Two obsessions

Richard Cohen is sometimes very admirable for allowing his common sense and decency to sometimes write politically incorrect columns, for example in opposing affirmative action and partial birth abortion. However, in his last two columns, he lets two of his obsessions get the better of himself. In his January 2 column , he ressurrects Monica Lewinsky as part of his never ending defense of Bill Clinton, who is clearly the object of a very deep affection. He can't helping dredging up Ken Starr, whom he portrays as a horrendous invader of privacy and a witch hunter. However, by referring to Lewinsky's action as a mere "youthful indiscretion", Cohen is ignoring the facts. We know for a fact that Monica attempted to persuade witnesses to lie under oath. Although she was young, she was an adult, a college graduate, someone who worked in the White House. I've had some youthful indiscretions, but I've never suporned perjury. I wish Monica well but she is not an innocent victim. In his next column he decries the execution of Saddam Hussein as part of his ongoing attack on capital punishment. I understand his dislike of capital punishment but I don't feel any need to launch a crusade against it. Some people deserve to be executed and Saddam was definitely one of them. Moreover, when Cohen says that Saddam's hanging was Bush's 153rd execution, he is really being unfair. The fact is that Saddam was tried by Iraqis and executed by them. The Bush administration was clearly uncomfortable with the rush to kill him, but if they are serious about establishing Iraq as a self governing nation what choice did they have but let the Iraqis do what they wanted. Christopher Hitchens also attacks the administration for helping the Iraqis lynch their former tormentor. I don't like the circumstances of his execution but it's their country. Saddam's demise may excacerbate the divisions and carnage in Iraq, but it's not the role of the US to tell them how to run their country. They have to work things out themselves and hopefully learn from their own mistakes. That's the reason I don't support Bush's planned surge.