they don't want to be caught looking like an idiot still defending Gonzales.

They won't support Gonzales because they don't like to look like idiots? Bush still supports Gonzales. And so do I. Nuff said. If they don't want to look like idiots, they can just leave the Republican party.

When it comes to defending the criminal wrong-doing of the Bush administration, few Republicans in Congress circle the wagons better than Texas Senator John Cornyn. With the exploding scandal over the firings of U.S. attorneys threatening the White House, Cornyn has come to the assistance of fellow former Texas Supreme Court justice, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. How ironic then that the same John Cornyn who defends "the Judge" now was the same man who two years ago excused violence against judges.

For the story, see:
"Cornyn Threatens Judges, Protects Gonzales."

Amen, they should just leave the Republican party. Let the idiots have an organization all their own.

These guys have been around Washington long enough to sense that another shoe is almost certain to drop

Kevin, in America (unlike Iraq under Saddam Hussein) people are judged to be INNOCENT unless proven GUILTY. If you have some more allegations you wish to throw at Gonzales, then you should say them instead of smearing Gonzales with innuendo that you can't prove or corroborate.

Alberto is beginning to smell like a three-day old taco. Nope, you will find fewer and fewer stupid enough to defend this incompetent bozo of an attorney.

If Democrats were in the WH, he would have been gone 3 weeks ago. But Republicans are defending him because he's Hispanic. They are deathly afraid of pissing off the Hispanics. For the Republicans, his competence is totally irrelevant. He's a minority, and they want to hold on to him, as a symbol. Like Contaminant Rice, his competence has never been important. His skin color is all that counts.

Democrats look at the content of the character. Republicans retain incompetent morons simply because they're black or hispanic or whatever.

Just read this on prospect.org by Terrence Samuel, "Going, going, gone."

"...More ominous for the "loyal Bushies" is that they no longer seem capable of repelling attacks. The clumsy, heavy-handed way in which the offending U.S. attorneys were let go is a graphic reminder of how a White House once feared for its political cunning and media savvy has been reduced to a second-rate paranoid operation.

The fact that the Attorney General had to retract and correct statements he made to Congress is not the kind of thing we've come to expect from a Karl Rove operation. And the formerly formidable GOP fog machine that was once able to spin sludge into sugar was never able to get off the mat to defend Gonzales. Even on the Hill, the best that the Bush allies could do was caution against a rush to judgment...."

Al: why did Specter's little addition to the Patriot renewal act get slipped in? To avoid having Senate oversight, plain and simple. What need is there to stop investigations that might prove to be unflattering (Gonzales and Bush have a few), and what need is there to say you had nothing to do with the matter discussed, when you either are lying or incompetent? Rove is drawing a salary paid by the American taxpayer, and he should tell us what he knows (he's been clever enough to get around Fitzgerald, so he can probably skate on this one too.) The problem you clowns have right now is that you can't call this oversight investigation unpatriotic, so all that's left is for the truest form of "sound and fury." Have fun.

Al posts and cries that "if you have some more allegations you wish to throw...then say them..."

Al--here's the money quote in the article:

"Justice Department officials first said the White House approved the dismissal plan only after it was initiated by the department, but e-mail messages have shown that officials at the White House initiated the effort shortly after the 2004 elections."

"It's the typical liberal racism against minorities who insist on recognizing that the Republican party is the party truly in the interest of minorities. They're going to bring down another dedicated public servant. Sad."

We value the content of his character (which is total shit) and his competence (which is totally absent) over his skin color. That's all you repukeliscum care about, that he is Hispanic.

It's time to end affirmative action in the Attorney General's office. In addition, it's time to get rid of Condi Rice as well. She's another affirmative action babe - totally out of her depth. Madeline Albright was great, but Condi has not accomplished a single useful thing.

Yet the fuck sticks at WaPu like Broder, Hyatt, Iglesias, dismiss it as merely partisan politics.

What a bunch of frigging court jesters.

Al and AH,

What fucking pathetic goddamned tools you two are.

Al = Alberto, as in Alberto Gonzalez?

That would explain a lot.

Hey, it's possible . . .

Republican racism is nauseating. All in the service of political power. Yet, as the example of Clarence "Wild Hair" Thomas demonstrates, you can put a person in an office hoping that he will grow into it, and he never does.

He is a bitter incompetent hopelessly out of his depth.

