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A Dud From ‘Darth’

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Posted on Sep 8, 2011

By John Dean

(Page 2)

Given the human toll and economic cost of the “war on terror,” which for Cheney of course included the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I kept waiting for him to give some justification for the remarkable financial burdens these wars have placed on the American economy. While the former vice president boasts about his role in working on the pre-9/11 Bush tax cuts, which he helped get through Congress, he never addresses the economic impact of those tax cuts along with the staggering financial costs of the wars he and Bush gave the nation. Given the fact that we are still reeling from the Bush/Cheney tax cuts and wars, he could not easily have forgotten. Rather, he cannot explain away such thinking, so he ignores it. Thus, nowhere does he acknowledge, not to mention provide any arguments to counter, the fact that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida’s goal had been to bleed and bankrupt the United States. Reading this memoir, I had the feeling that Cheney has been sucker-punched by our enemy, but has yet to realize it. Money never seems a problem to the writer of this book; rather, he takes it for granted. He is simply blinded by his arrogance and worldview.

Most of Cheney’s score-settling is based on his characterization of events, and mischaracterization of the positions of others through less than full or inaccurate depictions of situations. At times he claims someone was wrong on some minor matter, which he inflates to significance by raising it. Most of these are little more than historical spitballs that will be forgotten quickly. But there is one score-settler I found particularly unseemly, not to mention that it may be based on classified surveillance information that Cheney uses to harm no less than a former president of the United States: Jimmy Carter.

Cheney’s hard feelings toward Carter are those of a bad loser. It was Carter who beat Jerry Ford in the 1976 presidential election, when Cheney was Ford’s White House chief of staff. After sprinkling several pages of the memoir with negative comments about what a miserable president he felt Carter had been, Cheney reports that his “biggest frustration with President Carter” occurred when Carter was out of office and Cheney was secretary of defense: “President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker were working to get U.N. Security Council approval of a resolution authorizing the use of force to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait in 1990-91. We found out that former President Carter was actively lobbying against the U.S. position. He had contacted heads of government with seats on the Security Council to urge them to oppose our resolution.” Cheney says Carter’s efforts were “ineffective” and “totally inappropriate for a former president.”

 

book cover

 

In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir

 

By Dick Cheney; Liz Cheney

 

Threshold Editions, 576 pages

 

Buy the book

 

Surely Cheney knows that this “by the way” information is, in fact, charging former President Carter with criminal behavior under the federal criminal law, a violation of the Logan Act, which prohibits citizens from conducting foreign relations without authority. More specifically, 18 U.S.C. § 953 states: “Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.” While the statute of limitations has expired regarding any actions that might be taken against Carter, the claim, if true, that he was lobbying heads of state with seats on the U.N. Security Council clearly violates this statute.

Cheney does not say how he learned this information. But this is precisely the type of information that the widespread U.S. government electronic surveillance of the United Nations circa 1990-91 might have picked up. If Carter’s action were truly “frustrating” to President George H.W. Bush, or Secretary of State Baker, they were the type of men who would have picked up the phone and asked Carter to cease what he was doing, and probably would have warned him he was violating the Logan Act. More likely, this was a tidbit of classified electronic surveillance that Cheney picked up as SecDef and stored away to use later, as he now has. He stops short of calling the behavior with which he disagreed treasonous; instead, for revenge against Carter, he offers it up all these years later as a conspicuous violation of the Logan Act. How remarkable, and ironic, that a man who may one day be charged as a war criminal would leak information suggesting criminal behavior by a former president trying to stop a war.

As I mentioned to friends when I started this read, I was doing it so others would not have to. And, as a precaution, I did it alone in case my head exploded. It did not. This book is a bomb, but not the exploding kind. Rather, I can certify it is a dud. However, one thing is clear from Cheney’s memoir, and his promotion of it: He is not likely to be traveling abroad soon. Cheney’s “In My Time” speaks to the mentality of a contemporary war criminal, but it certainly provides no defense. Along with videos of him dressed as Darth Vader, it would make a nice exhibit at his war crimes trial.

John Dean was Richard M. Nixon’s White House lawyer for 1,000 days and is the author of several books. Also, he is a columnist at Justia.com and a commentator on Current TV’s “Countdown With Keith Olbermann.” Contact him on Twitter: @johnwdean.

