Why the Senate should reject Ted Olson

By Gary Kamiya

Published May 21, 2001 3:22PM (EDT)

Read the story.

I would like to correct an error in Gary Kamiya's otherwise fine piece. In it, he describes the Wall Street Journal editors' "near-psychotic hatred of Clinton." I've been a Wall Street Journal subscriber for 20 years, and I can say with utter confidence that Kamiya erred in using the word "near."

-- Patrick Moody

The behavior of Olson, both in his testimony about the Arkansas Project, and in his previous testimony about the Environmental Protection Agency scandals under the Reagan administration, disqualifies him from serving in any public office. It should even disqualify him from practicing law. Clinton had his license suspended for evasive and misleading testimony, and Olson should too.

-- Norman Rodewald

Boy, you guys are working really hard to give your leftist friends a reason to finance your site. This Ted Olson story is so meritless. It is going to cost the Democrats the Senate next year. I can't believe they are so stupid as to take your story as fact and try to use it to punish Olson for winning Bush vs. Gore. You will learn, though, that liberals and your leftist friends will not put their money where their mouths are. They only like to spend other people's money. You guys are on your way to extinction. I read your article about how you guys are worried about John Ashcroft's crackdown on porn, which now also means your site. It is truly pathetic. The left has fallen so far so fast.

-- Slover

It troubles me that Olson was not only a coward, but also that he was so concerned that no one know his identity that he wrote anti-Clinton articles for the American Spectator under a fake name. And now he wants us to believe he was unaware of the Arkansas Project while attending its meetings? Republicans would like us to believe that because meetings didn't open with a statement like "now, everyone here understands that this is an official meeting of the Arkansas Project, right?" that Olson was unaware he was actually attending project meetings. Gee, and to listen to Republicans speak of this man, you would be led to believe he is the smartest in the universe. All Olson has to do is tell the truth and stop complaining he is being smeared -- a tactic he and his wife are famous for doing to others.

-- Thomas Fennell

Thank you for writing about David Brock. Stand up and be counted, conservatives, for you are running with your tails between your legs. At least David Brock has the guts to stand up and talk about what took place when the right-wing conservatives set out to destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton.

I find it amazing that when right-wing conservatives get caught with their hands in the cookie jar, their only defense is to blame David Brock -- the man who's actually telling the truth. The conservatives have divided this country with their lies and hate, and now they cannot face the truth about Ted Olson and all the key players who had a part in the destruction of the Clintons.

-- Arlene Carlson

Filibuster Ted Olson? Democrats? Dream on! That bunch of frauds will not do anything to stop him. They just want to use him to keep liberals in their camp. They accept the same checks that Republicans do, but "we need two parties." So, go on out, Pat Leahy, and put on a good show for the left, because it's all we're going to give them. I'm now a Green Party member. I just can't take the Democrats anymore. I can't take their whining and their lying about how much they disagree with the Republicans. I also can't stand having them take my vote and insult me and my values in the public arena. Clinton was shoved down our throats because he was from the "New Democrat" wing. You know, the ones who live like normal Americans -- not too much sex, regular church-goers. Then his own party sandbags him in his first month in office and leaves him for dead when he can't keep his zipper up. So much for the regular American.

Give up on the Democrats.

-- Scott Frasier


By Salon Staff

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