The Republican party has 3 black members nationally, and 4 hispanic. Thus, when they are obligated to put one in office to try and convince that huge and growing electorate that the Repukeliscum party is not terminally racist, they must pick an incompetent who is not qualified. Thus, we have Gonzales, Rice, Thomas, all failed examples of Republicans who are incompetents and given high office MERELY due to their skin color.

It's disgusting.

Not true, Kevin. Bush still loves Alberto.

My own feeling, backed up by how long Rumsfailed stuck on the job, is that the only way Gonzalez goes is if Congress brings up the I-word. On the other hand, I've got a good feeling that might just happen given the Dems' backbone and the Republicans' scurrying away from Abu G.

Hey American Huck, Al[berto], etc. - answer me a question, honestly:

Would you hire Alberto Gonzalez to represent you as his attorney?

C'mon - be serious now . . . is Alberto Gonzalez the man you yourself would hire as your own lawyer (assuming money were no object). If the answer is yes, I suppose George Bush is the kind of person you would choose to manage your business affairs . . .

they don't want to be caught looking like an idiot still defending Gonzales.

The wild card here is Bush, who has no compunctions about looking like an idiot (for obvious reasons - first, he actually is one, and second, he is past all his "accountability moments"). Bush could keep Gonzales in an undead state for some time.

If they don't want to look like idiots, they can just leave the Republican party.

Amen! Preach it, bro!

If Democrats were in the WH, he would have been gone 3 weeks ago.

No, he would never have been nominated.

Over at talkingpointsmemo.com today:
"On a related note, the fact that Carol Lam was one of the dismissed U.S. Attorneys makes Alberto Gonzales' self-professed distance from the process all the more curious. Might the attorney general not want some input on the dismissal of the prosecutor handling one his department's most important cases? As Chuck Schumer has said, either Gonzales knew about the purge and sanctioned it, which is bad, or he didn't know about it, which is worse.
What is not in the DOJ documents may say as much about this scandal as what is there."
-- David Kurtz

Yet the fuck sticks at WaPu like Broder, Hyatt, Iglesias, dismiss it as merely partisan politics.

What a bunch of frigging court jesters.

Same as the bunch on Hardball.

They seem to be perfectly fine with looking like idiots.

2 things:

1. The Race Card: I don't want to add more fuel to this fire, but there is clearly something here. I am Black, and I realized many years ago that if I wanted to move up in the world the easiest route would be to become a Republican because the party is so desperate for presentable minorites (I did not). However, I am not sure that I am comfortable with the argument that Condi and Mr. Gonzales are being kept around JUST becuase they are minorities. As much as I dislike Bush, his one saving grace is that he seems to be personally colorblind, no matter how much his policies may hurt minorities as a class.

2. The wheels have come off. Deceit and irresponsibility have been tradmarks of this Administration from the beginning, but, it was never so publicly incompetent. Any reasonable person would have to conclude that the AG is lying, and lying badly. If there is nothing wrong with his actions why does he feel he has to lie about it? I mean, this has transcended farce. As for the WaPo enablers, they just can not accept how much the rules have changed and how badly they have been duped.

James M.

It's the typical liberal racism against minorities who insist on recognizing that the Republican party is the party truly in the interest of minorities. They're going to bring down another dedicated public servant. Sad.

You know when one of the Bush apologists (in this case, American Huck) is forced to make an argument as patently silly as this one, that apologist has run out of arguments.

AH - I thought there shouldn't be any quotas. Gonzo is more than just a Hispanic face . . . or is he???

And you saying that the terminally racist GOP is "the party truly in the interest of minorities" does not make it so, any more than it overturns decades of fierce opposition to, among other things, the Civil Rights Act, Voting Right Act, the minimum wage, affirmative action (from which both Powell and Thomas benefited, among others) etc. or its fierce advocacy of racial profiling, voter suppression in majority black areas, etc. etc.

American Huck - you are a deeply, deeply silly man.

I saw this while I was over there. This is quite bizarre.

Senators to Gonzales: Really? Tell Us More
By Paul Kiel - March 24, 2007, 4:57 PM
"Yesterday I reported that the Justice Department had written Congress that, against the advice of Alberto Gonzales, the president had shut down an internal department investigation into the administration's wireless wiretapping program. Bush's was an unprecedented and arbitrary (and still unexplained) move...
....In particular, the senators want to know the stated rationale behind Bush's decision. They also want to see documentation relevant to the stifled investigation. Why?
As they write in the letter: "Given the serious questions that have been raised about the Justice Department's credibility, we continue to believe it is important to review documents supporting the assertions in [the Justice Department's] letter."
In other words: we don't believe anything you say now, so just save your breath and hand over documentation."