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By lasmog, September 14, 2011 at 1:56 pm Link to this comment

What a horrible indictment of the US; for eight years a man as depraved as Cheney ran our government.

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By Jim Shea, September 13, 2011 at 1:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I would like nothing better than to see Dick Cheney stand trial in The
Hague, but the US government (democrat or republican) would never allow
that to happen. It would be considered an act of war.

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Gabriel's avatar

By Gabriel, September 13, 2011 at 11:37 am Link to this comment

This article, comments and corresponding book prove just how ignorant the super-rich and ruling class are to the rest of us and rest of life on this planet.

Chaney is a prime example of what is taught to them from birth and rest of their caballistic pompous system.

If we are ever to grow up and surpass such we must boycott them altogether and start our own Just system from scratch. This is exactly what’s being debated now around the world.

We have already gleaned the truth from history and pre-his-story and are ready for the next steps.

Yet there are those that perpetuate such a corrupt elitist system by getting suckered into their politics and rest of masterful deceptions like sheep to a slaughter.

Wake up already! You can’t win at their elitist game. Elites control it and all the parts thereof. You loose by default.

Your only option is to create something new, Just, respectful, ethical and according to laws of the universe. This means learning everything the elites don’t want you to know, everything they have been hiding for 1,000’s of years.

This is the main theme behind every recent disclosure documentary, such as 9/11 truth and Zeitgeist:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guXirzknYYE
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gKX9TWRyfs
3. Moving forward http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
From this you will need to expand into rest of truth movement.

A good place to start is Nassim Haramein, explained so a 10 yr old can comprehend:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3mnZK-l_4
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LdebvvWaxY

I comprehend it’s hard for all you old-farts to learn but it’s the only option. If an old-fart like me can do it, so can you.

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By Arch, September 11, 2011 at 4:36 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Thank you, Mr. Dean.  I did not intend to read the book, but I must thank you for having the courage to read Cheney’s book.  Cheney will host a book signing at a local presidential library.  If I thought that protesting would mean anything to Cheney, I would protest.  His security detail would undoubtedly keep protestors well out of sight, just like it did when he was vice-president.

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By Doubtom, September 11, 2011 at 3:04 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Cheney has the dubious distinction of being the only character (almost wrote
‘person’) that I’d most like to smack in the head with a frozen flounder.

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By John Poole, September 10, 2011 at 5:47 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

........“this experiment in self governance”...?  One can only try to self govern- a
task fraught with almost impossible odds at getting doing it right. Some will
always seek power over others because of pathological brains. It’s easy to spot
them but almost impossible to keep them from “leading the herd”.  The herd wants
leaders and the outsane (forget the prefix “in”) are there to accommodate the
herd’s infantile needs.

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By surfnow, September 10, 2011 at 5:26 am Link to this comment

The Bush Crime Family could not have perpetrated their treason w/o the cooperation of the Amerikan public. The average Amerikan is cowardly, apathetic,  lazy and addicted to the MSM and idiot TV . They go from their air conditioned suburbs to their airtight suv,s to their selfcontained korporate cubicles and buy every word that comes out of Washington. And if he actually gave a rat’s ass Dick Cheney would like to personally thank all of the sheep for his millions.

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By Don Ross, September 10, 2011 at 4:12 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Dick, by his own lights, is a historic man - but to understand him, you need to
visit his childhood.
This narcissist’s book title says it all. It wasn’t his time, it was our time.

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By GJS, September 10, 2011 at 12:43 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It is a shame that some have made this purely political, it is about time ALL of us got rid of this illogcal lifelong loyalty many give one political party, even when they do pitifully they know many will just vote for them again, hardly a way of insuring a conscientious effort is it ? When will we all understand that BOTH parties have caused this horrid time in history & will continue to until we grow up & vote against these two parties where lies, deceit & greed are the only way to do business, how can we have a decent society when the people who lead us & set the example are dishonest, inept & conceited. Vote out BOTH main parties, they’ve shown you they have no intention of changing, we URGENTLY need Political reform in all the western countries & the only way we’ll get it is to vote for unaligned independents & the smaller parties who want Gov reform as well just like the vast majority of people do.
Unless of course you just want to see the entire western world implode, we truly are not that far away, do you really want to pass this whole mess & debt onto your kids & grandkids ? surely not, that is if we & them survive. We can’t expect to just do as we like & not face any retaliation, please correct me if I’m wrong.
We must act at the next election as after that we may not have the privilege again for a long time. Democracy was fought for, it is not a god given right, we must treasure it & fight to keep it.
My best to you all, I hope you give it some thought.
Cheers

