October 4, 2023 Letters to the Editor The Washington Post Re: “Hillary Clinton: Our Nation is in dire need of leaders like Diane Feinstein,” (Column by Hillary Clinton, October 2, 2023) To the Editor: Senator Diane Feinstein exhibited several admirable qualities. Doughty defense of the rule of law was not one of them, contrary to Hillary Clinton’s repeat assertions. Senator Feinstein voted for the 2002 AUMF predicated on imaginary WMD. The statute authorized a criminal and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iraq in violation of the Declare War Clause, the United Nations Charter, and the Nuremberg Tribunal prohibition of crimes against peace. Senator Feinstein also supported the unconstitutional, criminal war of aggression against Libya in 2011 orchestrated by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As Chairperson of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Feinstein cravenly refused to declassify the Committee’s Torture Report chronicling serial crimes by the C.I.A. and its contractors during the permanent war on terrorism. The Senator balked at following the footsteps of Senator Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) who disclosed the classified Pentagon Papers before a congressional subcommittee protected by the Speech or Debate Clause as expounded by the United States Supreme Court in Gravel v. United States (1972). The Chairperson also refrained from summoning a Senate vote to declassify the report pursuant to section 8 of Senate Resolution 400, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. In matters professedly related to national security, the Constitution was just a scrap of paper to Senator Feinstein and Hillary Clinton alike. Both were summer soldiers and sunshine patriots in defense of the rule of law. Sincerely, Bruce Fein 300 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone: 202-465-8728; 703-963-4968 (M) Email: bruce@feinpoints.com |