As I have noted many times before, the GOP is the true party of affirmative action, as they will promote to the highest levels of gvmt the most incompetent boob, as long as they are a person of color.

A Nation of racists.

Every last one of you hates Hispanics.
You need to stop confusing us with Mexicans and wetbacks.

You're asking me if I would want-- for free-- the services of a Yale and Harvard educated lawyer and businessman, who each have decades of experience in the public and private sectors.

Is that supposed to be a serious question??
Posted by: American Hawk on March 25, 2007 at 8:24 PM

What have you been watching for the past 6 years? This administration inspires confidence from you?

11th commandment:

Thou shall not speak ill about another republican.

12th commandment:

Thou shall not prosecute another republican.

13th commandment:

When republicans lie it is because of National security issues.

Anyone have any idea about what 'the other shoe' might be? I'm assuming 'the shoe' has to do with the USA purge.

I don't think that Bush is holding onto Abu G. in an attempt to keep some latino votes. In part, because I don't think Bush cares much about latino votes after 2004. Sure, the Repug lower-ranks do, but for Bush loyalty only runs in one direction.

I think it's because Abu G. has some serious dirt on Bush, something that goes back to their days in TX together. Maybe he knows where Bush's old girlfriend got her abortion in Mexico, and has copies of the records?

Satan luvvs Repugs

If Abu G had that sort of dirt he would know that disclosing it would result in his becoming a GOP unperson, meaning he'd have no access to wingnut welfare, etc. That's not what's going on.

I think at this point it's a matter of pure stubbornness on Bush's part. Outsiders are gunning for this guy that Bush has backed, so, as in Iraq, his ego won't let him admit defeat by giving in to critics. That, and not any sense of loyalty to a subordinate, or fear of what might be disclosed, is what is keeping Gonzales from stepping down.

James M:

I agree 900% Bush doesn't seem to be racist. If he uses epithets, it's because he's a crass, contemptible fuck, not because he's a racist per say. It's a little disturbing the way race is being used here - for a people who like to think themselves the more enlightened socially, they sure are quick to come to project base, race-related motives behind republican actions.

Our AG is the same fellow who helped Bush become the "texacutioner" while governor.

http://ccadp.org/serialpresident.htm

If Al, our AG sent less than truthful briefs to governor Bush, concerning captital punishment cases, how on earth can we trust him to be forthcoming about why USAs were fired last December?

This administration thinks the Geneva Convention is for the birds, that International treaties don't mean diddly.

Given that GW Bush was obviously callous in his 150+ denials of clemency, and subsequent executions of Texas inmates (check record), is it any surprise that he flaunts our US Constitution?

"I'm the decider." is a quote worthy of impeachment.

The record in Texas of Al and George is clear, callous disregard for the rule of law and the possiblity that some innocent folks were executed by the state of Texas.

The whitehouse recently, has shown similar blatant disregard for "checks and balances" that are the bedrock of our country's government.

To flaunt it, wail about "executive privilege," is to reveal a cancer (of corruption and greed and warmongering) so vile that I'm not sure our country will ever fully recover.

I think you're right about this one Kevin - every time there's a document dump, it turns out that everything the White House and AG have been saying has been misleading. The senators aren't going to want any more surprises - even Cornyn knows his polling numbers are below 40% in Texas. They're thinking about life after Bush, and they have to be wondering what else is out there in those 18 days of emails that have disappeared.

One question: Who can he hire to replace Gonzo? It's a career killer job. That's why he is sticking with him.

Ah, Kevin.

It's very evident that Hispanics no longer have a home in the Democratic party.

Democraphy is against you guys. Minorities are growing as a percent of the population, yet they are less and less likely to vote Democrat.

Even if the Republicans lose this one, they win. I love it!

These guys have been around Washington long enough to sense that another shoe is almost certain to drop, and when it does they don't want to be caught looking like an idiot still defending Gonzales.

True enough, but they also continue to circle like sharks smelling the blood of departed corpses. To me, it's more like they are poking him to see whether he is still alive and capable of fighting back; it doesn't look as though he is, so he'll be gone soon.

