Monica Goodling Should Be Presumed Guilty

Why do the Republicans, and everyone in the media for that matter, keep stating that no inference of wrongdoing can be made from Monica Goodling taking the 5th? It is established law that an inference of criminal wrongdoing is entirely appropriate to be made when a witness invokes the 5th in a civil or administrative proceeding. There was a Supreme Court case in the 70’s by the name of Baxter that reaffirmed this principle. It is only in a criminal proceeding, usually a trial, that no inference can be drawn from the defendant taking the Fifth. Monica Goodling is pleading the Fifth in a Congressional fact finding hearing, which has the characteristics of a civil/administrative hearing. Anyone that states no negative criminal inference can be drawn from Goodling taking the 5th is full of horsemanure! Furthermore, there is no valid reason that this inference should not be made against the proponent of Goodling's testimony, the Bush Department of Justice.