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prisnersdilema's avatar

By prisnersdilema, September 9, 2011 at 9:30 pm Link to this comment

And Dead eye Dick was also psychic….

http://morphcity.com/home/105-national-energy-policy-the-cheney-law-massacre

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By CanDoJack, September 9, 2011 at 8:43 pm Link to this comment

First I compliment Gerard on the comment about the
book being better put, ideally, as Doing My Time.
Precious!

If I had reviewed the book (without my head
exploding) I would have said what John Dean said. I
might have added that Cheney seems to think like a
cultist but maybe that would owe too much to my
current work on a novel entitled Nine Elevens. Is it
coincidence the number of times 9-11 comes up in US
history of the last couple centuries and is always
relative to a cult and always the cult with which
Darth is affiliated.

As research continues I am, even I the arch skeptic,
constantly overwhelmed at the ease with which dots
can be connected because evil is always more simple
than we imagine.

Now, who would like to chip in on a gift ticket to
Dick (which means thick and stout auf Deutsch)? The
ticket would be to a really posh resort somewhere in
Spain, say perhaps Marbella, or wherever Pinochet
himself was apprehended.

Finally, because as many errors exist in the “inside
job” theory of nine eleven as exist in “moslems did
it” theory that does not mean it was not an inside
job. No more than the idea that the quizzical school
room look on Bush’s face was due to his fresh
realization that he was to go down in that whole
event leaving Cheney to be POTUS.

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caped amigo's avatar

By caped amigo, September 9, 2011 at 5:06 pm Link to this comment

I sure hope he comes to my town on a book tour. Oh, I won’t harm him. I’ll just
shower him with skunk juice and then stand my ground and hope he comes at me.
We’re about the same age. It’d be a fair fight except for the Secret Service agents.
Be worth it.

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By GJS, September 9, 2011 at 5:05 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m a big believer in what goes around comes around !

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By agelbert, September 9, 2011 at 3:39 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Tobysgirl has the correct picture of our lamentable situation.

As to Cheney, I want to add that he is a serial liar AND a propagandist. Like Rumsfield, propagandists work as a team with an echo chamber. Notice that Rumsfield has a “book” out too. The substance of the pack of self serving lies these two war criminals have just emitted is not important. We know they lie constantly.

And by the way, if both traitors have the same publisher, we should put that publisher on notice that we won’t buy any books from them.

Getting back to the propaganda purpose of these books, I think the timing of the release is what is important to them. With all the 9/11 10th anniversary noise going on, these reptiles are trying to hitch a ride on the public unconscious as heroes of 9/11. The fact that a significant amount of people in this country have figured out that 9/11 was a massive war profiteering scam to benefit weapons manufacturers, no-bid logistics contractors and Israeli Middle East expansionist ambitions does not seem to occur to Rumsfield and Cheney.

Good. When the entire nation finally gets on board with the true monsters behind 9/11, it will be delicious irony that Rumsfield and Cheney will already be tied to the public mind by their own Luntz propaganda attempt.

Considering that both Rumsfield and Cheney, along with the Mossad Zionists are the prime suspects for 9/11, it is appropriate that people continue to tie them to that event.

Finally, as a retired ATC radar controller, I can tell you that cast iron, irrefutable proof of US military involvement in the pentagon attack is on a disk somewhere. The DC area is wall to wall radar. ALL radar tracking data shows velocity.

Nobody but the US military can lob a missle in the continental US. Besides the fact that missles fly about a thousand miles per hour FASTER than an airliner, missiles have a DIFFERENT radar signature thatn aircraft, get it?
Don’t buy the bullshit about the FAA “accidentally destroying” the 9/11 voice and radar data from 9/11. It’s still there. Our government is lying.

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By GradyLeeHoward, September 9, 2011 at 3:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Thanks John Dean for reading this book so I won’t have
to. I trust your account.

