Clinton and Schumer's Rank Hypocrisy

New York's two senators are flapping their gums wildly this week about the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys, but the stench of hypocrisy runs deep and wide. Not that these two shameless political whores care one bit about double standards when it comes time to preen for the cameras.

In the Opinion Journal today, we're reminded that Mrs. Clinton knows all about firing U.S. attorneys, as we take a trip down memory lane to 1993.

Congressional Democrats are in full cry over the news this week that the Administration's decision to fire eight U.S. Attorneys originated from--gasp--the White House. Senator Hillary Clinton joined the fun yesterday, blaming President Bush for "the politicization of our prosecutorial system." Oh, my.

As it happens, Mrs. Clinton is just the Senator to walk point on this issue of dismissing U.S. attorneys because she has direct personal experience. In any Congressional probe of the matter, we'd suggest she call herself as the first witness--and bring along Webster Hubbell as her chief counsel.

As everyone once knew but has tried to forget, Mr. Hubbell was a former partner of Mrs. Clinton at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock who later went to jail for mail fraud and tax evasion. He was also Bill and Hillary Clinton's choice as Associate Attorney General in the Justice Department when Janet Reno, his nominal superior, simultaneously fired all 93 U.S. Attorneys in March 1993. Ms. Reno--or Mr. Hubbell--gave them 10 days to move out of their offices.

Ah yes, Webster Hubbell, convicted felon and old pal of the Clintons. Do we really want to go there? Apparently, The Pantsuit loves reminiscing about the 1990's, as just yesterday she again brought up the absurd vast right-wing conspiracy. If she really wants to go there, we'll be happy to oblige and recall those glory days of missing billing records, grand jury testimony and convenient amnesia. By the way, how is Susan McDougal doing these days?

Then there's Charles Schumer, the pompous windbag who apparently doesn't understand what separation of powers is all about. The New York Post offers him some advice, not that he'll listen.

And surely Schumer remembers when President Bill Clinton and his attorney general, Janet Reno, ordered all 93 prosecutors to resign in one fell swoop.

Democrats had no problem with that. Nor did any of them complain when it became clear that that decision had been made with White House input.

Indeed, suspicion quickly focused on the fact that among those dismissed was the U.S. attorney who had just advised Reno that he was within 30 days of making the "critical decision" of whether to indict a powerful key Clinton ally, Rep. Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois.

Speculation was widespread that firing the rest of the prosecutors was simply cover, that the White House wanted to buy time for Rostenkowski - who eventually served 15 months in prison - to help push the Clinton agenda through Congress.

Yet did Democrats threaten to hold high-drama hearings then?

No.

Schumer needs to give it a rest now.

Of course, Schumer is incapable of shutting up. Once this non-scandal blows over, he'll move on to another non-issue.