[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E384-E385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LET STARR SHINE
______
HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 17, 1998
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, it is tragic enough that doubts abound
about the integrity and motivations of many of our elected officials in
the eyes of the people of this country. It is even more unjust when
those doubts are planted by people we should trust. Recently, the
Clinton Administration has deflected the public's attention away from
the accusations against the President and toward Independent Counsel
Kenneth Starr. All of the president's people are repeatedly attacking
Mr. Starr and distracting him from doing his job. What makes this a
tragedy is the fact that Mr. Starr is merely performing the duties
legally delegated to him. Kenneth Starr is a man of impeccable
integrity. He should be allowed to continue his investigation without
undue interference or political attacks. In that way only, will he be
able to discern the truth. I have enclosed two relevant editorials. The
first was written by four outstanding former attorneys general, and was
published on March 11 in the Wall Street Journal. The second article
was found in The Poughkeepsie Journal, a Gannett newspaper that serves
some of my constituents in Dutchess County, New York.
[From the Wall Street Journal, Mar. 11, 1998]
Let Starr Do His Job
(The following statement was issued last Thursday by four
former U.S. attorneys general. A related editorial appears
nearby)
As former attorneys general of the United States, we oppose
the Independent Counsel Act. We believed in the past, and we
believe now, that the United States Department of Justice is
capable of investigating all criminal and civil matters
involving the United States government. We also believe that
the Independent Counsel Act raises serious constitutional
issues involving, among other things, separation of powers
and due process. However, we also believe in the rule of law.
In Morrison v. Olson, the United States Supreme Court ruled
that the Independent Counsel Act is constitutional. Moreover,
in 1994, after the law had lapsed, Congress reauthorized the
Independent Counsel Act, and President Clinton signed it into
law. Therefore, the Independent Counsel Act is today the law
of the land, and it must be enforced.
As former attorneys general, we are concerned that the
severity of the attacks on Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr
and his office by high government officials and attorneys
representing their particular interests, among others, appear
to have the improper purpose of influencing and impeding an
ongoing criminal investigation and intimidating possible
jurors, witnesses and even investigators. We believe it is
significant that Mr. Starr's investigative mandate has been
sanctioned by the Attorney General of the United States and
the Special Division of the United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia.
Further, Mr. Starr is effectively prevented from defending
himself and his staff because of the legal requirements of
confidentiality and the practical limitations necessitated by
the ongoing investigations.
As former attorneys general, we know Mr. Starr to be an
individual of the highest personal and professional
integrity. As a judge on the United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia and Solicitor General of the
United States, he exhibited exemplary judgment and commitment
to the highest ethical standards and the rule of law.
We believe any independent counsel, including Mr. Starr,
should be allowed to carry out his or her duties without
harassment by government officials and members of the bar.
The counsel's service can then be judged, by those who wish
to do so, when the results of the investigation and the facts
underlying it can be made public.
Griffin B. Bell,
[[Page E385]]
Attorney General for President Jimmy Carter.
Edwin Meese III,
Attorney General for President Ronald Reagan.
Richard L. Thornburgh,
Attorney General for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George
Bush.
William P. Barr,
Attorney General for President George Bush.
____
[From the Poughkeepsie JOurnal, Feb. 28, 1998]
Let Starr Do His Job
Spin doctors in Washington have apparently performed
successful surgery on President Clinton's reputation--his
approval ratings are soaring with the angels. But Special
Prosecutor Kenneth Starr's numbers are down in the cellar.
The steady beat of the president's people, all saying the
same thing, has had the obviously desired effect--it's
distracted the attention of the American public away from
questions of Clintonian wrongdoing, and onto a special
prosecutor supposedly running amuck.
Clinton's people loudly proclaim Starr really is
overstepping his bounds in his investigations of the
president. If he really were, there would be grounds for
dismissal by the judges who appointed Starr. Or Attorney
General Janet Reno, or the president himself could.
But nobody's moving to dismiss the special prosecutor.
They're just making lots of noise on television about him.
Fortunately, the one person whose attention should be on
questions of presidential wrongdoing, is. Starr is simply
doing his job.
The major issue is not whether Clinton had affairs with
Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones or anyone else--though that
certainly is a significant moral matter that he may be forced
to address, if the allegations turn out to be true.
The major issue is whether the president obstructed
justice. Whether he committed perjury and urged others to do
the same. And whether evidence was tampered with, and
witnesses bought off. That is a significant legal issue that
could drive him out of the White House.
We must, of course, presume Clinton is innocent, unless he
is proven guilty. He deserves that constitutional privilege
as much as any American.
It's also wrong, lacking proof, to paint Kenneth Starr as
the guilty party. He's just doing his job. Maybe his
investigation will come to nothing. Maybe not. But let him
take as much time as he needs to do that job and discern the
truth.
The nation deserves truth. Not spin.
____________________