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Drooling on the Pillow

Friday, June 18, 2004

Goat Retrieval 

James Lileks has asked for all of us to name the things that get our goats. Doing my part, I nominate Susan McDougal and the media that quote her version of events without noting that she is a shifty, weasely, convicted felon and a grifter. I guess, properly speaking, she gets my weasel, but since that could be misinterpreted, I'll go with the goat.

First of all, of course, Starr didn't put her in jail. A federal judge did. Because you are obligated to testify when you are subpoenaed before a grand jury.

What am I missing here? Either she had information about criminal activity on the part of the Clintons or she didn't. If she did she could testify to it or plead the fifth (although on second thought that's probably not true since Starr had given her complete immunity). If she had such information and testified that she didn't, Starr would be obligated to prosecute her for perjury. That is if he had corroborating evidence that she was lying. But it would be a very public trial and he would have to prove his case. By choosing to sit in jail for two years, while the President publicly holds out carrots for her to keep clammed up, all she's doing is trying to build up pressure on Starr to withdraw his subpoena. And pressure there was, an intense, unrelenting firestorm of pressure, because by that time everybody knows that she's a hero of fifth amendment rights and he's Torquemada.

If anyone has seen my goat, let me know.

Update -- Goat Retrieval II

Oh, yeah. Deconstruction.

I'll let Robert Detman at Bile Vent via Michael Blowhard at 2Blowhards handle this.

Take it away, Mr. Detman.

I'm getting an uncomfortable feeling that I'm blowing this assignment from James Lileks by registering bug-a-boos rather than goat getting. It's a fine point.
Posted by: Sluggo / 11:10 AM
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