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Like some convoluted NFL pre-game show, ex-Senator John Danforth ( R ) attempted to answer the myriad number of questions on his upcoming investigation into the final debacle at Waco, Texas with the David Koresh led Branch Davidians, with a scripted series on non-answers.
Okay, so Danforth did answer the question on the scope of his Reno granted authority to investigate the details surrounding the deaths at Mount Carmel. In fact, he answered it three times, on the three different talking heads shows I had the time to watch. His ( partially? ) scripted answers were not identical in wording, but they were in meaning.
*On ' Eat the Pest ', Tim Russert rounded up his usual suspects and had the Special Counsel John Danforth ( or I wouldn't have been watching ) as well. Danforth began that he wanted to " let the American people know what happened; a cover-up or whether or not the authorities caused what happened ". He was to repeat these two ideas as the scope of what he will be looking into; nothing more and nothing less. Russert asked him who would be doing the leg work in the investigation, and Danforth replied, " They will not be drawn by BATF or the FBI; maybe postal inspectors ". Whoa, I hope none of them are extreme right wingers just waiting to GO POSTAL? All kidding aside, Danforth made sure to use such buzz words as " thorough " and " fair ". Danforth finished with a clarification of the scope, " It ( the investigation ) is not going to get into the wisdom of BATF getting involved with Koresh in the beginning, but the dark issues...were the authorities involved in killing people ".
*Possibly ' Facing his Alienation ', Bob Schieffer had a lot, a rat and the ever present this Sunday, John Danforth. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott ( R ) commented on the viability of Janet Reno continuing as Attorney General, opining, " It's part of a pattern...move to a different Attorney General ". Why can't any of these politicians use plain language? White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, hearing his master's voice, said, " I think the Attorney General is doing a good job ". Well, he would say that!
John Danforth announced that he was looking into " two issues ". They were: " Was there a cover-up ", and " Did federal officials participate in what amounts to killing ". He continued, " We are going to do what we have to ". He then hit a variation on his previous buzz words, this time using, " objective " and " thorough ". Notice he changed the previously uttered " fair " to " objective ". Even a moronic word parser like me can understand the difference between ' objective ' and ' fair '.
*' The Weak ' also had Danforth as a featured guest, though they started out with an arrogant and unrepentant, recently released through Presidential clemency, Puerto Rican FALN terrorist, Ricardo Jimenez. This guy was still spouting the same tired, three decades old rhetoric like a vicious rabid dog. The big question should be; why the heck did Clinton grant these creeps clemency? Jimenez was convicted of armed robbery, possession of explosives and illegal weapons, just to mention less than half of the charges listed. Wouldn't this terrorist dog have been giving life in prison under the current ' three strikes and you're out ' law?
Danforth began, " I am going into this with an open mind...completely objective ". There is that corrected word again, " objective ". He hit those buzz words again with, " thorough investigation and an objective report ". Asked about further appearences on political television talking heads shows and offering up opinions, he pointed out, " I can't comment and be objective ". He then verbalized the two criteria in the scope of his investigation with, " was there a cover-up...were government employees involved in what amounts to killing ". Detailing what he may do in an investigation, Danforth clarified further, " We have the power to do that, convene a Grand Jury and compell testimony ". Oh no, do I smell testimony not being made public, as in secret Grand Jury testimony? Danforth continued that he would " bring to accountability, anyone who has done something wrong ". He closed with, " I have the powers, the freedom, to do it ".
One must really wonder what the White House has on Danforth, as Reno has always done the President's bidding, and he never does anything unless it is completely thought out ( and polled out )?
- Bongo ( Uncover yourself? )