Al, AH: Gonzo serves at the pleasure of the president. He doesn't have to be guilty of a crime in order to be removed from office, but can be removed when it's politically expedient to remove him. Like the US Attorneys, remember? After mangling something this badly, and so publicly, the burden of proof is on him to show that he is good enough to keep his job.

t's very evident that Hispanics no longer have a home in the Democrat party.

That's the DEMOCRATIC Party, and if what you say is true, why are there so many here?

American Hick writes:

You're asking me if I would want-- for free-- the services of a Yale and Harvard educated lawyer and businessman, who each have decades of experience in the public and private sectors.

Boy, I guess you're an easy person to impress with degrees (nevermind the fact that Bush - who was rejected by the University of Texas got into Harvard / Yale because of his daddy, a charge no one denies, least of all Bush - he certainly didn't get in based on his grades).

So the fact that Bush ran 4 businesses straight into the ground (Harkin, Spectrum7, Arbusto and - oh yeah - the US Treasury) makes no difference to you, as long as the degrees are from prestigious schools, you're ok.

Wow.

You know, there's this bridge I've been meaning to sell . . .

Egbert, could you explain the analysis you just offered please? How do you figure that American Hispanics aren't welcome in the Democratic Party? Because we actually believe in standards and don't inflict the soft bigotry of low expectations on the group as a whole by excusing Fredo the Feckless simply because he's brown, and therefore can't help it? Who exactly is the racist here?

The evidence speaks for itself. The Republicans haven't been afraid to install blacks and hispanics in positions of power, real power, not some token position like Commerce Secretary.

Democrats can't stand it, hence there bloodlust.

The evidence speaks for itself

No, it doesn't. Care to try again?

Democraphy is against you guys

Please define "Democraphy" - do you mean Demographics? Or have we been treated to another scrambled egbert edition of just-make-shit-up?

they don't want to be caught looking like an idiot still defending Gonzales.

Too bad they almost certainly knew what he was up to from the get go, but raised no objection while the matter was still behind closed doors. Fuck them. The entire GOP is as complicit as Gonzo.

Democrats can't stand it, hence there (sic) bloodlust.

We do not have bloodlust for Gonzo because he is too competent, afterall. Any bloodlust is directed at those who subverted the Constitution and turned Justice into "Just Us."

And if a Democrat did it, you know that you would set up a howl that would rattle the rafters.

And if a Democrat did it, so would I. Unlike you, I have ideas of right and wrong that are not ideological dictates.

If I am not mistaken Gonzales and others in the Repug outfit don't believe in affirmative action and believe there is no discrimination. Thus, their argument about racism is not appropos.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54861

James M, I don't think that Bush is personally a racist. I don't think that he makes racially based judgments about individuals. But he does make policies that support and further endemic, systematic racism, with disasterous consequences which are often delivered along dramatically racial lines. Like a lot of modern Republicans, I think that it's poor people he doesn't like, and maybe that he cares less for black poor people because they're more different form him, harder for him to empathize with and see as individuals. I think that Kanye maybe got it right, that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" unless they're the kinds of individuals that he meets in his own social circle.

Al: you have managed to fling bullshit at other posters, why haven't you addressed my points? I feel like a wallflower.

Thanks BCRS - I had forgotten about the "soft bigotry of low expectation." That's what has led so many minorities to the Repukeliscum Party. They are unable to make any headway in the Democratic Party, and so, they take the easy way out, and adopt a conservative cover. It's good for a short career, and in some cases, can lead them to the Supreme Court.

Minorities in the Democratic Party are much more qualified and achieve more, because we are not racists, and we don't judge by skin color. We judge by results, and have largely left skin color behind. Of course, every job pool needs men and women of all races and colors, because there are so many highly qualified Democrats, this is easy to find. But filling jobs goes to qualifications, not race. Race is used by Republicans who are the last bastion of affirmative hiring in politics today.

One just wonders how corrupt the Republican-appointed U.S. Attorneys are who were NOT fired? We know that Iglesias, McKay, Lam and other fired U.S. Attorneys are honorable, because they WERE fired.

On the other hand, what did the other U.S. Attorneys "do" to keep their jobs including what did they do to help "pushback" last year against the negative Republican publicity generated by the Mark Foley sex scandal just before the November elections?

Can any of them be trusted to follow the "rule of law" and put aside their partisan allegiances, especially in the lead-up to the November 2008 elections?

Any "rule of law" American, whether Democrat or Republican or Independent, should be very concerned over the answer to these questions.

