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UpInArms

(51,253 posts)
Thu Dec 6, 2018, 02:49 PM Dec 2018

George H.W. Bush's Mixed Legacy In A Reagan-Era Scandal

Largely missing from the flood of remembrances of the late President George H.W. Bush is the role he played as Ronald Reagan's vice president in what came to be known as the Iran-Contra Affair.

It's an episode that clouded an otherwise remarkable career in public service.

Perhaps Bush's most well-known involvement in the affair was his absolution of some of those in the know about it.

On Christmas Eve of 1992 - six weeks after losing his bid for a second presidential term to Bill Clinton — Bush pardoned six members of the Reagan administration who'd been charged with crimes ranging from perjury, to lying to Congress, to obstruction of justice.

All those charges stemmed from attempts by senior Reagan administration officials to cover up a covert White House operation whose disdain for established law and outright deception marred Reagan's tenure as well.

The scheme, which unfolded over a two-year period beginning in late 1985, started with illegal arms sales to Iran.

.... more at https://www.npr.org/2018/12/06/674079779/george-h-w-bushs-mixed-legacy-in-a-reagan-era-scandal

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George H.W. Bush's Mixed Legacy In A Reagan-Era Scandal (Original Post) UpInArms Dec 2018 OP
The investigation was still continuing at that time NewJeffCT Dec 2018 #1
Nothing 'mixed' about his legacy pecosbob Dec 2018 #2
Thank you for putting it so succinctly UpInArms Dec 2018 #5
This JackInGreen Dec 2018 #7
Thank you! Raster Dec 2018 #8
Lame duck pardons issued in the middle of the night Christmas Eve 1992 gratuitous Dec 2018 #3
I was livid when GHWBush was elected because of the IC affair genxlib Dec 2018 #4
Never forget what Gary Webb uncovered UpInArms Dec 2018 #6

NewJeffCT

(56,827 posts)
1. The investigation was still continuing at that time
Thu Dec 6, 2018, 02:55 PM
Dec 2018

if I recall as well. (can't read the entire article at work right now)

I believe the pardons effectively killed the entire investigation, which likely would have been bigger and more serious than Watergate.

pecosbob

(7,511 posts)
2. Nothing 'mixed' about his legacy
Thu Dec 6, 2018, 02:57 PM
Dec 2018

he was a f*cking war criminal. F*cking revisionist history...

I stayed quiet about it for the last couple of days, but I'm done.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
3. Lame duck pardons issued in the middle of the night Christmas Eve 1992
Thu Dec 6, 2018, 02:59 PM
Dec 2018

Trial of Casper Weinberger, Elliott Abrams, and others was set to begin about two weeks after Bush pardoned them. In his final report, Lawrence Walsh all but said that the evidence at trial would put the lie to Bush's alibi that he was "out of the loop" on trading arms for hostages and using the proceeds to fund right wing death squads and terrorist groups in Central America.

But he was very gentlemanly about it, so it was all good and the media have largely agreed to forget all about this little episode.

genxlib

(5,507 posts)
4. I was livid when GHWBush was elected because of the IC affair
Thu Dec 6, 2018, 02:59 PM
Dec 2018

I always thought the entire scandal was really underplayed.

Aside from the entire "subverting congress" thing, we were selling arms to an enemy that had kidnapped Americans only a few years before. It should have been the end of the Reagan Administration

Instead, the administration lived on for four more zombie years in HW. My take was simple. As the former head of the CIA, he had to know what was going on. If he didn't know, then he was completely oblivious and not deserving of the Presidency anyway. The whole thing should have been disqualifying one way or another.

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