The following is an excerpt from Richard Cohen's column, published in the New York Post on Wednesday, January 15, 1997. Cohen, not a favorite of mine at all, is one of the commentators that usually provides the ideological balance for the rest of the Post's Op-Ed ensemble.
To Democrats, the conversation proved that Gingrich had reneged on
his promise not to politicize the findings of the ethics committee. To
me, it proved something entirely different: Congressional Democrats
have lost their minds.
On the question of whether Gingrich reneged on his deal with the
ethics committee, the transcript is less than certain. On the question
of whether it matters any to you and me, the transcript offers no clue.
As to whether the issue is so serious it warrants or excuses what is,
at least, dirty pool, the transcript is resoundingly clear.
Congressional Democrats swung at Gingrich, but have hit below the belt.
The Washington Post said "numerous federal laws make such
eavesdropping a felony" and already numerous Republicans have asked the
feds to investigate.
They are justified in doing so, for the matter has now turned from
whether Gingrich was unethical in defense of his unethical behavior to
something that concerns you an me: our civil liberties. It is neither
polite nor legal to eavesdrop on someone else's phone conversation.
In a way, the leaking of the phone conversation -- it was Rep. John
Boehner (R-Ohio), whose conversation was taped -- represents what you
might call the Gingrichization of Washington.
When the current speaker was a mere legislative brat, he made it his
obsessive goal to bring down Speaker Jim Wright of Texas -- a Democrat
and just a little bit shady. Gingrich's aim was not just to clean up
Washington, but also -- primarily -- to run the democrats out of town.
Now the Democrats are doing something similar. You could argue that
much that is momentous hinges on getting rid of Gingrich and, maybe, the
Republican majority. But the fight seems petty nevertheless.
I'm no Gingrich fan, but funneling tax-exempt funds to political
endeavors puts no money in his pocket and pales next to Teapot Dome or
Iran-Contra. It hardly justifies an invasion of privacy.
Once, scandals were about outright crimes or outrageous behavior.
Watergate was serious -- a burglary, a cover-up, obstruction of
justice, perjury and a President disgracing himself and his office by,
if nothing else, the petty meanness of his mind and the ugliness of his
tongue. Other scandals have been about money -- bribes, graft,
extortion, that sort of thing.
But the current scandals seem more about positioning for partisan
advantages than any crime Boos Tweed would recognize. Gingrich himself
is the personification of the phenomenon. He has admitted to
wrongdoing, but the infraction is technical in nature -- something to do
with the IRS code.
Covering that up is, of course, different matter and goes to
important questions about honesty. But the original infraction warrants
little more than an ethical parking ticket.
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