of community service. He was also fined $20,000. He received a blanket pardon from President George Bush...
8. Alan D. Fiers was the Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's Central American Task Force. Fiers pled guilty in 1991 to two counts of withholding information from congress about Oliver North's activities and the diversion of Iran arms sale money to aid the Contras. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 100 hours of community service. Alan Fiers received a blanket pardon for his crimes from President Bush...
9. Thomas G. Clines: convicted of four counts of tax-related offenses for failing to report income from the operations;
10. Carl R. Channel - Office of Public Diplomacy , partner in International Business- first person convicted in the Iran/Contra scandal, pleaded guilty of one count of defrauding the United States
11. Richard R. Miller - Partner with Oliver North in IBC, a Office of Public Diplomacy front group, convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
12. Frank Gomez
13. Donald Fortier
14. Clair George was Chief of the CIA's Division of Covert Operations under President Reagan. George was convicted of lying to two congressional committees in 1986. George faced a maximum five year federal prison sentence and a $20,000 fine for each of the two convictions. Jurors cleared George of five other charges including two counts of lying to a federal grand jury. Clair George received a blanket pardon for his crimes from President George Bush...
15. Rita Lavelle was indicted, tried and convicted of lying to Congress and served three months of a six-month prison sentence.
16. Philip Winn - Assistant HUD Secretary. Pleaded guilty to one count of scheming to give illegal gratuities.
17. Thomas Demery - Assistand HUD Secretary - pleaded guilty to steering HUD subsidies to politically connected donors.
18. Deborah Gore Dean - executive assistant to Samuel Pierce - indicted on thirteen counts, three counts of conspiracy, one count of accepting an illegal gratuity, four counts of perjury, and five counts of concealing articles. She was convicted on twelve accounts. She appealed and prevailed on several accounts but the convictions for conspiracy remained.
19. Catalina Villaponda - Former US Treasurer
20. Joseph A. Strauss - Accepting kickbacks from developers
21. Oliver North - He was indicted on sixteen felony counts and on May 4, 1989, he was convicted of three: accepting an illegal gratuity, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents (by his secretary, Fawn Hall, on his instructions). He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell on July 5, 1989, to a three-year suspended prison term, two years probation, $150,000 in fines, and 1,200 hours community service. His conviction was later overturned on a technicality.
Don't forget that Bush 41, when President, pardoned Reagan's Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who was indicted on 5 felony charges and was only days away from standing trial when the pardon was granted.
Moreover, the record of actual convictions doesn't tell the whole story. Over 30 additional Reagan appointees resigned or were fired following charges of legal or ethical misconduct, including Secretary of Interior Raymond Donovan, CIA Director William Casey and EPA Administrator Anne Burford. Many dozens more were investigated.
That Ronald Reagan?
Wonderful post! Thank you! I always said politicians were scoundrels and crooks. Some administrations just have more than others.....or maybe just get caught.
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