Double standards

This kind of writing is why I’m not going to turn my back entirely on Ann Coulter, even when she makes inept (and, yes, offensive) jokes, not so much about John Edwards and gays (although they were caught in her misfire), but about a type of political correctness that has Hollywood stars going into rehabilitation for using the wrong words. (By the way, one could argue that Mel Gibson went into rehab for saying anti-Semitic things, but I actually think he did go into rehab for a drinking problem, whereas Isaiah Washington was definitely whisked away for thought crimes.)

Here’s just a little bit of Ann’s riff about the different punishments meted out for crimes on either side of the political aisle (and a weak Bush administration is often complicit in the variation between witch hunts and passivity):

Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh was subjected to a three-year criminal investigation for allegedly buying prescription drugs illegally to treat chronic back pain. Despite the witch-hunt, Democrat prosecutor Barry E. Krischer never turned up a crime.

Even if he had, to quote liberal Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz: “Generally, people who illegally buy prescription drugs are not prosecuted.” Unless they’re Republicans.

The vindictive prosecution of Limbaugh finally ended last year with a plea bargain in which Limbaugh did not admit guilt. Gosh, don’t you feel safer now? I know I do.

In another prescription drug case with a different result, last year, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (Democrat), apparently high as a kite on prescription drugs, crashed a car on Capitol Hill at 3 a.m. That’s abuse of prescription drugs plus a DUI offense. Result: no charges whatsoever and one day of press on Fox News Channel.

I suppose one could argue those were different jurisdictions. How about the same jurisdiction?

In 2006, Democrat and major Clinton contributor Jeffrey Epstein was nabbed in Palm Beach in a massive police investigation into his hiring of local underage schoolgirls for sex, which I’m told used to be a violation of some kind of statute in the Palm Beach area.

The police presented Limbaugh prosecutor Krischer with boatloads of evidence, including the videotaped statements of five of Epstein’s alleged victims, the procurer of the girls for Epstein and 16 other witnesses.

But the same prosecutor who spent three years maniacally investigating Limbaugh’s alleged misuse of back-pain pills refused to bring statutory rape charges against a Clinton contributor. Enraging the police, who had spent months on the investigation, Krischer let Epstein off after a few hours on a single count of solicitation of prostitution. The Clinton supporter walked, and his victims were branded as whores.

There’s more, of course, which you can read here.

Hat tip: Paragraph Farmer

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