Boy Oh Boy

Bush may have had a say in firing US Attorneys, just as Clinton did, enmasse. Big whoop.

Attorney General Janet Reno today demanded the prompt resignation of all United States Attorneys, leading the Federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia to suggest that the order could be tied to his long-running investigation of Representative Dan Rostenkowski, a crucial ally of President Clinton.

Political hacks come and go in those jobs. Where Bush failed was in not replacing many of them from the get go - so much for a new tone in Washington.

At least it took the heat off of Pace for a bit. Good thing he didn't use the "F" word.

WASHINGTON - Senior aides to the chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that Marine Gen. Peter Pace won't apologize for calling homosexuality immoral — an opinion that gay advocacy groups deplored.

And the beat goes on - la de da da de, ... la de da da da.

Comments

[yyy]

These were attorneys that he appointed dumbass.

[southdakotaboy]

So what fire them all and replace them with new lawyers. It makes no difference they all just like to hear themselves talk anyway, just like politicians.

[Andrew]

Alberto will be gone by the end of the week. You cons are soo crooked.

[Hard Right]

And yyy you dumbass, he can fire them whenever he wants for any reason. That's the point imbecile.

[Jon G]

Bogus, bogus, bogus - Clinton was the newly elected president and fired them all just as he started with a new cabinet. Bush fired them in an attempt to politicize their offices. And all the ones Bush fired had been hired by his administration in the first place. They'd all received great performance reviews, etc.

[yyy]

It also appears that several of them were fired for failling to prosecute Democrats before the allection, at least that appears to be the case for the US Attorney from New Mexico.

George Bush simply doesn't like anyone in his administration who is professional, efficient and attempts to do his job based on the ethical code of his office.

All he wants are politcal hacks who will do and say whatever Karl Rove tells them to.

Geeze, these were his OWN GUYS that were fired, they must have slipped through the political ideological litmus test that BushCo use.

[Zifnab]

A number of the fired attorneys were involved in investigations of Republican crooks or - in the case of Iglesias - failed to indite Democrats before the Nov election.

Clinton fired all 93 attorneys at the start of his term and allowed them to complete their current workload. Bush is trying to change horses mid-stream and derail the Abramoff and Cunningham investigations. A world of difference.

[Hard Right]

The only one attempting to politicize anything are you lefties. It seems the attorneys fired were not doing their jobs as they should. They weren't going after voter fraud as was expected of them.

Read it and weep leftist vermin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201818.html?nav=rss_politics

[Hard Right]

BTW, the fact you think a good evaluation is somehow proof they were doing a good job, tells me you haven't worked in federal govt.

[BobInStamford]

Leftist vermin? What an angry sheep. Clearly the suggestions of Harriet "Witchiepoo" Myers should be followed. All 93 not doing their job. Amazing coincidence. Sounds like typical Bush admin. incompetence though. You heros really should find bin Laden and those WMDs - people are starting to think that you guys are clowns. Surge on!

[Legalize]

"The only one attempting to politicize anything are you lefties. It seems the attorneys fired were not doing their jobs as they should. They weren't going after voter fraud as was expected of them.

Read it and weep leftist vermin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/12/AR2007031201818.html?nav=rss_politics"

You should really try reading the articles you link to, moron. The USAs, appointed by Bush Co., didn't go after Dems accused of voter fraud because they felt such investigations would be frivolous. USAs don't go after people because it is "expected of them" by the White House. They prosecute crimes when there is evidence that a crime was committed.

"BTW, the fact you think a good evaluation is somehow proof they were doing a good job, tells me you haven't worked in federal govt."

BTW, the fact that you think it is acceptable that USAs frivolously go after Dems for non-existent crimes (while DOJ officials lie under oath about it), and that Clinton removing all 93 USAs at the beginning of his term (as is the custom of all Presidents), is an analgous situation, tells me that you that you (a) don't have a clue as to what you are talking about, and/or (b) you are a hack who should be dismissed as such.

[LOL]

Day by day the corrupt Bush administration is unraveling

[BobInStamford]

Gays like Condi, Drudge and Cpl. Matt Sanchez (aka Rod Majors) should be mad at Pace, btw.

[Hard Right]

Thanks for proving me right about your lack of knowledge on federal govt. Legalize.
Legalize, your opinions carry little weight-just like you. Keep trying to make it into something little boys. That way when nothing comes of it I can laugh at you even more.

[Zifnab]

HR, Iglesias was fired specifically because Sen. Pete V. Domenici requested it of Rove. Check the article one more time.

"Iglesias, the New Mexico prosecutor, was not on that list. Justice officials said Sampson added him in October, based in part on complaints from Sen. Pete V. Domenici and other New Mexico Republicans that he was not prosecuting enough voter-fraud cases."

