On 3/7/07, Stan Shebs stanshebs@earthlink.net wrote:
Why did Nixon resign, when he could maybe have beaten the impeachment rap? Sometimes people decide it's just not worth all the trouble, especially not if it's only to satisfy other people's notions of "process". Resigning from everything is the smartest thing that Essjay has done so far.
I might read this as yet another mischaracterisation of Essjay - first as a "strongarm" and now a "Nixon," but I'll leave that alone. The point isn't that he could have "beaten the rap" - I don't think he could have given his RFC. And I agree that resigning was, in a sense "smart."
But we are left with some need to actually clarify what did happen, according to our formal processes and to the judgement of our elected judges. In this way we can at least have a formal statement which is removed of all the hyperbole we have seen thus far. A statement in which Essjay's actions are characterised not by an angry flash mob of closet credentialists, but by a basic and fair (neutral) representation of all the views involved.
-Stevertigo