Yesterday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas floated a pre-emptive defense of the Bush administration officials currently under investigation by special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald.
“I certainly hope,” said Hutchison, “that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime and so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation was not a waste of time and taxpayer dollars.” (Emphasis added.)
Hutchison’s characterization of lying under oath to a grand jury as a “technicality” didn’t sit well with several observers, particularly people who have either (a) access to the Internet or (b) a decent memory.
In the aftermath, bloggers let loose.
“On February 2, 1999, Hutchison stood with a bipartisan group of senators at a press conference announcing a resolution to open the Senate trial on the impeachment of President Clinton,” noted Think Progress. “At the time, Hutchison said it was vitally important to prosecute on perjury charges because telling the truth is the lynch pin [sic] of our criminal justice system.”
“So, lying about blowjobs in a civil case that was dismissed is a huge giant semen stain on the presidential seal, but lying in a criminal case about the outing of a CIA agent is a technicality,” wrote Whatever. “Punishable by five years in prison, but a technicality.”
Throughout the criticism, the fellatio angle was a constant theme.
“The very same Republicans who were hysterical during the last administration about a consensual blowjob as being the biggest threat to the nation are now shrugging their shoulders about the leaking of a CIA NOC officer for petty political gain,” noted Brilliant at Breakfast. “Kay Bailey Hutchison yesterday referred to Patrick Fitzgerald’s case as ‘some perjury technicality’ and William Kristol has referred to the ‘criminalization of politics.’ In short, supporters of the administration have all but said what they obviously believe: Everything is Permissible When You’re A Republican. Yes, they really DO believe in this kind of double standard, in which a Democratic sexual encounter is a threat to the Republic, but Republican treason is A-OK.”
The few conservative bloggers who did weigh in were hardly less critical.
“The Left had a field day over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s remarks on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ this morning in which she downplayed possible perjury and obstruction of justice indictments this week in the Rove/Plame/Miller/Libby/God-knows-who-else leak case,” wrote Michelle Malkin. “I watched the rebroadcast of the show tonight and have to say that I found Hutchison’s pooh-poohing more than a bit disturbing. … Perjury and obstruction of justice are serious crimes, whether committed by D’s, R’s, or otherwise. Period.”
At least one blogger, however, saw a potential upside to Hutchison’s comments.
“[I]f I ever get indicted for perjury,” quipped the Tao of Politics, “I want Kay Bailey Hutchison on my jury.”
–Felix Gillette
Felix Gillette writes about the media for The New York Observer.