Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart Rips Berger's 'Inadvertent' Theft

July 21, 2004
'Oops?' Is the Best Berger Can Come Up With?
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart Rips Berger's 'Inadvertent' Theft

WASHINGTON-Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) today, in reaction to former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger stealing highly classified documents and notes from the National Archives, released the following statement:

"If Sandy Berger's theft was 'inadvertent' - as he claims it was - then perhaps we now know why the Clinton Administration was so ineffective at stopping al Qaeda. Does he seriously think that a simple 'Oops!' explains away these serious charges?

"What he did was either illicit or inept. Either way, it is absurd and pathetic that a former National Security Advisor would blunder so egregiously. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, a key Clinton official is taking us back to the scandal-ridden days of the Clinton Administration.

"John Kerry should be embarrassed that within a week, two of his key policy advisors have been shown to be liars - in the case of former ambassador Joe Wilson - or, assuming the best in Berger's case, incompetent bumblers. These are the people he chooses to surround himself with and trust? I'm confident though that Kerry will try to find a way to flip-flop out of this situation."