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Why Hillary Clinton Has Always Been a Republican In the first of a series of profiles, Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair chart the formative years of Hillary Clinton. Watch her as she zigzags from Nixon campaigner and vote-fraud investigator in 1960 to Goldwater Girl and President of Young Republicans at Wellesley to her internship for Gerald Ford and campaigner for Nelson Rockefeller. Witness her reaction to the student protests at Yale and the demonstrations at Grant Park during the Democratic Convention in 1968. Learn how she and Bill vowed to "remake" the Democratic Party--using the Nixon model HRC learned about as a member of the House impeachment staff. And much more! Plus: David Price on anthropologist Andre Gunder Frank, the FBI and the Bureaucratic Exile of a Critical Mind.
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Today's Stories July 16, 2007 Ellen
Cantarow Allan
J. Lichtman July 14 / 15. 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Andy
Worthington Ralph
Nader Robert
Fantina Ron
Jacobs Joshua
Frank Conn
Hallinan Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD John
Ross Fred
Gardner Rannie
Amiri Charles
Modiano Anthony
DiMaggio China
Hand Missy
Comley Beattie Dr.
James J. Murtagh, Jr. Kenneth
Rexroth Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
July 13, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Winslow
T. Wheeler Imran
Khan Todd
Chretien Sam
Husseini Dr.
Herman Mindshaftgap Anthony
Papa D.
K. Wilson David
Michael Green Website
of the Day
July 12, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Robert Jensen Dr. Susan Block Joshua Frank John Chuckman Corporate Crime
Reporter Mike Whitney Nicola Nasser Richard Rhames William S.
Lind Website of the Day
July 11, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Richard
Neville Debra
McNutt John
V. Walsh Scott
Liebertz George
C. Wilson James
McEnteer Philip
Rizk Johnny
Hazard Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
July 10, 2007 James
Ridgeway Tariq
Ali Javed
Hussein William
Blum Ralph
Nader Jay
Arena Anthony
DiMaggio Eva
Liddell Jerry
Kroth Alice
Woodward Nikolas
Kozloff Paul
Shannon Website
of the Day
July 9, 2007 Fidel
Castro Diana
Johnstone John
Walsh Uri
Avnery Ramzy
Baroud John
Ripton Stephen
Lendman Bruce
Jackson Michael
Donnelly Doug
Giebel Website
of the Day
Saul
Landau Ismael
Hossein-zadeh Fawzia
Afzal-Khan John
Ross Pat
Williams Rannie
Amiri Farzana
Versey Bart
Gruzalski Paul
Rockwell Reza
Fiyouzat Monica
Benderman Kenneth
Couesbouc Dave
Lindorff Charles
Modiano Missy
Beattie Dal
LaMagna Jean
Gerard Anne
Dachel Ron
Jacobs Poets'
Basement Website
of the Day
Daniel
Ellsberg Gary
Leupp Harvey
Wasserman Omer
Subhani Marjorie
Cohn Christopher
Brauchli David
Michael Green China
Hand Renee
Saucedo Corporate
Crime Reporter Website
of the Day
July 5, 2007 Andy
Worthington Mike
Stark Norman
Solomon Michael
Schwartz Susie
Day Jacob
Hornberger Bill
Hatch Don
Fitz John
Wright Website
of the Day
July 4, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Vijay
Prashad Carl
G. Estabrook Ron
Jacobs David
R. Dow Claudia
Johnson William
S. Lind Gregory
Afghani Paul
Edwards D.
K. Wilson Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Thomas
Jefferson Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
Bill
Quigley Gary
Leupp Lynda
Brayer Richard
Thieme Helen
Redmond David
Swanson Jacob
Hornberger Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Franklin
Lamb Ray
McGovern Kevin
Zeese Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
Andy
Worthington Nina
Serrano Jack
Hirschman Paul
Craig Roberts Bill
Williams Anthony
Papa Sonja
Karkar Louay
Safi Anthony
Gregory Monica
Benderman Website
of the Day
June 30 / July 1, 2007 John
Ross Alan
Farago Peter
Quinn Christopher
Brauchli Robert
Fisk Uri
Avnery Judith
Siers-Poisson Saul
Landau Abbas
Zaidi Ron
Jacobs Ralph
Nader Donald
Worster Mike
Whitney Jacob
Hill Kenneth
Couesbouc Missy
Beattie Mohammad
Kamaali Ramzy
Baroud Leonard
Peltier Phyllis
Pollack Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 29, 2007 St.
Clair / Frank Brian
Cloughley Patrick
Cockburn Gilad
Atzmon Dave
Lindorff Jennifer
Matsui / Kevin
Zeese Daniel
Klimek David
Michael Green John
Chuckman Website
of the Day
June 28, 2007 Bill
Quigley Vijay
Prashad Margaret
Kimberley Winslow
T. Wheeler Philip
Rizk D.
K. Wilson Bill
Williams Mahmoud
El-Yousseph Richard
Rhames Paul
Krassner Website
of the Day
Marjorie
Cohn Dr.
Susan Rosenthal, MD Alan
Farago Carla
Blank Matthew
Abraham Sunsara
Taylor Russell
D. Hoffman Robert
Weissman Sen.
