Parts of it are obviously very troubling: I was very disturbed to learn of the Domenici calls, for example...The sheer intensity of the effort to make this the big story of the week is bringing out the resistance in me.
At the same time, several parts of the story seem overblown. U.S. Attorneys are political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the President, and the press seems to overlook that in a lot of its reporting....
So in the end I don't quite know where I come out based on what we know. Without knowing where I come out, I don't feel I have much helpful to add. I realize that this may mean I am missing a big story.
March 14, 2007
"I haven't written about the U.S. Attorney's story because I'm having a hard time figuring out just how big a deal it is."
That -- from Orin Kerr -- resonates with me:
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208 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 208 of 208The collision of the worlds is when the article in the patriot act permitting what amounts to be appointments without consent is coupled with firings and the above said replacements for political ends.
The Patriot Act does not "permit appointments without consent". The act preemptively grants consent to various classes of appointments. If Congress has a problem with this, Congress can change the law. There's still no Constitutional issue.
coupled with firings and the above said replacements for political ends
The attorneys get fired for purely political reasons having nothing to do with their job performance every four to eight years, and occasonally at points in between. The President has the unquestioned right to do that and Congress has no Constitutional role in the matter.
So the big, scary "combination" of those two things is that when Congress gives Presidents the thumbs-up to appoint whoever he wants, the President can appoint whoever he wants. Gee. Fancy that. That's some really complicated law, there... can't imagine why Ann didn't devote a lengthy post to explaining the obvious.
Now however, there is a power balance in Washington and the continual lowlife behavior by these fools is getting exposed. Bet you don't like that one bit.
Bush is President until 2008 no matter what "lowlife behavior" gets exposed, and will be gone after 2008 even if he somehow comes to be viewed as a hero. So no, I don't care how much ink people spill obsessing over this nonsense. You'll all do complete 180s on the proper use of Presidential power the minute a Democrat steps into the White House, but the underlying Constitutional realities will be as they've always been.
why should anyone care that prosecutors were fired because they wouldn't prosecute political enemies?
Prove that they were fired for refusing to prosecute innocent people and I promise to care.
Revenant spewed: "...
why should anyone care that prosecutors were fired because they wouldn't prosecute political enemies? Prove that they were fired for refusing to prosecute innocent people and I promise to care."
Revenant...ohhhh revenant......watchin the evening news? Rove? Pinning things on the lame Harriet Myers?.....Revenant...ohhhh revenant.....hehehehhehehehe
sigh....sorry you were the last to find out...
Oh, man! Karl Rove is busted! Got his hand caught on the scales of Justice.
He must have gotten away with raiding a lot of cookie jars as a youth.
As reported earlier on ABC News, here is the email that shows that the whole U.S. attorney purge scheme originated with Karl Rove. It was released this evening by the Justice Department.
More at:
The actual email
TPMuckraker's got the goods
Time for some law and order! We need an independent investigation, likw now!
Well I agree with Revenant, we need proof. Therefore Reventant and I have agreed on the following joint statement:
Statement of Revenant and Reality Check:
We believe we need proof that some US Attorneys were fired over their refusal to investigate known bogus claims of voter fraud. To get to the bottom of this, after lengthy discussions Revenant and Reality Check call on Attorney General Gonzales to appoint an independent counsel with subpoena powers and the responsibility to find out if these accusations are real.
Signed,
Revenant
Reality Check.
Thanks Revenant, you do agree with me that we should investigate this no matter where it leads, right?
Revenant said...
why should anyone care that prosecutors were fired because they wouldn't prosecute political enemies?
Prove that they were fired for refusing to prosecute innocent people and I promise to care.
uh, this is what this whole scandal is about. this nefarious possibility is why congress is going to issue subpoenas, why hearings are ongoing, why the press is all atitter.
the fact that officials are resigning and apologizing from the Bush administration should be a pretty gigantic clue that not all is right here -- how many "accountability moments" have there been with these guys, ever? how many times have these guys admitted fault, much less resign? even Brownie lasted longer than Sampson did.
but Revenant + other Althouse readers, glad you're calling it "nonsense" right from the outset! good job!
That is a sound initiative to provide (further) proof of guilt.
And the calvacade of lies continues at the White House. And, still wingers and confused moderates cover for Bush and make apologies and excuses for him. In this way George Bush first became a wastrel and, so, he continues.
Tony Snow lies so unctuously.
White House press secretary Tony Snow told reporters earlier this week that the idea of firing all 93 sitting U.S. attorneys -- the idea that ultimately led to the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year -- was Harriet Miers' and "her idea only."
Like so much else the Bush administration has said about the prosecutor purge, it turns out that wasn't true.
Via Salon.
Hey, Ann, here are some tools for your investigations.
Here's some helpful pieces:
John Nichols on how the Attorney General can be impeached. This would be far better than a resignation so the American people have a better chance of being told what's been going on here.
Here's a good timeline of the events in question.
Bush and Rove have poisoned the well of public trust.
Actually a special prosecutor will take this out of Bush's term which is the idea behind it....and besides, now that the grownups are back in control of the Senate and House and they will have hearings and subpoena the hell out of the players in this morass, we the people may actually get a glimpse of what these bozos were trying to pull.
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