Al, These Are Hard Working Americans, Too

Al, These Are Hard Working Americans, Too
by Linda A. Prussen-Razzano

The fanfare ended with an enthusiastic bang. Amongst supporters' riotous applause, diametrically opposed spin, and a laundry list of giveaways, Al Gore attempted, yet again, to introduce himself to the American people. As part of his "humanization" process, he included personal accounts of four American families facing real and painfully difficult challenges.

I'm glad he has once again found his softer side; it has been missing in action for the last several years. Let us review just a few examples of how the Clinton/Gore administration has dealt with hard working Americans:

Billy Dale and the Travelgate Employees: Engaging in a bit of nepotism, the White House decided to fire veteran employees and install their friends from Arkansas instead. When the news broke, the White House then commissioned an investigation, generated a set of bogus charges to justify the firings, and smeared the reputations of the former employees. Billy Dale and several others almost bankrupted themselves defending their reputations in public and in court. It took the court just a few hours to dismiss all charges against them.

Gary Aldrich: Veteran FBI Agent Gary Aldrich, after meeting repeated resistance by White House personnel to process their background investigations for security clearances, sent up a warning signal to the public by publishing his accounts in his book, "Unlimited Access." When the news broke, the White House smeared his reputation, questioning his integrity and denouncing his conclusions. It is now a matter of public record that Mr. Aldrich was not exaggerating, but underestimating, the amount of access given to unauthorized and unvested personnel.

Robert Henson: Los Alamos employee Robert Henson, with 30 years of experience in nuclear science, was considered an expert in monitoring the nuclear development capabilities of foreign countries. He was the first person to determine that China had gained access to the W-88 warhead. He and Notra Trulock made repeated attempts to bring this matter to the attention of senior personnel. Mr. Henson was fired from his position, rehired when independent confirmation of his findings became known, and then fired again a short time later.

Notra Trulock: Decorated veteran employee of the Los Alamos labs, his attempts to alert the Administration of suspected sabotage were repeatedly rebuffed. He was ordered to strike or omit parts of his testimony before Congressional committees, his correspondence was ignored or "forgotten." When the news broke, the Administration first praised him for his performance. As soon as attention was diverted, he was demoted and the Administration's personnel harshly criticized his findings. Shortly thereafter, the White House launched a four-pronged smear campaign against him, replete with lies, and forced his resignation. Recent news accounts confirm that security at the Labs is as lax as Mr. Trulock claimed.

Jonathan Fox: Pentagon Official Jonathan Fox, an Arms-Control officer, disagreed with the White House's plan to share "critical nuclear technology" with China. When the news broke, his boss, Michael Johnson, reportedly threatened Fox's job. Fox was forced to alter his report to coincide with the Administration's stand, despite his personal belief that such a position would pose a significant national security risk, or his career would be over.

Betty Lambuth: An employee at Northrup Grumman, Betty Lambuth was part of the White House task force assigned to gather documents in response to various subpoenas and requests. In the course of her duties, she discovered a problem with the White House e-mail system. According to her affidavit, when she notified the White House about the problem, she was ordered to remain silent or lose her job.

Assistant Attorney William Johnston: Assistant Attorney Johnston was responsible for the district handling Waco, and had access to the Waco evidence held by the Texas Rangers. When his review of the evidence contradicted statements being made by the Justice Department on the Waco disaster, he attempted to bring this information to their attention. When the news broke, the Justice Department sent him threatening faxes. Instead of bending to the threats, he resigned from his position.

This is, of course, the tip of the Clinton/Gore iceberg. Any source of criticism, any bearer of bad tidings, instantly becomes a target for personal destruction. Even when the individual is friendly to the Administration, even when their efforts are meant to be helpful and constructive....if they don't fall into lockstep, their lives, careers, or reputations are shredded. Don't expect to see any of these folks extolling the virtues of Al Gore from a national podium.

You are your own man, Al. You said it yourself. You want to be President of all the people. I have just one question in response: with a track record like this, why should we let you?