European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 15, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. September 15, 1995 commentary j the stars and stripes. Page 17.   ,. I. Federal govern Merit every passing Day brings new a s31 to i and it of Trust in Federal police reasons to be cynical about those in Eov if in a re he is of Ufa Only s .  run Icv. A Towa. Y bring cynical government and their attitude toward jus Tice. Here Are a few of the latest out rage s.  ". Clinton crony and Arkansas democratic party operative Henry Woods used his Federal judgeship to throw out Whitewater indictments brought by Independent counsel Kenneth Starr against the a Kansas political establishment. This tells me that the situation is so Dicey for the Clinton and their friends that Henry Woods feels compelled to misuse his judge ship to obstruct Justice. If gov. Jim Guy Tucker and others Are As innocent As they claim there would be no Point in judge Woods raising so Many eyebrows with his ruling. The republicans Don t score any bet Ter. Two and one half years after the Fri and the Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms assaulted the Branch davidians near Waco Texas with tanks banned chemical weapons and machine guns resulting in the deaths of 85 people including 20 children the House of representatives finally got around to hearings. But when Law and order conservatives looked into the Eye of massive Ille Gal behaviour by Federal agents they blinked fearful of discrediting Law enforcement agencies. The democrats and president Clinton seized the Opportunity Paul Craig Roberts to focus on Davidian Leader David to Resh s personality and implied that the davidians brought it All upon themselves and May have deserved what they got. Not a single person among those responsible for the gratuitous deaths of so Many people was held accountable. Three years after Randy Weaver s child and wife were killed by Federal agents his boy was shot in the Back by a . Marshal and his wife was shot in the head by an Fri sniper the Senate has finally gotten around to hearings Randy Weaver described his illegal entrapment which led to the death of his wife and son but the senators found the Gross criminal behaviour of . Law enforcement agencies too scary to confront. Patrick Leahy d-vt., warned that we must not demonize the actions of those who serve Iri Law  sen. Herb Kohl d-wis., quickly vowed that none of us Here today Democrat or Republican wants to weaken or demoralize Federal Law in  rather we need to do what is necessary to restore Confidence in the Fri the Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms and the marshals service. Sen. Dianne Feinstein d-cauf., responded to Weaver s description of the mayhem committed against his family by asking if he had any swastikas. In other words like the folks near Waco he got what he deserved. Even Republican sen. Larry Craig of Idaho whose persistence. Caused the hearing to be held said that the reason for the hearings is to Start the Healing process and rebuild that critical Public Trust in Federal police. Only sen. Chuck Grassley a Towa was Able to state the obvious Law enforcement now Cross trains with the Mili tary s elite special operations forces and the militarization of the Fri has imbued Law enforcement with the Mili tary Mission to kill  every Federal Agency seems to have been militarized a Herb farm in California with $20 million in annual sales and 500 employees was raided last october by 70 armed troops in flak Jack ets from the Fri environmental Protection Agency and . Coast guard. The Fri looked at a commercial farm and saw a gun toting religious cult. Unable to admit yet another mistake the government is trying to seize the farm s land on trumped up charges. Well at least Bob Packwood was bounced from the Senate. Can we take satisfaction that Justice was done to this sexual harasser afraid not. Packwood could t Tell the difference betwee women who threw themselves at him and those who did not. But removing a sen Ator is a serious matter. Packwood is the first senator who would have been expelled without a criminal conviction and he was denied two Basic protections of our Legal system. He was charged on the basis of the retroactive application of a new Standard and he was not permitted to confront his accusers. Packwood s colleagues did t want to anger feminists by holding a Public hear ing where the accusers could be con fronted like Anita Hill by opposing Tes Timony and have their credibility impugned with information about their private sexual behaviour. Peek Vood Robert Reno on several appalling counts the fall and disgrace of Robert William Packwood must surely go. Down As the most perverse and a redeeming affair in the Long history of congressional scandal. First of All it took three years longer than it has taken to try . Simpson or fight the persian Gulf War for the Senate to decide he was a loathsome wretch on charges that we Learned last week were about As open and shut As these things get. Not Only that but in a town notorious for leaks facts that made Packwood s expulsion seem inevitable to a schoolchild were withheld until remade the Issue moot by resigning. The Senate like an animal House fraternity kept its secrets to the end and regurgitated them with unseemly reluctance. And let let us not forget that this whole mess began with the accusation that Packwood was merely a dips Omania Cal lecher with an admirable record on women s issues an. Occupation still acceptable in Many such male dominated clubs As the Senate. But it ended with revelations that he was by the testimony of his own diary so ethically challenged As to confirm the most cynical Public attitudes about congressional ethics. It is reported that Packwood s most affectionate defenders paragons such As Sens. Bob Dole and Daniel p. Moynihan had held out against expulsion on the fear his logical successor As chairman of the finance committee was an aged in competent not a heavy lifter his Kinder critics said in a session in which such Leaden issues As welfare Reform medicare and tax cuts for the Rich had to be lifted. What a Muddy puddle the re is sir 9/8/95 publicans have if their Pool of Talent drove them to the defense of a Man so in defensible. And then Dole apparently decided that what the hell let Packwood hang around in utter disgrace for two or three months until we get welfare Reform be Hind us. What does it take to Embarrass these sorts of people still with All these astonishment what crowns this whole affair with the ridiculous is that the Best evidence we have against Packwood is not the testimony of the Enumerable and believable women he annoyed with his Boorish groupings but 808 sumy 6et5 it. The gratuitous mouthing of his own diary. It is so detailed and voluminous that we can assume he did t keep it to pass time. Yet it is so disgusting and self embarrassing perhaps incriminating As to suggest it was never meant for the eyes of another human being. We can Only conclude that it was a record meant for him to Giggle Over in his dotage when he could t quite remember what it was like to be one of the most important senators in the land. Try As i might i can t think of a More logical reason. Anyway there is an excellent lesson in this squalid affair. And it is this what we have read of the Packwood diary tells us that this political revolution supposedly taking place in Washington is a hollow and contemptible piece of arrant duplicity if it does not include As the contract with America conspicuously does not comprehensive unambiguous and merciless Reform of the Way congressional campaigns Are financed and lobbyists relationships with members of Congress Are governed. Without these things and maybe even with them we Are being sold a pile of unmitigated rubbish. C Neva Day