Not because of poor reviews. Not because of job performance. Purely because Domenici had a bone to pick and Iglesias wouldn't go along.

Last I checked, the Patriot Act provision allowing replacement of USAs had nothing to do with voter fraud. Bush circumvented Congressional oversight so the 'Pubs could bump off an attorney who wasn't toeing the party line. How can you possibly defend that?

[scarshapedstar]

So the best defense Dan can muster is that Bush was emulating his personal hero, Bill Clinton.

I foresee many Riehlly Stupid™ posts on this subject...

[Legalize]

"Thanks for proving me right about your lack of knowledge on federal govt. Legalize.
Legalize, your opinions carry little weight-just like you. Keep trying to make it into something little boys. That way when nothing comes of it I can laugh at you even more."

You and Geoff must be the same cyborg. When smacked in the mouth over not having a fucking clue, you always respond the same way: with nothing.

[Zifnab]

"I foresee many Riehlly Stupid™ posts on this subject..."

Impossible. There's nothing in this story about Al Gore.

[Hard Right]

You haven't smacked anyone in the mouth. You have showed that you think you know far more than you actually do-for the umpteenth time. Spewing your delusions about the issue proves nothing. I'm not surprised a lawyer would mindlessly defend other lawyers that weren't doing their jobs. Scum of a feather...

[Jon G]

It appears Hard Right, Dan and their brethren support turning the US into some sort of political police state where citizens get prosecuted according to the political needs of the ruling party. Some patriots. If any Democrat president had done this, they'd be screaming impeachment.

Schumer: Here are some of the falsehoods we've been told that are now unraveling.

First, we were told that the seven of the eight U.S. attorneys were fired for performance reasons.

It now turns out this was a falsehood, as the glowing performance evaluations attest.

Second, we were told by the attorney general that he would, quote, "never, ever make a change for political reasons."

It now turns out that this was a falsehood, as all the evidence makes clear that this purge was based purely on politics, to punish prosecutors who were perceived to be too light on Democrats or too tough on Republicans.

Third, we were told by the attorney general that this was just an overblown personnel matter.

It now turns out that far from being a low-level personnel matter, this was a longstanding plan to exact political vendettas or to make political pay-offs.

Fourth, we were told that the White House was not really involved in the plan to fire U.S. attorneys. This, too, turns out to be false.

Harriet Miers was one of the masterminds of this plan, as demonstrated by numerous e-mails made public today. She communicated extensively with Kyle Sampson about the firings of the U.S. attorneys. In fact, she originally wanted to fire and replace the top prosecutors in all 93 districts across the country.

Fifth, we were told that Karl Rove had no involvement in getting his protege appointed U.S. attorney in Arkansas.

In fact, here is a letter from the Department of Justice. Quote: "The department is not aware of Karl Rove playing any role in the decision to appoint Mr. Griffin."

It now turns out that this was a falsehood, as demonstrated by Mr. Sampson's own e-mail. Quote: "Getting him, Griffin, appointed was important to Harriet, Karl, et cetera.

Sixth, we were told to change the Patriot Act was an innocent attempt to fix a legal loophole, not a cynical strategy to bypass the Senate's role in serving as a check and balance.

It was Senator Feinstein who discovered that issue. She'll talk more about it.

So there has been misleading statement after misleading statement -- deliberate misleading statements. And we haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet, but believe me, we will pursue it.

[Hard Right]

Reno ran interference for the Clintons for years. The left was quite alright with that despite the fact it was blatant.
This little bit of nothing comes along and the left tries to make a molehill into a mountain. Keep up the stupidity until elections, please. It will be nice to get back into power.

[Legalize]

"You haven't smacked anyone in the mouth. You have showed that you think you know far more than you actually do-for the umpteenth time. Spewing your delusions about the issue proves nothing. I'm not surprised a lawyer would mindlessly defend other lawyers that weren't doing their jobs. Scum of a feather..."

And this would be your third post where you have demonstrated that you neither read the WaPo article to which you linked, that you don't understand the role of USAs, and that you are utterly incapable of rebuttal"

You have also not cared to respond to the fact that Clinton's firing of all 93 USAs isn't the same thing as selectively firing 8 USAs who didn't pursue the political goals of the administration, by not going after non-existent crimes; and that

Abu Al-Gonzales LIED about the firings under oath before Congress; and that

several GOP Reps. and Senators made calls to the fired AGs to presure them into investigations; and that

the firings were systemically discussed and planned from WITHIN the White House, as the participation of Harriet Miers and Karl Rove clearly indicate; and that

the change to the Patriot Act was snuck in in the dead of night by Arlen Specter to permit the President to duck the constitutional process relative to appointing USAs; etc. etc.

Whine all you like, little child, but you couldn't argue your way out of a paper bag, as you repeatedly prove.

