Republican Puppy-Dogs

Caller: I wanted to ask you about your position on what the Congress should do regarding Bill Clinton. If I were a political cartoonist, I would draw a cartoon, and here’s what it would look like. There would be two precipices, with a deep gorge in between. And Clinton is standing on one precipice, with a really juicy bone. And the bone is labeled "scandal." And a bunch of puppy dogs on the other side, representing the Republican Congress, madly trying to get the bones, and falling over themselves and thereby destroying themselves politically, trying to get at this bone.

I just think that they need to be more snake-like. They need to creep up and get him, quickly. Because to have all these open showings, when they can't actually get the bone, is just damaging them.

Keyes: But don't you think part of the problem is that they don't understand what the bone is? The bone is not "scandal"; the bone is not "get Clinton," "embarrass Clinton," "hurt Clinton," "build ourselves up politically," "tear down Gore."

They have been pursuing the bone of political advantage out of all of this. And that's the wrong bone. The bone they should be pursuing is the bone of truth, and the interests of the American people; it should be all that's on their mind. And if this guy has done things that are hurtful to our security, they should single-mindedly pursue the truth about that until they get it. Not for political reasons; not to hurt him; not to hurt Gore; not to gain political advantage -- but to get the truth for the American people.

Caller: I agree with that. I do think, from a political perspective, though, it's important how they go about trying to get at the truth.

Keyes: But first you have to decide that that's what you want. I deeply believe that they don't care about the truth. They have shown no signs, whatsoever. (Not) Thompson; nobody, really, cares about getting at the truth. It's all been calculation, and maneuvering, and game-playing for purposes of political ambition and show. A single-minded concern for the truth has, I think, only been in evidence from one guy up there, that I see, and that's Dan Burton. And, of course, he's been pilloried for it. But I think he is the only one who shows that glimmer of a sense that this is not about politics; it's not about gestures; it's not about getting Clinton -- it's about trying to find out what really happened, and how it affects the interests of the American people.

I mean, this guy is making critical security decisions, about the Chinese, when it is possible that he's a paid agent of the Chinese Communist despots. Think about that! We need the truth about that; we need it desperately, given the kind of judgments he is making.

KEYES 2000!!!!!!

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