Known Criminal, Sandy Berger, to Speak at Purdue

Story dated 09 February 2005

"National government and industry experts. . . will speak during a panel discussion on Feb. 24 at Purdue University about new technologies needed to protect America from terrorist attacks. . . John Sununu, former White House chief of staff, will moderate the panel. Other panel members will be Kay; Sandy Berger, former national security adviser; Robert Crandall, former CEO of American Airlines; Reed Hundt, a technology expert and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; and cyber-terrorism expert Jonathan Zittrain." [emphasis added]. That's nice. But does anyone remember that Sandy Berger was caught on tape thieving confidential documents from the National Archives? If I (or Martha Stewart for that matter) had done such a thing, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison right now. Sandy Berger, William J. Clinton's former national security advisor, is merely "under investigation for stuffing classified documents at the National Archives into his socks". My understanding is that not only did National Archives security catch this on tape, they were aware of it at the time, but didn't lift a finger to apprehend Berger as he exited the premises. There is something very wrong here. I can just see if this were me:

Federal investigator: Sir, would you care to explain how these classified documents from the National Archives came into your possession?
Me: Well, I'm a bit absent minded; they probably got mixed up with my own papers, heh, heh. . . (nervously rubs back of head)
Federal investigator: Is it your custom to stuff your documents into your socks and underwear?
Me: Ummm. . ., yes. It's a nervous habit. When I'm under a deadline, I get stressed and I do quirky things like that as sort of a nervous reflex.
Federal investigator: So why were the only documents stuffed away in this manner were the classified documents from the National Archives?
Me: I have no idea. You have to believe me, I had no idea that those documents were in my socks and underwear.
Federal investigator: So you expect me to believe that when you got up and walked out of the building, you had no knowledge that you had stuffed these classified documents into your socks and underwear?
Me: That's right. Am I free to go now?

There is no way any investigator worth his or her salt would believe me. I would have been arrested and tried under applicable federal law (But not, apparently, if my name had been Sandy Berger). Not only has he not been arrested, but he has been invited to speak at Purdue University. If this is the sort of person that Purdue will invite to speak on its campus, I'm afraid that I cannot recommend that anyone ever patronize that school again.

Purdue Contact Information: Emil Venere, Purdue Media Relations, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu Linda P.B. Katehi, 765-494-5346, katehi@purdue.edu
---------Let Us All Now Praise Famous Democrats?

posted by The Sovereign Editor | 7:25 PM

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