Which makes interrogating Monica Goodling, the DOJ's White House liaison, that much more important, under oath, in public, before a congressional hearing. Last October, during the midst of the Mark Foley sex scandal, she would have been the go-between, passing Rovian partisan instructions to the DOJ and to the U.S. Attorneys on how to handle the fallout from the Mark Foley sex scandal. Plus, she would have been deeply involved in discussions between the DOJ and the White House over inserting that provision into the Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill last year that stripped Senatorial oversight from U.S. Attorney hirings.

Hopefully, her "extended leave of absence" doesn't involve her skipping the country? Has anyone seen her? Talked with her? I bet if she can be found and does testify under oath before Congress, both she and her family will have to enter into the witness protection program afterward.

Let's stipulate that Alberto is gone within a month. Finding a replacement will be next to impossible for Bush. If he picks a hack, he won't get confirmed. If Bush chooses an honest qualified Republican who can be confirmed, the new guy will have to tear down the whole corrupt support structure that Bush has relied on since 2001. Bush's only option is to find a dolt with clean hands. Any of those floating around the Federalist Society?

Hopefully, her "extended leave of absence" doesn't involve her skipping the country? Has anyone seen her? Talked with her? I bet if she can be found and does testify under oath before Congress, both she and her family will have to enter into the witness protection program afterward.

Wasn't she held in a Chinese prison last season?

(Sorry, wrong thread....)

So the following has now been confirmed . . .

Bush has lied about the USA firings.

Gonzales has lied about the USA firings.

Bartlett has lied about the USA firings.

Rove has lied about the USA firings.

Domenici has lied about the USA firings.

Several of Gonzales's DOJ underlings have lied about the firings.

Hmmmmmmmmmm . . . now, why would they do that if there was nothing to hide?

Gonzales is not popular with most conservatives because he isn't one. That is why he has no support. He is a Bush friend. That said, there is no scandal. Only a clumsy mishandling of this artifical crisis has brought things to this pass.

It is kind of funny to see all the overheated rhetoric here.

Hey Apollo, here's one for you...

There once was an AG named Al
He got there ‘cuz he’s George’s pal
He co-opted Justice
But partisan lust is
Going to be his downfall

"That said, there is no scandal. Only a clumsy mishandling of this artifical crisis has brought things to this pass."

if you don't think that turning the United States Department of Justice in to an arm of the RNC is a scandal.

If that's not a scandal, I don't know what is.

Mike K: It is kind of funny to see all the overheated rhetoric here.

It's hilarious watching you wingers try to pretend there is no scandal after multiple perjuries by DOJ officials and even more public lies.

LMAO!

Like I said, one doesn't lie if there is an innocent explanation.

Not to mention the vast amount of other evidence that proves you are either an idiot, Mike K, or an unrepentant mouthpiece for a lying, incompetent, criminal, and immoral president.

Not to mention the vast amount of other evidence that proves you are either an idiot, Mike K, or an unrepentant mouthpiece for a lying, incompetent, criminal, and immoral president.

Don't limit the choices! He's both! Obviously!

Alberto Gonzales from Texas
Took up law to study the nexis
of where knuckles break
and drowning men fake
confessions bout what size his pricks is

It's time to end affirmative action in the Attorney General's office. In addition, it's time to get rid of Condi Rice as well. She's another affirmative action babe...

Affirmative action has nothing to do with the corruption perpetrated by this administration and it's disgusting to even suggest so.

If anything, it's increasingly apparent certain otherwise able and qualified minority appointments were exploited, sacrificed and discarded as part and party to the GOP minstrel show cleverly conceived in 2000 and blatantly confirmed during its 2004 convention.

Purgegate is not, repeat not, merely a Gonzales scandal redeemable by the sacrifice of a single reprobate. Gonzales has always served one master and one master alone. Any guesses?

There once was an AG named Al

Globe, you are on a roll!

cld on March 25, 2007 at 11:56 PM

Bwahaha! In addition to cat blogging, Kevin's PA hosts some clever poets.

That was a joint effort. I have my honey reading over my shoulder. He gave me the "lust" line - I was struggling there, and he just nailed it - so he gets half the credit, because four lines do not a limerick make.

cld - that was brilliant. We both snorted.

Omerta means, “the categorical prohibition of cooperation with state authorities or reliance on its services, even when one has been victim of a crime.�

Is this not Republicanism in a nutshell?

It's that last line that the trick.

I was looking for a rhyme for Alberto and got as far as Omerta.

Pretty obvious to any outsider that you guys are blinded with your new obssession.

