Sandy Berger With Papers Down His Pants

by dday

In 2004, practically the entire Democratic convention was overshadowed with story upon story of former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger grabbing classified documents from the National Archives and using them for testimony with the 9-11 Commission. While it appeared that Berger was using them to refresh his memory about counter-terrorism operations rather than sell out his country to the Koreans, this was seen as dead-solid proof of Democratic perfidy and their lack of seriousness on national security, indeed their inability to be trusted with the most crucial secrets of the nation. Before that you can go back to toe-sucker Dick Morris becoming the story at the 1996 DNC.

Did this get mentioned on even one cable news report today?

A Justice Department report scolds former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for mishandling highly classified documents about an eavesdropping program and interrogating terror detainees — two of the Bush administration’s most sensitive counter-terror efforts.

The report says Gonzales failed to store the documents in proper secure facilities and at one point took them home. The report released Tuesday also says he stored them in his briefcase because he did not know the combination to the safe at his house.

Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine referred the security breach to the department’s National Security Division. But the reports says prosecutors there declined to bring charges against Gonzales.

Why would they? It’s Bush’s Justice Department, after all, right?

I really hate even wondering if a fair standard will ever get applied to stories about Democrats and Republicans because it won’t. Not anytime soon. But surely, on the day that George Bush speaks to RNC delegates, the fact that his Fredo, his handpicked Attorney General, the man who could be sitting on the Supreme Court right now if he had his way, mishandled classified information about illegal programs ought to get at least a mention, no?

(Maybe Berger should have used the “I forgot” defense like Fredo?)

…emptywheel has a lot more on this, including connections to the FISA fight.

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