Originally posted here by jehnx
And this post is another example of one-sided arguing to make Democrats look bad.

Errr...... What other kind of argument is there? If I could successfully argue the both sides of an argument and always be correct, then I could create my own political party. I know! I will call my new party the Supremian Party and my symbol will be a blue-eyed, blonde-haired Nazi superimposed over a Swastika (sp).

1) This small caucus of representatives from only five cities in California is obviously not representative of all Democrats, nor would it be for all Republicans were that their party affiliation,
Ok not all, I would say most though. IMHO

2) He was never even convicted.

Take a look at this site: http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1147615/posts
Yes, he was. See the part in your referenced artile: "Lee pleaded guilty to a single felony of using an unclassified, unsecure computer to download "information related to the national defense."

Here are some excerpts you obviously didn't pay any attention to:

"Asian lawmakers from the Bay Area and Southern California said Thursday their small caucus in the Legislature will honor former accused spy Wen Ho Lee..."

"'There really was very little substantiation to, especially the more serious, charges about him being a spy," Chan said.'"

"He never was charged with stealing nuclear secrets for China, although that was the gist of news coverage of his case for almost two years."
This is simply more Liberal propaganda, following the belief that if we say it loud enough and long enough, people will forget the truth. He was charged on 59 counts.

"The most serious charges against Lee -- 39 counts of copying secrets with intent to aid an unnamed country or harm the national security of the United States, all punishable by up to life in prison -- were dropped in September 2000."
He was convicted. In the United States, pleading guilty to a Felony results in a conviction. Hmmm.... Wonder if this is why the www.wenholee.org site is demanding a pardon from the President.

Now, even besides those, you should head over to www.wenholee.org where you can read the Judge's apology to Dr. Lee!!! Seriously, this argument is completely dead and will go nowhere. He was not convicted of the charges, and is now being honored for taking it like a man while they accused him of many things he, it turns out, probably did not even do, which makes perfect sense.
The plea-bargain was the reason that he was prosecuted for only 1 charge. Can't find my link to this particular reference but it is common knowledge throughout most articles referencing Lee's conviction.
"On Sept. 13, prosecutors dropped 58 of 59 felony counts against Lee, and a federal judge sentenced him to the nine months he had already served in jail while awaiting trial. In return for his freedom, he promised to cooperate with the government's effort to determine what happened to the cassette tapes, which contained test data and design information on U.S. nuclear weapons."
Also, I think you are confused about the intent of the Judges apology. The first 3 sentences from the article that you reference: "Dr. Lee, you have pled guilty to a serious crime. It's a felony offense. For that, you deserved to be punished." The Judge was apologizing for Mr. Lee being denied bail and being imprisoned prior to his trial. Pre-trial imprisonment is based upon the individuals likelyhood to flee. Now let's see.....Ties to foreign governments, accused of stealing and passing Nuclear secrets to foreign governments, it's easy to apply for asylum at a foreign embassy located in the U.S. Yeah, I would call him a risk to pre-trial flight.

Also there was an issue with the Clinton administration in conjunction with the Department of Justice where a wiretap was denied in the Lee case. http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberal...b19990409a.asp
The FBI requested a wiretap on [alleged nuclear weapons spy Wen Ho] Lee. Justice denied it, arguing it did not have sufficient grounds to take to a federal court to get the tap approved. But a look at the Justice Department's record on wiretaps calls that argument into serious question. From 1993 to 1997, federal officials requested 2,686 wiretaps. For all its concern for probable cause and legal standards, the Justice Department turned down one request in those four years -- Lee's in 1996." -- Investor’s Business Daily editorial, March 30.
<EDIT> Forgot to put in my comment: Why would the Clinton Administration deny this wiretap request? I smell collusion, big time. I just love the cover ups.

Finally this little excerpt: http://nucnews.net/nucnews/2000nn/00...01201nn.htm#14
"Former Los Alamos physicist Wen Ho Lee has told investigators that he threw portable tapes containing nuclear secrets into a trash bin outside the weapons laboratory in January 1999, shortly after his security clearance was revoked."
"December 1998, he admitted for the first time that he had been asked about classified subjects during a private meeting with Chinese scientists in a Beijing hotel. After that disclosure, Lee was barred from his office in the lab's X Division on Dec. 23, 1998. On that night and the next night, Christmas Eve, he made the first of 17 attempts to re-enter the secure area to collect his personal items, Lee has told his questioners."
"Lee repeatedly sought access to the division after his access card was deactivated and that he gained access three times, including once in January 1999 when a fellow lab employee let him in."
Yeah he's innocent allright.

P.S. Maruchu - I did not post the original links because they were from the Oakland Tribune and they are full of pop up ads.
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Storie...196182,00.html

Hmmmm this one has been cut. It was the original article.
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Storie...192170,00.html