On January 20, 2001, his last day in office, President Clinton pardoned one of the biggest tax cheats in American history, Marc Rich. Barack Obama's choice for attorney general, Eric Holder, was the point man on that abomination.
The pardon occurred after Denise Rich, Marc's ex-wife, and her friend Beth Dozoretz pledged to donate close to $1 million to the Clinton Library Foundation. An investigation began, led by U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, and both Dennis Rich and Beth Dozoretz were called to testify under oath before a House committee. Both ladies took the Fifth Amendment. Let me repeat. They both took the Fifth.
Well, after that, the investigation became cloudy, and Ms. White stonewalled everybody, including Senator Arlen Specter, who wants to know what attorney White knows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, R-PENN.: My staff has talked to her and she has declined to testify. And I have a request in now to the chairman to have a subpoena issued for her so she will appear.
O'REILLY: Yeah, but the chairman's not going to do that.
SPECTER: Well, there are limits as to what can be done. Listen, we face a gigantic problem here with one-party rule, Bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That's for sure. Now, President Bush did not pursue the Marc Rich investigation, most likely because he didn't want to put Bill Clinton under a spotlight.
So let's fast forward to now when The New York Times and NBC News are screaming for Bush and Cheney to be investigated for criminal violations and the speaker of the House seems to be going along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: So I think you look at each item and see what is a violation of the law and do we even have a right to ignore it.
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it will be very, very curious to see if they go forward with these types of investigations if Nancy Pelosi herself puts herself on the witness stand because, as we know, the head members of the Congress, the leaders of the Congress, Republicans and Democrats, knew exactly what we were doing in order to help protect our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
What say you, Nancy Pelosi?
Now, if Barack Obama orders Attorney General Holder to mount a partisan witch-hunt, he will be making an enormous mistake. Of course, it's ironic that in his confirmation hearing last week, Holder himself admitted the Rich fiasco was a mistake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL DESIGNEE: My conduct, my actions in the Rich matter was a place where I made mistakes. I have never said anything other than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
But the zombified senators did not ask Holder the most important question: How could a blunder like that happen? Why were President Clinton and Holder himself so beholden to Marc Rich?
The truth is that shady things happen all the time in Washington, and most of them are buried. President Bush had no appetite for putting Bill Clinton through hell, although he could have easily done it.
But the far left is devoid of any humanity and would gleefully tear the USA apart if they could damage George W. Bush. President Obama should understand that and act accordingly.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
A middle school principal in Georgia, Nina Gilbert, wanted very badly for her students at Ivy Prep in Atlanta to witness the inauguration firsthand, but there were no tickets available for them — until Governor Mike Huckabee swung into action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE, FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: Let me tell you something. I think maybe you ought to know this. We got some tickets for you and the students.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Governor Huckabee, the author of the book "Do the Right Thing," is a patriot for making those kids happy.
On the pinhead front, remember actor Joaquin Phoenix who played a Roman emperor in "Gladiator"? Well, it seems Joaquin is fed up with acting and now wants to be a rapper.
Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!
All we can say to Joaquin is good luck with that, and try not to be a pinhead.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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