Roger Altman’s Senate Testimony

After an exciting week of Senate Whitewater hearings, I have a few observations: It’s pretty obvious that Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger Altman did lie to the Senate, if not affirmatively, then by omission. I guess we should be thankful that even the partisan Democrats in the Senate did not gloss over Altman’s lies.

However, what is difficult for me to understand is the hypocrisy of the Republican senators. A Democrat who lies to the Senate is not worthy of the office and should resign immediately. Yet these same Republican senators support the election to their august body of truth-tellers another well-known liar, Ollie North. This is the same North who admittedly lied to Congress. How can the senators expect anyone in office to tell them the truth when they willingly support the election of someone who has already lied to them?

I, as one of those American citizens the senators seemed so concerned about throughout the hearings, can only conclude that liars are welcomed as members of the Senate but cannot hold any other public office, appointed or elected.

ANGELA WILLIAMS

Torrance

Let’s see if I have it right. The Republicans pushed the Whitewater hearings because they are upset that the Democratic Administation had been scurrying around asking anybody and everybody how to deal legally and ethically with a potential problem. Oh, if only previous Republican administrations had made the same effort prior to Watergate and Iran-Contra.

ARTHUR SHAPERO

North Hills

Senate/House hearings: What is the difference between misspeak and lying? High public office.

MAX JAFFE

Pacific Palisades

Re your editorial “Marathon Man Comes to a Personal Crossroad,” Aug. 4:

Since when is it OK to perjure yourself before a congressional hearing “just because” others have done the same thing? Perhaps you would condone cheating “just because” the kids in last year’s class did.

Focus on the issue. Altman lied to Congress. In my fourth-grade classroom, liars and cheaters get to miss recess. Perhaps Altman needs to be told to gracefully take the appropriate punishment: Time to step down, Marathon Man.

VICTORIA L. SMITH

Downey

Too bad Altman wasn’t a Republican. Instead of using wordy phrases such as, “did shave the truth,” “may have been misleading” and “less than candid,” you could have saved a barrel of ink with “he lied,” “he lied,” “he lied.”

JACK PARFITT

Anaheim

Congress seems to have reinstated the “third degree.” The tactics used primarily by Republican senators, principally, Phil Gramm and the thoroughly unprincipled Alfonse D’Amato, allowing them to detain Altman into the wee small hours, about 10 straight, (Aug. 3), were to me unconscionable.

JANE PATTERSON

Los Angeles

If I could be shown that anyone so much as tried to impede the Whitewater investigation, I’d cheer his or her prosecution. But, in the absence of reasonable suspicion or evidence, it seems improper to examine the private thoughts and words of public officials who are not accused of actually doing anything wrong.

In ancient times citizens could be condemned for what they thought or said, without their ever having taken any wrongful actions. The Athenian senate condemned Socrates to death for what he thought and said. The Roman senate banished Cicero for what he thought and said. But American justice, usually, only examines the thoughts and words of persons after they have been accused of wrongdoing, not before. Thus, we avoid making a Greek or Roman circus of our justice. We tend to take freedom of thought for granted, and we have formally guaranteed freedom of speech.

With regard to good or bad acts, President Clinton extended the statute of limitations on Whitewater, a good act which facilitated prosecution of Whitewater; and no bad acts (impeding prosecution) have been suggested by reasonable people, despite energetic inquiries.

I watched with great sadness as the thought police and the speech police in the House and Senate persecuted, insulted and impugned public officials for what they have thought and said. So what if Altman agonized over propriety? So did Lincoln and Churchill. If no one can show that Altman or anyone else tried to impede justice--which would be a crime--what they thought and said (about the perception of hypothetical, potential wrongs not actually committed) should be deemed irrelevant.

MIKE GELLER

Burbank

Is there scientific proof that the temperature of the planet is becoming warmer? Absolutely! The “hot air” coming out of Washington for two weeks has been enough to melt the polar icecaps and cause worldwide flooding!

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said it best: “Just shut up!”

KENNETH C. SISCO

Westminster