[Baltimore Sun] Ivan Bates is no Edmund G. Ross (thankfully) | READER COMMENTARY
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The encomium to Baltimore States Attorney Ivan Bates from Richard Vatz is probably well-deserved, even though it includes the letter writer’s routinely snide putdowns of Democratic politicians like U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. Bates may well, indeed, be an exemplar of political courage (“Ivan Bates: Baltimore’s ‘Profiles in Courage’ prosecutor,” April 20).
However, comparing him to U.S. Sen. Edmund G. Ross does not necessarily do Bates any favors. Ross’ vote to acquit President Andrew Johnson may have been a “heroic act” in the view of John F. Kennedy and, perhaps, Vatz, but certainly not in that of many other historically aware Americans who consider Johnson to have been the worst and most despicable of all our presidents (yes, even including Donald Trump) and the only one of the three impeached presidents to have richly deserved conviction.
In fact, at the time, although never convincingly proven, there was significant evidence that Sen. Ross’ vote to acquit may have been as a result of his having been bribed. So, yes, Ivan Bates is a good man and a good prosecutor. However, thankfully, he is no Edmund Ross.
— Harris Factor, Columbia
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