[Legalize]

"Reno ran interference for the Clintons for years. The left was quite alright with that despite the fact it was blatant. This little bit of nothing comes along and the left tries to make a molehill into a mountain."

Lord. Are you totally incapable of understanding that this is not an argument, but merely the same old idiotic conclusory rhetoric you always spout? What did Reno do that was alalagous to what it appears the White House and Abu Gonzales have apparantly perpetrated? Hint: alleging matters of fact tend to make you look not as stupid.

[scarshapedstar]

Jon G, sure, AG may have lied through his teeth 20 times, but was there a blowjob involved?

[charles]

they are ALL political appointees

now a few are political unappointees

and this is by no means unprecedented - molehill meet mountain

and my senator chuckie schumer??? he is a bufoon, for very many years a bufoon

and one of the top political dirty tricksters

i strongly dislike politicians - ALL politicians, don't care what party they are - they're all filthy mother selling politicians

[Rob Kaufman]

Limp Wrong, please do not stop posting your lunacy. Your inane rantings always make me chuckle and I truly thank you for that.

[charles]

"Limp Wrong" - ah what stunning wit

i'm totally in awe of your internet prowess, please give me another reason to be impressed by your opinion, you're winning me over

[Rob Kaufman]

No thanks chuck, I am not in the mood for light work today. Funny how you never comment on the names your fellow right wingers throw out, but throw a hissy fit when any of us liberals return fire. Do you need to be burped?

[Zifnab]

"they are ALL political appointees

now a few are political unappointees"

They were appointees who had to be cleared by Congress, much as the AG and Sec of Defense and UN Ambassador and various federal judges need to be Congressionally vetted. Unless you want Harriet Miers as your next SCOTUS judge, please have the common sense to respect Congressional Oversight.

[charles]

you consider that a hissy fit?

oh good lord another hysterical leftist, returning fire? if you say so

ps - i don't do hissy, but don't let that stop you

[Jon G]

It IS unprecedented - no administration has never done a selective firing of US Attorneys it previously appointed.

If the administration hadn't lied from the start, they might have hope here. Now, they're in full damage control mode. The question is whether Gonzales can save his job or not. Even if he does stay, he's damaged goods with senators on boths sides of the ill pissed at him.

Even Republican senators are troubled by what's happened - but not the riehl law-and-order faction here.

[Rob Kaufman]

Gee poor, poor chuckie, now you get pissy about having a hissy fit. You really should have someone change that diaper for you.

[charles]

"They were appointees who had to be cleared by Congress"

they serve at the presidents pleasure, does congress have to clear them to become unappointees?

if not, what's your point?

"Unless you want Harriet Miers as your next SCOTUS judge"

haha as if - you funny

"please have the common sense to respect Congressional Oversight"

please have the common courtesy to admit you have no idea what my thoughts are other than what i post here

[charles]

um rob, could you possibly be any more immature and childish?

why don't you try a couple of your doody jokes on me?

could be very enlightening

just out of curiosity - how old are you anyway

[Rob Kaufman]

Thank you for proving you are as much of a dimbulb as I thought chuckie, maybe if you use all your fingers and toes you might be able to figure out the answer to your last question. But please do not stop dancing to my tune, I do enjoy watching you.

[charles]

Jon G - valid point

if gonzales gets tossed it's his own fault, another politician doing political things

as far as the rest of it, looks like it's all going to be shaken out in the bright sunlight

personally i hope both sides are displeased with the end result - that's what they get for playing lousy politics

what a bunch of whiny babies, reminds me of MLB players crying about their paychecks

[Zifnab]

"they serve at the presidents pleasure, does congress have to clear them to become unappointees?

if not, what's your point?"

The point is the provision in the Patriot Act that lets the President circumvent Congressional Oversight when appointing attorneys. No, he doesn't need to clear it with Congress to fire these attorneys. Yes, he does - or did - need to clear it with Congress to replace them.

But when you can bypass the basic checks-and-balances of the National Government, you can get away with sticking people like Harriet Miers in high appointed positions. So you get Karl Rove's bestest friend in charge of an entire state. Even 'Pubs should be a bit gunshy about that, as Rove's views don't exactly toe the line on conservative dogma.

[charles]

very good zifnab - you deserve props for a reasonable reply, thank you

"The point is the provision in the Patriot Act that lets the President circumvent Congressional Oversight when appointing attorneys"

ok, so the hysterics are all about the evil bush taking advantage of the law and doing something he's allowed to do - bad pres bush, no cookie for you

"when you can bypass the basic checks-and-balances of the National Government, you can get away with sticking people like Harriet Miers in high appointed positions"

really? in ms miers case that's how it went down? you sure about that?

