Presidential Pardons

The Jan. 3 Times featured both Elliott Abrams’ legalistic weaseling out of his Iran-Contra guilt (Column Right) and Jack Miles’ book review of Abrams’ “Undue Process” telling us, “Abrams admits that he was appalled, after leaving office, to learn of Contra atrocities.”

In the same issue, a front-page article confirmed that during Abrams’ term as undersecretary of state for Latin American affairs “by the time U.S.-trained Salvadoran troops had completed a rampage through six villages, according to human rights monitors, about 800 peasants and their children had died--rounded up, gunned down or beheaded with machetes.” Abrams will now undoubtedly also claim to be shocked, shocked at discovering he was mistaken all those years he ridiculed leftists’ claims about right-wing death squads in El Salvador and Guatemala.

As Michael Kinsley’s astute Column Left opposite Abrams’ made clear about Caspar Weinberger’s similar weaseling, the Republicans got away with the most vile hypocrisies for years before the voters finally got wise last November. From Nixon’s Administration through Reagan’s and Bush’s, they have ranted about getting tough on criminals and exulted in playing political hardball--until their own get caught overseeing mass murder, illegally abusing presidential power, colluding in fraud, and committing perjury to cover up their misdeeds. At that point they turn into bleeding hearts whining about being victims of politically motivated prosecutors and exploiting every legal loophole. Their fairy-tale claims that they were ignorant of crimes committed under their jurisdiction somehow become a ringing exoneration rather than, at best, an admission that they are too incompetent to remain in office.

In their convention oratory, Republicans are also the self-righteous upholders of Christian moral values. They seem, however, to have forgotten a few--thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not lie; judge not, lest thou shall be judged; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

DONALD LAZERE

San Luis Obispo