Jewish World Review Nov. 4, 2002 / 29 Mar-Cheshvan, 5763

Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reiley
JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Michelle Malkin
Chris Matthews
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Amity Shlaes
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports

The Attorney General blues



http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Where have you gone, Bobby Kennedy? In the early 1960s, the brother of President John F. Kennedy was appointed attorney general of the United States, and he seized the job with a vengeance we have not seen in this country since.

RFK attacked organized crime over the objection of his own father, Joseph Kennedy, who thought it would be bad politically because the mob-dominated unions in New York and Illinois had backed JFK. Kennedy ignored his father and ruthlessly prosecuted the mob, despite the fact that FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover offered little cooperation. Hoover was big on hunting down Communists, and not real keen on dismantling the Cosa Nostra.

But Kennedy's anger over corruption brought down teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa and a host of other bad guys. RFK also used his office to protect the rights of blacks in the South and to root out corrupt state law enforcement people nationwide.

Simply put, Bobby Kennedy did his job as the top law enforcement official in the country. Now, we have the likes of Janet Reno and John Ashcroft.

Under President Clinton, Ms. Reno presided over perhaps the most inept and some say corrupt Justice Department of the twentieth century.

A few questions for you, Ms. Reno: What exactly did Wen Ho Lee do? Why was U.S. attorney Steve Mansfield pulled off the Al Gore-Buddhist Temple investigation? Why did Mansfield quit Justice a short time later? Why was U.S. attorney Charles La Bella denied a meeting with you, Ms. Reno, after he compiled evidence of illegal campaign contributions to the Democrats? Why was Johnny Chung ignored when he told Justice Department investigators he himself carried suitcases full of cash from the Chinese military to the White House, and handed them to Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Maggie Williams?

I've got plenty of other questions for Ms. Reno, but chew on these for a while, please.

Paging John Ashcroft.

Why, sir, did Seattle Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Chief Blake Brown order the Border Patrol to change the illegal immigrant designation of accused sniper John Lee Malvo last December when he was apprehended in Washington State?

And when the Border Patrol refused the order, why did Brown unilaterally change the arrest report himself, thereby allowing Malvo to be released from custody?

You, Mr. Ashcroft, oversee the INS and its boss, former Paine-Webber executive James Ziglar.

Oh, and by the way, can you tell us exactly why Ziglar is in that position? Is he selling zero coupon bonds to illegals after they cross the border?

Also, Mr. Ashcroft, how's the Marc Rich pardon investigation going? We know Rich's ex-wife contributed about $450,000 to Bill Clinton's library in Little Rock, Ark., any possible quid pro quo there? How about the money Denise Rich's pal Beth Dozoretz gave the Clintons? You know, the cash Ms. Dozoretz won't talk about as she exercised her Fifth Amendment right in front of a grand jury.

What's up with all that, Mr. Ashcroft?

And what exactly did Senator Robert Torricelli get from David Chang, Mr. Attorney General?

And how about that anthrax guy, who is he? And ... well, I'm running out of breath here.

The sad truth is that Janet Reno and John Ashcroft couldn't hold Barney Fife's holster, and we will never get answers to any of those questions from those two.

Bobby Kennedy would be appalled, I believe. The attorney general of the United States is supposed to be a crime fighter and a corruption buster. RFK knew that and did that. We haven't come close since.

Enjoy this writer's work? Why not sign-up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


JWR contributor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show, "The O'Reilly Factor," and author of the new book, "The No-Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America" Comments by clicking here.

Up


10/28/02: This ain't no game
10/21/02: It's only rock and roll, but it's brutal
10/14/02: The root of all evil
10/07/02: When children murder
09/30/02: THE TRUTH BE TOLD
09/23/02: The death of outrage
09/17/02: Singing a different tune
09/09/02: Answering my critics about the Roush case
09/03/02: Let's misbehave
08/26/02: Money makes the world go 'round
08/19/02: Long live the King
08/12/02: A friendly reminder
08/05/02: Heaven only knows
07/29/02: Blood money
07/22/02: Suffer the children
07/15/02: Reaching critical mass
07/08/02: Believe it or not
07/01/02: Charity begins at home
06/24/02: Spinning a tale and the case for "Stupid White Men"
06/17/02: Blank those Europeans!
06/10/02: What does Bono want from us?
06/03/02: On fighting evil
05/28/02: A Tale of Two Churches
05/20/02: Crimes against humanity
05/13/02: Silence of the lambs
05/06/02: Hide the children
04/29/02: 'Paul, Paul, Paul!'
04/22/02: Barbarians in the Church
04/15/02: Pray for peace, polish the weapons
03/11/02: Do no harm? Time to spank "Dr. Phil"
03/04/02: Promoting the general welfare
02/25/02: Who's responsible?
02/19/02: Lay it on them
02/11/02: Buy dope, fund terror
02/04/02: Back room deals
01/28/02: From boom to bust
01/21/02: The Fairness Doctrine
01/14/02: Hey, Paula, take it to the bank and hush up
01/07/02: And justice for none
12/31/01: All that's left
12/24/01: Santa is appalled
12/17/01: Fight the power
12/10/01: The black challenge
12/03/01: How things have changed
11/26/01: Waiting in the Bushes
11/19/01: The sign of the Cross
11/09/01: Hollyweird strikes back
11/06/01: The fear factor
10/26/01: Show me the money
10/22/01: See no evil
10/15/01: Peace, but no quiet
10/08/01: The air war
10/01/01: I don't understand
09/24/01: We are all soldiers, and we have a job to do
09/14/01: Evil on display
09/11/01: Family matters!
09/04/01: End of summer blues
08/27/01: Summertime -- and the livin' ain't easy
08/20/01: The rap on rap
08/13/01: The truth hurts
08/06/01: Amnesty for illegals: Bush's political investment
07/30/01: The big picture on Condit-Levy
07/24/01: Silence of the Shams
07/16/01: Condit, Kennedy and cable news
07/09/01: Heather needs a childhood: The unnecessary loss of innocence
07/02/01: What would have happened if Steven Spielberg had recut "Schindler's List" for German audiences so they wouldn't be confronted with "emotional issues"?
06/25/01: Freak dancing
06/18/01: Work or die
06/11/01: Soundbite nation
06/04/01: Paying through the nose
05/29/01: Graduation Day 2001
05/21/01: Accepting the unacceptable
05/14/01: The Clinton legacy
05/07/01: Kerrey's ordeal
04/27/01: Is the party over?
04/20/01: Racism in public education
04/16/01: The fleecing of America
04/10/01: People who need perspective
04/03/01: Dubya's bottom line --- and ours
03/27/01: Don't tell, don't ask
03/20/01: Greenspan with envy
03/13/01: Clinton and Jackson
03/07/01: All that's left in America
02/27/01: The Letterman experience
02/20/01: Bread and circuses
02/06/01: How the Clintons do it
01/30/01: The Bush dilemma
01/24/01: I have been investigating Jackson's finances for the past two years
01/17/01: Sifting Ashcroft's record

© 2001 Creators Syndicate