Gonzales and US Attorneys

[Philistine]

So--no comments on Gonzales' performance at the hearings yesterday or the whole US Attorney purge scandal?

Lack of interest? No big deal? Everyone pretty much agrees one way or the other?

--Philistine

[scrapinpeg]

I honestly haven't followed it. Bad Scrapinpeg!

From bits and pieces overheard and glimpsed from (otherwise ignored) headlines, I gather the administration fired a bunch of US Attorneys because they wouldn't comply with an administration policy.

I don't know what the policy was, so can't comment on its rightness or wrongness. But I can't say I have the slightest problem with the summary dismissal of politically appointed officials for purely political reasons.

Firing rank-and-file prosecutors for political reasons, I would have BIG problems with. But the political appointee heading the office? Not an issue, don't see what people are upset about. Every administration does it, to almost every politically appointed position. No big deal.

But then again, my impression of what's been happening is completely uninformed, so my opinion may change with new information. Can't say I'm interested enough to look it up on my own, though.

[the maple epee]

I listened to the hearings yesterday. Man, he really got hammered.

[Philistine]

I listened to the hearings yesterday. Man, he really got hammered.

Here's the Transcript of the hearing.

Ouch.

I've seen the hearing described as akin to a baby seal being clubbed.

--Philistine

[jeff]

I've been watching this one, and it's a pretty dismaying story.

First, as the expression goes, the attorneys are there "at the pleasure of the President", and they can be dismissed at any time, even if the reason is that Bush, Gonzales, or even Rove don't like the way they part their hair. Or even for not being a "loyal Bushie". That said, I've seen remarks written by a number of ex-attorneys and AGs, from both sides of the aisle politically (indeed, including a sitting Republican Senator) who say it is absolutely unacceptable for an attorney to be removed for partisan political reasons. Compounding that is that it's unacceptable to mislead or lie about why an attorney was removed.

So, in this instance, we have attorneys who very much appear to have been dismissed for partisan political reasons. Such as: not giving into Domenici's demand to launch investigation of Democrats right before the election, or not making "voter fraud" investigations that the attorney thought were unwarranted (this is a very partisan area, since accusations of voter fraud are a well-known methof of "voter suppression" for people in demographics expected to vote against you). Or as punishment for successfully prosecuting a Republican. Accusations of poor performance were leveled instead, even though several of the attorneys had been highly rated - and in one case, the replacement was a political operator from the party who had no prosecutorial experience whatsoever.

The claim by Gonzales that he wasn't involved in these discussions, and that the White House political wing (Rove) wasn't involved was contradicted by former aide Sampson, and by the e-mail trail. Oops, some e-mails that might be further incriminating are missing... Another official pleaded the 5th Amendment. DOJ people taking the 5th about issues related to the integrity of the office? WTF? I think that's the person now said to potentially be a witness in return for immunity.

This effort goes beyong partisan politics, though it is obviously partisan as well. Several of the Republican senators in the Judiciary Committee attacked Gonzales, and Coburn explicitly called for Gonzales to resign. Spector, Cornyn, Graham, Grassley and Sessions also gave Gonzales a working over, just as the Democrats are.

This goes directly to the integrity of the department, and Gonzales should go - and a full investigation be made to see the extent of the rot. The irony is that after raising the bar on what is improper conduct worth fighting about during the Clinton administration ("Haircut-gate", "Travel-agent-gate"), they now have a serious scandal related to partisan use of the organization that should be the protector of justice for everyone.

[introspective]

It's called "At Will" Jeff and it's enforced everywhere. Everyone in the world works for someone else who fires them on whims, thus adding to the mandate that all men are created equally able to live on the beach. Beachfront is precious. Only the weathy are able to buy secure homes anchored on the sandy shores of our worlds' beaches, but did you know that heaven has decided that it doesn't want it. It has taken the homes of the depraved and washed them over the edges of the abyess and sent them crashing and roaring to the oceans' depths. While it is pitiful and awful, it is, imo, heavens decision - it is only the unleashed power of nature at hand.

Gonzales enjoyed the good times - he has made a fortune, I am sure he has investments and 401K's and so forth that he can 'fall back on' - like typing for women - They have skills and JD degrees, and can find something else. Unless of course....a good Lawyer decides to take on the At Will Clauses and demolish them one by one for the benefit of the people who work to support themselves and or their families.