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By misterfrick, September 9, 2011 at 3:06 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Mr. Dean,

Well, duh! Why would you expect anything else?

mf

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By Aarky, September 9, 2011 at 3:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I can’t wait for the day I find his books in the $3.00 sections of the book stores. And I still won’t buy!

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James M. Martin's avatar

By James M. Martin, September 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm Link to this comment

Cheney simply has an eye to history.  History is rewritten by winners.  Hitler afficionado Henry Ford said “history is bunk,” but even he knew that if you get a chance to rewrite it, history becomes what you say it was.  It is a shame there is no heaven nor hell below us, as Cheney, enjoying his biological amnesty, will simply die.  If there were such a creature, Cheney could find himself having tea with the Devil.  As it is, he will be six feet under by the time his misdeeds are described in some books as necessary evils in combat against terrorism, while other books will tell it like it is: Cheney was a terrorist himself.

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By grumpynyker, September 9, 2011 at 2:32 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Screw a trial.  Handcuff this war criminal, toss him into a MRI or Cat scan room and force to sign documents rolling over his war profiteering money, full details of his meeting with oil,coal, and other polluters, then turn the machine on.

Report this

By fred, September 9, 2011 at 2:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Thank you Mr. Dean for this helpful review and for the precautions you took while
preparing it.  I am indeed glad that I do not have to read it myself.

Report this

By Jay Wynne, September 9, 2011 at 1:56 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

John Dean is in the tradition of the great
muckrakers. 

Yet, I imagine that is not his intent. 

However, time after time, book after book, his
thoughtful and responsible assessments of where we
and our politicians have come, so far from his days
of watching and, I daresay, with conscience pangs,
participating in the soul-searing business of doing
politics at the highest levels in America, he
reveals the darkening an, world endangering side of
ourselves that we avoid until we will have run out
of places to hide from our increasingly crippling
national psyche. 

Cassandra-like, Dean warns and warns and
warns…and we, especially the body politic, ignore
his warnings at great peril to us all. 

And what do we risk?

This frayed, ailing, grand and noble experiment at
self-government…

When we read this brief assessment of the arguable
war criminal Cheney, we are left breathless but not
surprised, sad and, sadly helpless.

Keep writing, John Dean, keep the bastards honest,
and if not honest, keep the rest of us from buying
into their psychotic behavior.

JW

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By gerard, September 9, 2011 at 1:55 pm Link to this comment

Irony of ironies:  The book might have been called
“Doing My Time” and we might have learned from him first-hand whether waterboarding is torture or not.

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By spktruth200, September 9, 2011 at 1:43 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Throw Ron Paul under the bus too! Posted at Veterans network is Paul in his own words…he denies there is any question on how 911 happened. These freaks are all covering for each other. We need a National Citizens Conference on 911…and let the information, evidence be heard and seen nationally. We have to do it…no demorat or repuke will ever do as long as Bush and cheney are alive.

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Lee Oates's avatar

By Lee Oates, September 9, 2011 at 1:39 pm Link to this comment

Chaney is a war criminal, pure and simple. He should face the world court and hopefully be hung, along with Gaddafi and other so called leaders who have betrayed their countries.

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By ron hansing, September 9, 2011 at 1:20 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Interesting article from a convicted felon… who wrote a book about bushII worse than watergate.

Hyperboly… how many americans and vietnamese died because of Nixon’s continuation of a lost cause…

sorry, don’t buy it.

Report this

By PaulMagillSmith, September 9, 2011 at 1:14 pm Link to this comment

So Cheney will remain a prisoner/criminal hiding in a
‘spider hole” the rest of his miserable sociopathic life
(albeit one the size of the United States, and in a gated
community cell protected by Secret Service agents paid for
by the same people he betrayed). Does this seem like true
justice to any patriotic American? I for one say
loudly…HELL NO!!!

