Just say 'no': On George H.W. Bush and the National Constitution Center

We've been around to see lots of Washington scandals, big and small. Nixon's Watergate was a real threat to the republic, although the particulars hung on burglary and dirty tricks. Bill Clinton's misdeed, while real, was neither a threat to democracy or worthy of impeachment, while the book on the high crimes and misdemeanors of George W. Bush is still being written as we speak.

But if you had to pick one modern scandal that was a clear-cut case of the leaders of this nation deliberately trying to subvert the U.S. Constitution, it would have to be the Iran-contra affair. In December 1982, Congress passed the Boland Amendment, which barred the U.S. government from funding the anti-government force, or contras, in Nicaragua. Rather than obey the law as enacted by Congress, the Reagan administration set up an elaborate operation to fund the contras anyway by trading arms to Iran -- also an apparent violation of a law, the Arms Export Control Act -- in return for winning the freedom of hostage in the Middle East.

When this sordid plan came out in late 1986, President Reagan falsely told the nation there had been no arms sales, and while he backtracked somewhat, his underlings continued in a campaign to lie to Congress and the American people what had happened. More than a half-dozen administration officials and co-conspirators were indicted and, at least initially, convicted of crimes (more on this later).

Right in the middle of the orgy of law-breaking and Constitution-subverting was the then-Vice President, George H.W. Bush:

Vice President Bush had his fingerprints all over both sides of the Iran-contra affair, both the Iran side and the side funneling military supplies to the contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Key personnel from his office, including former CIA officer Donald Gregg who had become Bush’s national security adviser, placed Cuban-American operative Felix Rodriguez in Central America. Rodriguez soon was running the day-to-day operations re-supplying the contras and coordinating with national security aide Oliver L. North.

A flow chart that emerged during later investigations indicated that Bush’s office managed the contra network after Congress passed laws in 1983-84 first limiting and then barring U.S. military assistance to the contras. Authority for the secret re-supply operation later passed to North, according to the flow chart.

So why does this all matter today? It matters because today, the National Constitution Center here on Philadelphia announced that it has selected George H.W. Bush as its chairman of the board. Officials with the center on Independence Mall said the 41st president will come to Philly frequently for board meetings and will consult regularly on its day-to-day operations with president Joe Torsella.

Here's what Torsella said today in a statement (via Phawker):

President Bush occupies a special and beloved place in American life that reflects many of this institution’s core values, especially the ethic of citizenship and service. Continued

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