O'Reilly uses Polanski case to smear state of Vermont
September 28, 2009 9:17 pm ET
From the September 28 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
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God bless Bernie Sanders.
Why? The people of Vermont, even Republicans, decided long ago that Sanders can be trusted. Even if they don't always agree with him, they know he's smart, hard working, well informed, articulate, and willing to look out for the powerless instead of the powerful.
In short, they've paid him about the highest compliment a Vermonter can bestow (especially to someone who's originally from New York). They've decided that he's "all right."
O'Reilly, Nancy Grace, et. al. did Vermont and Judge Edward cashman a HUGE disservice a few years ago when they lied about Cashman's sentence of a man convicted of sexual assault.
Cashman was upset that the state Corrections Department wouldn't put sexual offenders serving long sentences into treatment that would reduce the chances that they'd re-offend after leaving prison.
To make his point, he gave a convict a short sentence that would qualify him for treatment, instead of the long sentence the guy deserved. A reporter for a local, Republican-owned TV station then took to the air and announced that Judge Cashman had said he "no longer believed in punishment." In fact, Cashman NEVER SAID THAT.
So, the national media flayed Cashman as soft on crime. They mocked Vermont as being rapist-friendly. But back here, in actual Vermont, the state Corrections Department agreed to start making those convicted of long sentences eligible for treatment. At that point, Cashman re-sentenced the defendant to the long prison term he deserved.
Of course, O'Reilly, Grace and company proclaimed that Cashman had cowed in the face of their determined opposition to his softness on crime. In fact, as we here in Vermont know, Cashman had carried his point with the Depatment of Corrections.
Oh, and the now-retired Judge Cashman, a Vietnam veteran whose reputation previous to this case was as a tough, conservative, tough on crime jurist, is still waiting for the reporter at WCAX-TV (Known here as WGOP) to apologize for telling the lie that created the phony, O'Reilly led media furor in the first place.
"To make his point, he gave a convict a short sentence that would qualify him for treatment, instead of the long sentence the guy deserved"
What a great strategy, it reminds me of Massachusetts justice for Kennedys. But after all criminals do not deserve punishment, they should be treated instead. That is such a progressive way of thinking.
And Cashman did say "punishment accomplishes nothing of value and it costs us a lot of money".
But you may be right, Vermont does not hand out 40 day sentences for raping a 13 year old, but it did hand out a 60 day sentence for raping a 6 to 10 year old. That sounds fair 15 days for each year she was raped.
Way to go Judge Cashman.
Did you not read what I wrote? The guy DID get the long sentence he had coming. He got it from Judge Cashman. Cashman imposed it after he convinced the Department of Corrections to include treatment as part of the sentence for those inmates who were given long sentences, changing the 60 day sentence that forced the Corrections department to act to a 3 to 10 year sentence that was in line with the guy's crime.
And I have NO IDEA what you man by "justice for the Kennedys." Presuming that you insist on beating the dead horse of Ted Kennedy's car accident, I'll make these points:
1 -- Ted Kennedy admitted to being the driver of the car in which Mary Jo Kopechne died.
2 -- Ted Kennedy plead guilty to the only thing with which he could be charged -- leaving the scene of an accident.
3 -- The ONLY evidence against Ted Kennedy was his own admission that he'd been driving. If he'd denied it, no one could have contradicted him. If he'd denied it, he couldn't have been charged with anything.
4 -- Ted Kennedy served his sentence, including a suspended license, probation and a fine.
5 -- I think that if you're going to reach for the Kennedy killed a girl in a car accident charge, you'd better explain George W. Bush's multiple DUI charges, at least one of which his father used his influence to "disappear." You'd better explain why the teenage Laura Bush killed a another teenager in a car accident in which she was speeding and ran a red light, yet she was never charged with anything -- not a traffic infraction, not reckless driving, NOTHING.
Another Fail, courtesy of "Fair" "Liberal."
Sex offender treatment isn't a benefit given to criminals in lieu of jail time, it's a preventive that society intends to result in fewer victims of sexual assault.
If you don't think treatment of sex offenders is needed, I have to ask why you're in favor of rape.