Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

So, if Cheney buys Scalia the new house, and then Scalia rules in Cheney's favor, all he has to do is say "I did it on the merits!"

Cool. You have constructed the perfectly un-violatable bribery definition.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

We have different rules for bribery in domestic government than we have in diplomacy. Otherwise, it would be like looking up the Queensbury Rules to figure out how to play Grand Theft Auto.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Judges are concerned with the appearance of impropriety. Or they ought to be. When it doesn't seem to register that there's something off about going duck hunting with one of the parties in a case in front of you, you start to wonder.

I said that when you pay something and they do something they're going to do anyway, that's not bribery. I don't understand what you think my "bribery definition" is. Although if you are suggesting that Scalia was inevitably going to rule in Cheney's favor, I'm not sure I can prove otherwise.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

I agree with you on this. I think Scalia should not have gone on the trip. The distinction he draws (i.e., that Cheney is not before him in his personal capacity) is BS.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Crux of the problem. And, if Chirac wants to treat among society as an honorable leader, he needs to worry about app of imp just as much as (that asshat, "what's wrong with this?!") Scalia.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

I'd say it's a really dumb purchase . . . er, bribe.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Well, he can cure the error by (another) recusal.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

For such a brilliant guy, he certainly puts himself in recusal's way enough.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

No doubt. As I say, I'm not defending Chirac, just quibbling over the word "bribe."

The brilliance may be part of the problem.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Well, he can cure the error by (another) recusal.

The judge I clerked for was particularly well connected politically, and happened to be eligible to sit on a number of high-profile cases involving several of his political friends, or at least acquaintences. He directed the clerk to have him taken off the roster of eligible judges to sit on any of those cases. Although I'm sure he was happy not to have to rule against them.

[ETA: Lest you think I'm repeating myself, I did hit "edit"initially; not sure why a new post was created]

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Correct me if I am wrong, but the article cited said that SH tried to influence France's foreign policy by providing access to oil. OK, if it doesn't go into Chirac's pocket but instead into the countries, I think it qualifies as simply bad foreign policy rather than a bribe.

Or do we say that Bush bribed Pakistan to help us in Afghanistan?

Now, I have no problem believing that Chirac may have taken bribes and that there may have been an improper relationship between SH and JC, but I don't think that is what is alleged here.

What is acknowledged at this point by Halliburton is that they overbilled the governmnet, and what has been suggested by others is that favoritism has been shown by governmental officials because of some past special relationships (and, it is expected, some large equity positions in certain blind trusts). But no one has shown the latter yet, at least that I am aware of.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Why, because he believes he's so sharp as to be unable, that is incapable, of having his conclusions altered merely by duck hunts or speeches?

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

Has Cheney not completely divested?

Besides, as I understand the gov't rules, having a stock, and then putting it in a trust designated as "blind" does not make the trust blind for purposes of that stock, only for assets acquired subsequent to the trust's creation.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

I'm not sure you want to cite appearance of impropriety in a discussion also mentioning Cheney and Halliburton.

Saddam Bribed Chirac
 

I think that he's so sharp that he sometimes lacks prudence. I suppose they don't have to go together. There are sharp people who don't do such things, and there are imprudent people who aren't sharp, but dead Greeks would probably try to fit the two traits together.