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By JMD, September 9, 2011 at 12:28 pm Link to this comment

John Dean:                      9/09/2011
    The Shills,the psychologists and
psychiatrists,move in quickly to quell the voice of the
commoner who has been charged with a crime his
political leaders advocated as worthy of committing -
only misunderstood the communique.
    Another lesson taught,without saying a word.
    Thanking you for this opportunity to comment -
    James M. de Laurier

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By spktruth200, September 9, 2011 at 12:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I received an email yesterday stating the reason Obama did go after Bush/cheney and their war crimes right after he was elected, was because his advisors and those in the democratic party believed the republicans would launch a coup det tat against Obama. While we have been wondering why Obama would let these war criminals have a pass that story makes sense. Remember the congressman who stated on the Floor of the Congress, they were told to sign the patriot act, or the Bush regime would declare martial law on the american people. 911 was an inside job, and most people know we were told another whopper. go to If Americans knew and see the chronology they have put together by the corporate owned media of how even the media were trying to get the truth out. We will never forget 911, because the Ommission commission left out the details that would prove the police/fireman and others heard bombs go off, before the Planes attacked..we are under martial law right now when it comes to getting correct information. I love me some John Dean…

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By JMD, September 9, 2011 at 12:05 pm Link to this comment

John Dean:            9/09/2011
    The shills,the psychologists and psychiatrists,
move in quickly to quell the voice of the commoner,who
has been charged with a crime, one his political leader
advocated worthy of committing - only misunderstood
whom to commit it against.
    Another lesson taught,without saying a word.
    Thanking you for this opportunity to comment -
    James M. de Laurier

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By SarcastiCanuck, September 9, 2011 at 11:56 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Wow,this coming from John(Watergate Coverup)Dean.If anyone knows the dirty workings of Washington offices and minds,he’d have to be near the top of the list.Don’t you just love to watch the Beltway crowd devour each other…

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By Dave L., September 9, 2011 at 11:09 am Link to this comment

Cheney should be tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and treason. Then hung from the end of a rope by the neck until dead.

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By MeHere, September 9, 2011 at 9:51 am Link to this comment

Well said, Tobysgirl.

Once people like Cheney - a man of no substance to begin with- find a viable path
to fulfill their career ambitions, they stay on it.  They become desensitized to
questions of conscience because they couldn’t live every day if they allowed
doubts to interfere with their activities.  They manage to create a comfortable
environment around themselves in order to function and they can even be
charming and sentimental.  As the article says, Cheney “does not get it.”

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By dukesman2000, September 9, 2011 at 9:39 am Link to this comment

Isn’t it amazing how a five-times-draft-dodger like Cheney can grow to love to wars so much. I guess it is easier to send someone that go yourself.

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By Amerikagulag, September 9, 2011 at 8:49 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Dick did nothing he wasn’t TOLD to do by his handlers in Israel. He’s been working for the self-chosen for decades.

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By Tobysgirl, September 9, 2011 at 7:43 am Link to this comment

Let’s just face the fact that most people in the ruling portion of our government and most people in our ruling classes are people without conscience. What is a person with no conscience? A person with no conscience is a sociopath.

We need to face the fact that the severely mentally ill are running our nation and the world. Bush and Cheney at least seemed straightforward to me; no one with a brain could possibly think they were decent people. But what about Obama? I think he is just as sick as either of them; he has no ethics, no values, no core, nothing but a love of sucking up to the worst sort of white people.

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By aacme88, September 9, 2011 at 6:19 am Link to this comment

Reagan’s pre-election dealings with the Iranians was a far worse violation of the Logan Act than if Carter was lobbying against the first Iraq war.
And for such a war lover as Cheney to claim he would have served in Vietnam if called is laughable. Without connections, it was almost impossible to get out of serving, and in 1968, in my basic training company, were more misfits and losers than you could imagine, short fat guys, a guy with a balance problem who couldn’t walk in a straight line, a guy with no toes on his right foot, a guy with 4 kids, all, and more, draftees. I was too tall, an inch over the limit. No problem, they measured me 4 inches shorter just to make sure.
On the other hand, I was with a friend from D.C. who got worried about getting drafted and called up the head of Selective Service: “Hi General Hershey, this is Bruce…”. The general assured Bruce he didn’t have to worry.

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By Jimnp72, September 9, 2011 at 5:40 am Link to this comment

This murderous, obnoxious thug is above the law. After wrecking the country, his corrupt fat old ass struts about writing garbage and making tons of money from his idiotic blather.
Imagine if you or I had even committed one of his criminal acts, such as outing a secret agent. We would have been secretly rendered or rotting in solitary with no hope of freedom again.
Justice is not only blind in this country, it is also deaf, dumb and brainless.

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By PatrickHenry, September 9, 2011 at 5:29 am Link to this comment

I would never condone book burning, but in this case…...

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