[jeff]

Hmm, is that hebephrenia or glossolalia?

In Planet Earth news related to this: today Rep. Rick Renzi, R. Arizona, stepped down from the House Intelligence Committee (Rep Doolittle, R. California, previously stepped down from his seat on the House Appropriations Committee consequent to being linked to a bribery investigation), saying he was doing so because he is under investigation for his financial transactions. The FBI came to his office on Thursday. The prosecutor who started the investigation, Paul Charlton, is one of the 8 attorneys fired by the Bush administration. Even if unrelated, it certainly gives the impression that attorneys were subject to retribution for having investigated Republican officials.

[OROD]

It's called "At Will" Jeff and it's enforced everywhere...

There's a big difference here in that these attorneys have a lot of power to procecute, and if this power is used for politican leverage it quickly goes into the unethical and illegal realm. Their job is not to be attack dogs for Bush, or to stop valid investigations that might damage Republican cronies.

But in any case, Gonsalez is making the biggest (and by now most obvious) mistake of lying to cover up this scandal. In all likelihood he'll never be punished for the firings, but he's getting himself into more and more trouble by lying about it. Either that, or he's having some serious memory problems... he should see a doctor about that.

Lastly, regardless of guilt or innocence, he should resign. This has become such a big problem for him and the administration, that it reduces the effectiveness of them actually trying to get things done. Hell, Gonsalez spends all his time now getting ready for these hearings and planning out how to say "I cant recall" in new and more believable ways. Is that what we're paying him for? Hell no. Time to go, he can continue to lie on his own time.

.

[introspective]

Well, all of it, including believe it or not even our top bananas can get kicked out on a whim.....heyla, and this just in.....eveyone's out! The at will laws are as archaic as our gun laws, getta grip guys and rehash the whole kettle of fish. If the New England States [1st 13] take a regional stance, they might be able to come up with something workable - in time it would go to the midwest - then south - then west.

It seems like we're watching a Domino Effect we'd better get ahold of it fast and put a muzzle on it - my tactic is to do the opposite and hire a whole slew of people from menial, secretary, clerks, and up up up even for 6 months contacts to fill up those spaces and make it look good. We look understaffed and it's hitting the agoreaphobics pretty hard.

I see we have some new men in the race, can I take a riposte at this. I see in the running : Guiliani vs Clinton - who will win....who will win....

[Inquartata]

he was doing so because he is under investigation for his financial transactions.

As I heard it, the issue involves an insurance agency which lists his wife as an owner, and I am unsure whether she was an active manager or just an absentee investor. We may or may not ever find out...

[ThatReallyHurt]

As I heard it, the issue involves an insurance agency which lists his wife as an owner, and I am unsure whether she was an active manager or just an absentee investor. We may or may not ever find out...

What - someone in a position of power potentially misusing it for someone near and dear to them?

~cough~Wolfowitz~cough~

[sionnach]

Poor guy just has a terrible memory Ease up on him, he just can't seem to recollect anything....at all. Entirely plausible.

[ThatReallyHurt]

Happens everywhere... someone gets comfortable with power for long enough, they start to get sloppy (or, depending on how cynical you are, start to think the rules no longer apply to them).

[Capt. Slo-mo]

It's called "At Will" Jeff and it's enforced everywhere. Everyone in the world works for someone else who fires them on whims, thus adding to the mandate that all men are created equally able to live on the beach. Beachfront is precious. Only the weathy are able to buy secure homes anchored on the sandy shores of our worlds' beaches, but did you know that heaven has decided that it doesn't want it. It has taken the homes of the depraved and washed them over the edges of the abyess and sent them crashing and roaring to the oceans' depths. While it is pitiful and awful, it is, imo, heavens decision - it is only the unleashed power of nature at hand.

Gonzales enjoyed the good times - he has made a fortune, I am sure he has investments and 401K's and so forth that he can 'fall back on' - like typing for women - They have skills and JD degrees, and can find something else.

Wow! Now I just HAVE to know.

Does Gonzales have a beach house? And hurricane insurance?

[Capt. Slo-mo]

This pretty much says it all...