Russ Feingold Paul
Buchheit Website
of the Day
June 26, 2007 Jonathan
Cook Ralph
Nader Corporate
Crime Reporter Ron
Jacobs Martha
Rosenberg John
Chuckman Denny
Haldeman Anthony
DiMaggio Stephen
Fleischman William
S. Lind Website
of the Day
Paul
Craig Roberts Jennifer
Loewenstein Bob
Anderson Robert
Pollin Patrick
Cockburn Eva
Liddell Dan
Bacher Larry
Atkins Mark
Brenner James
Rothenberg Website
of the Day June 23 / 24, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeff
Taylor Oren
Ben-Dor Gary
Leupp Robert
Fisk David
Rosen Russell
Mokhiber Alison
Weir Robert
Fantina D.
K. Wilson Nicole
Colson Stephen
Soldz, Steven Reisner and Brad Olson Dave
Lindorff Benjamin
Dangl Michael
Dickinson Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
June 22, 2007 Andy
Worthington Sherwood
Ross Eliana
Monteforte Robert
Weissman Richard
Rhames Christopher
Brauchli Ramzy
Baroud Ehud
Krinis, David Shulman and Neve Gordon David
Michael Green Kathryn
Webber Website
of the Day
June 21, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Natsu
Saito Ron
Jacobs Saree
Makdisi John
Stauber Scott
Liebertz Tom
Clifford Robert
Jensen Michael
J. Smith Jeb
Sprague Website
of the Day
Omar
Barghouti Andy
Worthington Margaret
Kimberley Robert
Weissman Russell
D. Hoffman Rannie
Amiri Stephen
Lendman Dave
Lindorff David
Swanson Anne
Dachel Website
of the Day
June 19, 2007 Ralph
Nader Dr.
Shepherd Bliss Bill
and Kathleen Christison Jeff
Leys Dave
Zirin Chris
Floyd Ben
Terrall Anthony
Papa VIPS Linda Flores Website
of the Day
John
Ross Paul
Craig Roberts Martha
Rosenberg Norman
Solomon Don
Santina Isabella
Kenfield James
Brooks Eva
Liddell Sam
Husseini Akiva
Eldar Website
of the Day
Alexander
Cockburn John
Halle Robert
Fisk Andy
Worthington Uri
Avnery Fred
Gardner Saul
Landau P.
Sainath Missy
Comley Beattie Alan
Gregory Walter
Brasch Website
of the Weekend
June 15, 2007 Alan
Farago Andy
Worthington Michael
Simmons Franklin
Lamb Gary
Leupp John
Ross Website
of the Day
June 14, 2007 Michael
Donnelly
Faisal
Kutty Harry
Browne Charles
Jonkel Steven
Higgs Bruce
Dixon Bruce
K. Gagnon
Website
of the Day June 13, 2007 Glen Ford Marjorie Cohn Bill Christison Charles Jonkel Silvia Cattori Richard Gott Firmin DeBrabander William S. Lind Keith Rosenthal Website of the Day June 12, 2007 Jeffrey St.
Clair Paul Craig
Roberts P. Sainath Ralph Nader Omar Waraich Dave Lindorff Harvey Wasserman Malini Johar
Schueller Ramzy Baroud Website of
the Day
June 11, 2007 Patrick Cockburn Paul Craig
Roberts Uri Avnery Norman Solomon Eva Liddell Rannie Amiri Rachel Voss Christopher
Brauchli D. K. Wilson Website of
the Day
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July 16, 2007 The Supreme Court Must Deliver a Bold DecisionThe Judicial Crisis in PakistanBy LIAQUAT ALI KHAN Professional consensus, Islamic traditions, and the Constitution all indicate that the Pakistan Supreme Court will deliver a bold decision in The Chief Justice v. The President of Pakistan to end the military onslaught on the independence of the judiciary (just as the US Supreme Court ended racial apartheid in America with a bold stroke in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka). The Pakistan Supreme Court understands that any waffling, hair-splitting, or technical hedging in the opinion will only encourage this and future Presidents to sponsor a judicial culture of timidity and subservience. An unequivocal annulment of the President's Reference against the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) is needed to restore the dignity of the judiciary. Splitting the baby between the President and the Chief Justice will resolve nothing but complicate the matters even further. Pakistan's legal community demands that the Supreme Court pioneer a vigorous defense of the judiciary. The open and hostile suspension of the CJP shocked the lawyers of Pakistan. On March 9, 2007, the President dressed in a military uniform summoned the CJP to a small coterie of generals and others. Unproven charges based on questionable and unlawfully obtained evidence were read to the CJP. The CJP was both sweet-talked and threatened to resign. When the CJP refused, the men in the military camp shared the nods and the CJP was suspended on the spot. Armed with self-righteous power, the President and his men detained the CJP while the news of his suspension was released to the world. This show of force by a President who overthrew a democratically elected government, usurped power, and who refuses to shed his uniform even after eight years of unconstitutional dictatorship carried a mal fide purpose. The maltreatment of the CJP was purposefully staged to intimidate the entire Supreme Court. The move, however, backfired, earning the lawyers' stern and severe opposition. First time in the history of
the country have the lawyers of Pakistan pooled their resources--
from Karachi to Khyber-- to overturn a Presidential order that
they believe is blatantly unlawful. The lawyers' street protests,
periodic but orderly suspension of court appearances, and bar
room resolutions cannot be ignored. Of course, the courts must
do the right thing without fear of public protests. But the
lawyers' professional outcry is no mere protest. It involves
both protest and professional judgment that an unacceptable wrong
has been committed. The Supreme Court will take into account
the lawyers' overwhelming belief that the President is forging
a subservient Supreme Court that must rule in the President's
favor. A bold annulment of the President's Reference against
