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It never entered their minds The Pardoner's TaleBy Rick Horowitz
In the Land of Unconnected Deeds, every action stands entirely on its own. People make no complicated plans, hatch no convoluted schemes. The past is irrelevant, the future a total mystery. In the Land of Unconnected Deeds, people live completely in the here and now. Consider, for instance, the case of Denise R., a wealthy woman living in New York. On a certain day, Denise R. wakes up, eats a light breakfast and contributes $10,000 to President Clinton's legal defense fund. Consider, for instance, the case of Denise R., a wealthy woman living in New York. On a certain day, Denise R. wakes up, takes a brisk walk around her neighborhood and contributes $70,000 toward Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign. Consider, for instance, the case of Denise R., a wealthy woman living in New York. On a certain day, Denise R. wakes up, sips a cup of tea and gives President and Mrs. Clinton more than $7,000 worth of furniture. Consider, for instance, the case of Denise R., a wealthy woman living in New York. On certain other days, Denise R. wakes up, tends to one thing and another and pledges $450,000 to President Clinton's library fund, and nearly a million dollars to the Democratic Party and various Democratic candidates. Each of these contributions is totally unrelated to any of the other contributions, and is equally unrelated to anything else. Consider, too, the case of Marc R., a wealthy financier who has been "living abroad" in recent years. Marc R. is a fugitive from justice, living the high life in Switzerland, beyond the reach of American law. Marc R. is the former husband of Denise R., and he wants a presidential pardon. Consider, too, the case of Marc R., a wealthy financier who has been "living abroad" in recent years. Marc R., the former husband of Denise R., wants a presidential pardon and hires a lawyer named Jack Q. to help him get one. Jack Q. used to be the president's lawyer. Jack Q. helped defend the president when the president himself was in legal trouble. In a different land, the president might remember all the work Jack Q. did for him and feel he owed him something in return. But in the Land of Unconnected Deeds, such considerations are meaningless. Marc R. hires Jack Q. only for his legal skills. Jack Q. makes his case for Marc R.'s pardon completely "on the merits." By the sheerest coincidence, though, he also locates the shortcuts and the back passages that keep a controversial pardon application out of normal channels, away from the scrutiny of people who might object. Jack Q., who makes his case for Marc R.'s pardon completely "on the merits," also encourages Denise R., Marc R.'s former wife, to contact the president and urge him to grant the pardon. But, Jack Q. now insists, he never suggests that Denise R. talk to the president about "anything extraneous to the pardon itself." And why would he? Denise R. has donated vast sums of money to causes of particular interest to the president, but in the Land of Unconnected Deeds, these donations are irrelevant. Without her specifically mentioning them, the donations never cross the president's mind. And of course, even had she mentioned them, they wouldn't have mattered at all. Jack Q., who used to be the president's lawyer, speaks to the president himself on Marc R.'s behalf. It's the president's frantic final night in office, yet Jack Q. somehow gets 20 minutes to press his case. The donations made, the favors owed, the shortcuts taken -- these play absolutely no role in the president's thinking, Jack Q. now insists. And when the president finally grants the pardon, in his final moments in office, he makes his decision completely on the merits; he says so himself. Of course he does. In the Land of Unconnected Deeds, every action stands entirely on its own. Posted 2/15/01. Here's
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Rick Horowitz