Ladies and Gentleman, children of not all ages, we present to you a
perfect example of a politically influenced and partisanly beneficial
enforcement of the Senate's ethics laws. You will note the blatantly uneven
application of ethics enforcement in the case of ex-Senator Robert Packwood and
President Bill Clinton. This example of garishly transparent "women's
rights advocacy" is falsely sanctimonious and clearly shows that Ms.
Mikulski's function as " a voice that women's concerns would not be
minimized, trivialized, or disregarded" is only applicable when it is
politically useful to be so. Let us begin our critique with this transcript
taken from the Senate's ethics committee as given by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D)
Maryland concerning Senator Robert Packwood. Our comments will be in bold print
and interposed with the actual transcript.
ETHICS COMMITTEE'S RESOLUTION REGARDING SENATOR PACKWOOD
(Senate - September 07, 1995)
Ms. MIKULSKI: Mr. President, yesterday, I voted to support the Ethics
Committee's resolution recommending that Senator Packwood be expelled from the
U.S. Senate. Expulsion meets the criteria I set forth for myself in evaluating
this case when I was appointed to the Ethics Committee almost 3 years ago. That
criteria is straightforward.
First, that the victims' complaints be taken serious and given value. Let's
look at this statement folks, this is not the same standard we find applied in
the charges that Paula Jones and Kathleen Wiley brought against President
Clinton. That the women who came forward be given a fair shake, and, that
they be treated with respect and with dignity. What do you think here, my
impartial friends, where is the vaunted bi-partisanship when a member of her
political party is charged with the same? Seems your partisanship is showing MS.
Mikulski. And, second, that we clearly demonstrate that the Senate could
demonstrate that it could police its own. And that the Ethics Committee would
process this with honor and bring honor to the U.S. Senate.
I believe the committee resolution meets these criteria. The committee of which
I am a member carefully reviewed the evidence and found substantial credible
evidence that Senator Packwood 's conduct was an abuse of his position, an abuse
of power and that he brought dishonor upon the U.S. Senate. What about the
grievous dishonor Mr. Clinton brought against the White house with his wanton
sexual gratification and the laughing stock he has made of the executive branch
to the world? The phrase substantial credible evidence is the same term that Ken
Starr used in his referral to the House and Senate concerning his findings in
the Monica Lewinsky case. The blind partisan eye Ms. Mikulski uses to determine
what is "substantial credible evidence" when it applies to her party's
president is incredible.
Senator Packwood has shown a flagrant disregard for the victims, the Senate, and
for the citizens of Oregon. Substitute the name President Clinton and change
the scope of his malfeasance to the whole United States. His conduct is a
systematic abuse of women, power, and this institution. Again place Bill
Clinton's name here. He has made at least 18 unwanted, unwelcome sexual
advances on women. Gee, President Clinton has a damage control office that is
paid for with our tax dollars that pre-emptively squelches "bimbo
eruptions", therefore, the exact number of women who have experienced his
wanton sexual advances may never be known. He intentionally obstructed the
committee's inquiry by tampering with his diary. If not for the dress that
Monica kept with his DNA on it her word would have gone against his and we know
that he is an "exceptionally good liar" as Sen. Bob Kerry has
observed. Therefore, he would have lied his way out of that situation as well. He
asked lobbyists for jobs for his wife to reduce his alimony payments. Bill
Clinton had Vernon Jordan get Monica Lewinsky a job to "motivate" her
to sign a false affidavit. His offenses taken cumulatively, and even
individually, are unacceptable.
By any standard, (exept the partisan one I operate under) in any
workplace in the United States of America (exept for when a Democrat is in
the White house), he would have been fired for this. Bill Clinton would
have been rejected like a bad meal from the presidency if he lived under the
same law as the rest of the United States). He is Commander in Chief and
yet the military he commands has a code of conduct that if brought to bear
against him, would remove him from office. I voted to fire Senator Packwood
from the U.S. Senate. However, I voted to keep Bill Clinton as President of
the United States because I don't care about the substantial credible evidence
found against him in his abuse of office, manipulation of witnesses, and
obstruction of justice. I only care about retaining political power and that, to
the exception of the enforcement of the law. For me the past 34 months have
been extraordinary. When then Majority Leader George Mitchell asked me to serve
on the Ethics Committee, I knew that I would be the only woman on the Ethics
Committee. I was willing to assume that role. I knew it was a special
responsibility and a special duty. I knew I had a duty to the Senate. I knew I
had a duty to the victims and I knew I had a duty to the women of America. Where
is the "special" obligation you are committed to Ms. Mikulski when
Paula Jones and Kathleen Wiley where sexually violated and their rights trashed
by the Democrat Bill Clinton? You only care about "certain women's
rights" and if these women's rights don't work to bring down conservatives
and are not politically advantageous for you and your party, you will oppose
them at all costs, even to the point of circumventing the rule of law.
I wanted to be sure that I was a voice for women. Actions speak louder than
words, Ms. Mikulski. Not only for the victims whose voices I wanted to be
heard, I also wanted to be a voice for women in how they are treated in a
workplace. I wanted to be a voice for women who are victims in situations of
sexual assault where often they themselves are doubly victimized. First, by the
assailant and then by the very process of prosecution. Sure you do.
I also wanted to be sure that I was a voice that women's concerns would not be
minimized, trivialized, or disregarded. Again, exept for the one's that
aren't politically useful. I believe that I worked to fulfill that
responsibility. I articulated this throughout the ethics process on the Packwood
matter.
I articulated this to the men of the committee and those men have stepped up and
honored that responsibility. I want to thank the men of the Ethics Committee for
the role that they played in giving value, worth, and voice and a fair shake to
the women who came forward on this the very first case in the U.S. Senate
involving victims. Like Paula Jones and Kathleen Wiley aren't victims of this
abusive President?
I also want to thank the women of Oregon for their patience. For it is those
women who stood by the Ethics Committee in these 34 months and placed their
trust in the institutional processes of the U.S. Senate. I bet that they can
see how misplaced that trust is now. I think when our vote was taken
yesterday that the Senate showed that we could police our own. Ms. Mikulski,
If Sen. Packwood was a Democrat, this police action would had been diluted and
disregarded. So, now the work of the Ethics Committee has been completed.
This is a sad day for the Senate, but I am glad that Senator Packwood has
written his own final chapter and ended his Senate career with dignity. When
partisan double standards determine right from wrong Sen. Mikulski, dignity
becomes disgrace.
This comparison shows that "women's issues" and "sexual
harassment problems" are a tool that the liberals use to force
conservatives from power. Don't think for a moment that Sen. Mikulski cares one
bit for true justice in these cases. If she did she would have done all to
remove Bill Clinton from power. Her concern is how to use such abuses for
political ends. We hope your eyes are open to this and will look at her and
other hypocrites with this in mind. If you want to waste your time and bring
this to her attention, I am sure she would be glad to send you a form letter
first thing in the morning. Don't you have faith in our representative
government.