Sovereign Commentary: Some of the most important news stories on the web with accompanying comment. Special attention to China, Illegal Immigration, the growing Police State, and the slow death of the Constitution for the United States of America with special focus on First Amendment and Second Amendment issues.

Congress Finally Takes Interest on Theft of National Property by Sandy Berger

It seems that someone is finally noticing that Sandy Berger's theft of documents from the national archives is a crime. Maybe someone will try to get him sent to prison.

A group of House Republicans called Wednesday for a congressional investigation into the improper handling of classified documents by President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger. . . [who] admitted last year that he deliberately took classified documents out of the National Archives in 2003 and destroyed some of them at his office. He pleaded guilty in federal court to one charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material and was fined $50,000.(1)

I have said it before and I'll say it again; the fact that Sandy Berger is not in prison shows that the government officials involved in his case were derelict in their duty to uphold the laws of these United States. When ordinary citizens do this sort of thing, the federal prosecutors do their level best to send them to prison.(2) I will not begin to have faith in the institution of the Federal government until Berger is in prison where he belongs.

My only complaint about this is that it comes during campaign season... which makes me think that the Republicans, just like the Democrats, care more about politics than doing the right thing. Character is doing the right thing even if no one is looking. Both parties are short on this.
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(1) Erica Werner. "GOP Leaders Seek Probe of Berger Papers," The Associated Press, 2006 October 11, paras. 1-2, http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/11/D8KMJE502.html
(2) Karlyn Barker. "Va. Man Admits to Stealing, Selling Documents From National Archives," The Washington Post, 2005 March 08, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15566-2005Mar7.html

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What I Have Said On This Topic:

Sandy Berger Pleads Guilty to Taking Classified Material from the National Archives

Virginia Man Steals Documents From National Archives, Faces Jail Time

Sandy Berger Participated in a National Security Panel Discussion at Purdue University

Known Criminal, Sandy Berger, to Speak at Purdue

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