"So you get Karl Rove's bestest friend in charge of an entire state"

every "good old boy" network on the entire planet, since the beginning of time works this way

doesn't matter if you or i don't like it - it's a fact of life, we can both bitch about it and somebody may actually listen,,,

if it's advantageous to them in a political way, that is

"Even 'Pubs should be a bit gunshy about that, as Rove's views don't exactly toe the line on conservative dogma."

being the loyal opposition and all that you should be happy, no?

[warrenb]

Alberto V O Fired

[Jon G]

No, the complaint is that the US Attorneys were removed for political reasons because they wouldn't pursue investigations of Democrats. Republican representatives and a senator also attempted to interfere in the electoral process by bringing pressure for politcally motivated investigations. I'm not a lawyer, but those types of tactics, if not illegal, should be.

In San Diego, USA Lam was obtained convictions in the Duke Cunningham case and was following leads generated by that investigation. If you believe her firing was just some random act, I've got a bridge I can give you a helluva deal on.

Even more, the two US Attorney's most vigorous in their own defense were Iglesia - an evangelical Christian, and McKay, a republican. Not exactly "leftist vermin". They came forward only after the Bush Administration tried to smear them by saying they were fired for performance reasons. Had the Bush Justice Department merely said they wanted to make a change, it would have all probably blown over. But for some reason, the attorney's didn't want the blot of being fired for poor performance, which they knew was a lie, on their record. So hello Congress.

And Attorney General, in traditional bureaucratspeak, tells us "mistakes were made".

[Jeff]

Has anyone noticed the Dems are going up the chain. They got Rumsfeld, and they said they would be happy, the got Libby and they said they would be happy, they will go after Gonzalez and claim to be happy (you know if it was Republicans trying to get rid of a hispanic lawmaker, they would be racist).

I am begining to think that the only way that the Dems will be happy is if Nanny Pelosi is President, and Robert "KKK" Byrd VP.

But then again, they are Dems, they won't ever be happy until the Joos are gone and we give the Iranians weapons support.

Oh well, it's not like this will happen... until Giuliani becomes the next President.

At least the dems are in the hands of MoveOn.org, and not the voters. The average American definately couldn't be smart enough to chose what is important, that's why we need MoveOn!

http://civic.moveon.org/foxnevada/victory.html

[charles]

"If you believe her firing was just some random act, I've got a bridge I can give you a helluva deal on. "

whatever

do you think upon her firing the case is over?

molehill meet mountain

if they can't win at their game they should be benched, any of them

so this is why the left is so hysterical ? all the hyperbole is giving me a headache

"an evangelical Christian, and McKay, a republican. Not exactly "leftist vermin". They came forward only after the Bush Administration tried to smear them "

so if you are indeed the loyal opposition, this should make you happy, no?

or are you just being disingenuos and piling it on?

[Jon G]

The top FBI official for San Diego said that Lam's dismissal would jeopardize several ongoing investigations. "I guarantee politics is involved," special agent in charge Dan Dzwilewski told the paper. He did not speculate further.

“It will be a huge loss from my perspective,” Dzwilewski said

Obviously, anything that weakens the other side is good. But you can't say the Dems manufactured this - the Bush Administration shot itself in the foot, again. Even Attorney General Gonzales admits they screwed up.

[Zifnab]

But wait... it gets better!
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/03/the_case_of_bre.html

"The Specter staffer who inserted the clause into the Patriot Act giving the president new power to by-pass the Senate in appointing U.S. Attorneys ... was rewarded by becoming a U.S Attorney!"

No corruption here folks. Look away. Look away.

[charles]

sheesh, pls leave andi out of this, his brain pan is suffering from too much bad meat in the can, i don't read his stuff

"The Specter staffer who inserted the clause into the Patriot Act giving the president new power to by-pass the Senate in appointing U.S. Attorneys ... was rewarded by becoming a U.S Attorney!"

but, but, but i thought that every sigle item in the patriot act needed to be passed so badly that pres butch was being an incompetent chimperor by not giving carte blanche

just maybe there are some things included in there that upon further reflection might not be so great afterall

but by adolf you got to smear the bushbot!! so nothing else really matters

right?!

be careful what you wish for and all that rot

[Zifnab]

Ok, I call spoof on Charles. That was entirely too incoherent to be a real person.

[Rob Kaufman]

chuckie?? Are you getting the recommendations from the 9/11 commission mixed up with the Patriot Act again? I know you live to smear the Democratic Party but it wasn't the Democrats who snuck that clause in the bill at the last minute.

[charles]

haha - you're right

i like bourbon - disregard the last post

i was unfunnily channeling moonbat

" I know you live to smear the Democratic Party "

no, you don't know anything other than what i say here

*no more posting for me tonight, 'nother bourbon and g'night* so, g'night

[Jeff]

I didn't get the memo that us rednecks like Bourbon? I thought we made our own alcohal?

[Jeff]

I meant alcohol... the potato Whiskey is setting in.