the CJP would nip this forging evil in the bud, and assure judicial
independence. Islamic Traditions Judicial independence is not religious fundamentalism. If anything, judicial independence is part of "enlightened moderation," a phrase that the President has launched to fight religious extremism. Several Supreme Court Justices are devoutly religious. Some are scholars of Islamic law. They will judge the case in the light of Islamic traditions. The Constitution itself recognizes that Islam is the state religion of Pakistan. Article 31 of the Constitution protects the Islamic way of life and promotes Islamic moral standards. Article 227 mandates that all laws be brought in conformity with the Injunctions of the Quran and the Sunnah, and that no law be enacted which is repugnant to these injunctions. It is therefore natural for Supreme Court Justices to search for an Islamic perspective, as they have, on the President's Reference against the CJP. Rejecting the ruler's intimidation is a core Islamic value found in the Quran and the Prophet's Sunnah. "Fear them not, but fear me" is God's injunction to all believers (Quran 3:175), including judges who must neither swerve to wrong nor depart from justice (Quran 5:8). The CJP's refusal to resign despite pressure from General Musharraf and his men is a fine example of fearlessness. The lawyers of Pakistan have embraced the cause of the CJP, for they admire his personal courage to stand up to men in uniform. Throughout Muslim history, God-fearing jurists and judges have refused to bow down to rulers out of fear or otherwise. The Prophet is reported to have said: "The best striving in the path of God is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler. " (Abu Dawd 37:4330). Holding these injunctions,
it is unlikely that Supreme Court Justices will bend and buckle,
out of fear, to whitewash the President's humiliation of the
Chief Justice. The Court's summary rejection of the scandalous
file that the government presented as evidence against the CJP
indicates that the Justices are in no mood to sacrifice their
Chief to please a President who clothes his authority with military
paraphernalia. A bold decision-- without ifs and buts-- to annul
the President's Reference will advance the Islamic tradition
of rejecting the ruler's intimidation, particularly because the
Constitution demands that the judiciary remain independent. Constitutional Points The Supreme Court will face no difficulty in finding that the President lacks the constitutional authority to suspend the Chief Justice. Even if the President has the authority to direct the Supreme Judicial Council to inquire into the CJP's alleged misconduct, neither the Constitution nor any statutes empower the President to send a referred judge on forced leave, seal his office, fire his staff, take away his privileges, reduce his salary, or detain him. No such measures are available to the President. Hence, the President's order to suspend the CJP has no basis in law. Furthermore, the President prejudiced the neutrality of the Supreme Judicial Council. Until the inquiry is complete and the Supreme Judicial Council has conducted a full hearing, the dignity of the judiciary requires that no public disclosure of the inquiry be made. Public disclosure of an inquiry hurts the reputation of a referred judge-an injury that cannot be reversed if allegations of misconduct are found to be false. If a judge has committed a crime, a criminal complaint should be filed against him. The Supreme Judicial Council is not a criminal court. It is a tribunal of judicial ethics. Public disclosure of its proceedings is neither automatic nor mandatory. In openly and publically suspending the CJP before the hearing, the President unlawfully interfered with the proceedings of the Council. The President acted as if the CJP had committed serious crimes against the state and suspension was the only way to prevent him from further damaging the state. It appears that the President received no expert advice in forming his opinion to send the Reference to the Supreme Judicial Council. The President was obligated to seek experts' help to sift through the evidence that charges the CJP with judicial misconduct. Modern state practice, the complexity of government, and the rule of law, all require that the President receive expert advice in conducting the myriad affairs of the state. Suspending the Chief Justice of Pakistan is no small matter. Relying on a scandalous dossier that the Supreme Court refused to admit into record, the President formed the constitutionally required opinion in a manner that law cannot uphold. Hence, the very initiation of the President's Reference is constitutionally unsustainable. A bold decision must reinstate the Chief Justice of Pakistan with no delay or condition. Once the Chief Justice is restored to office, a properly constituted Supreme Judicial Council may inquire into the allegations against him. The public disclosure of this new inquiry will be made only after the inquiry is complete and the Council is of the opinion that the CJP has been guilty of misconduct and that he should be removed from office. Otherwise, the inquiry will remain a state secret. This is the procedure that many nations of the world use to hold judges accountable and simultaneously protect the dignity and independence of the judiciary. Ali Khan is a professor of law at Washburn
University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas. ![]()
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