The evidence speaks for itself. The Republicans haven't been afraid to install blacks and hispanics in positions of power, real power, not some token position like Commerce Secretary.

Democrats can't stand it, hence there bloodlust.

Posted by: egbert on March 25, 2007 at 10:14 PM

Does President of the United States Barak Obama sound like a token position to you egbert?

Pretty obvious to any outsider that you guys are blinded with your new obssession.

Posted by: egbert on March 26, 2007 at 12:16 AM

Yeah I bet it must make your job being a troll here very tedious.

You guys deserve official recognition.

................................!..........................
...............................{}.........................
...............................!!!........................
...........................(.........)....................
........................(...............).................
......................(...................)...............
.....................(.....................)...............
..........WAMO'S POETS SOCIETY........
...........................................................

Thank you very much, Apollo.

And egbert: you guys are blinded with your new obssession.

We are so monomaniacally obsessed we have no time for diversions, huh? We are veritably foam-flecked over here. I don't know how you can stand us. I wouldn't blame you if you just left.

I hope Gonzales does not buckle under the pressure to resign.

vbrans: Yeah I bet it must make your job being a troll here very tedious.

For eggburb, the steaks have gotten much higher.

vbrans,
if you're unfamiliar with one of eggy's best...

Iraq is crucial to the course of the rest of this century. THe steaks are too high to fail.
Posted by: egbert on January 10, 2007 at 10:25 PM | PERMALINK

This is not an artificial crisis. If it was simply a matter of changing attorneys there would be no issue. The problem is the appearance of obstruction of justice. The appearance that that the attorneys were fired to change the course of ongoing investigations.

And while we the news is so focused on the attorneys that were fired I wonder about the currently employed attorneys who were happy to go along with requests from the WH and change their investigations according to political pressure.

As Senator Spector stated, the Attorney General should be given a chance to explain himself before the Judiciary Committee -- he's currently scheduled to testify the Tuesday after recess break -- like I said, innocent until proven guilty!

Well aware but thanks for the reminder.It still brings a chuckle.

Then you remember when Egbert was bemoaning the sad state of affairs that resulted from the Dems insisted on using politics as a political football?

AH: "typical liberal racism"

Right, like the way the Jews kept picking on those poor Nazis. And how about the Tutsis going after the Hutus like that. Good thing the South freed their slaves, because otherwise Ted Kennedy would have 'em all picking cotton in Massachussetts.

Is it time for your meds yet? Easy now. Want another cookie? Yes, the sky is sooo green today...

--like I said, innocent until proven guilty!

You know that chick named Alberta?
Who lived by the code of Omerta?
She put on some pants
Ate some fire ants
And made like she's Dubya's enforcer

Globe...Another priceless eggburb.

Last year at FindLaw, Jennifer Van Bergen wrote on Mar. 1, 2006, "It's Time to Appoint a Special Prosecutor to Investigate the President's Actions With Respect to the NSA's Warrantless Wiretapping."

On Mar. 24, 2007, Paul Kiel at TPMMuckraker wrote about how Bush shut down an internal probe into the wireless wiretapping program and Senate Dems -- Feingold, Kennedy, Schumer, and Durbin -- want to know why?

In particular, the senators want to know the stated rationale behind Bush's decision. They also want to see documentation relevant to the stifled investigation. Why?

As they write in the letter: "Given the serious questions that have been raised about the Justice Department's credibility, we continue to believe it is important to review documents supporting the assertions in [the Justice Department's] letter."

On Mar. 13, 2007, CREW called for a "Special Prosecutor to investigate potential criminal violations in U.S. Attorney firings."

Independent special prosecutor has a nice ring to it.

Hi Al!
Here are a couple more statements from Senator Specter

"We have to have an attorney general who is candid and truthful,And if we find out he's not been candid and truthful, that's a very compelling reason for him not to stay on."

We're all looking for a plan that will work. … The current plan is not working, and 21,500 additional troops — it’s a snowball in July. It’s not going to work."

"There's been enough of a showing that the president of the United States owes a specific explanation to the American people ... about exactly what he did."

Then you remember when Egbert was bemoaning the sad state of affairs that resulted from the Dems insisted on using politics as a political football?

Posted by: Blue Girl, Red State (aka G.C) on March 26, 2007 at 12:46 AM

I wonder if he thinks it's OK to use footballs as political footballs.

Ever heard of Ron Nehring? Well, he heads the California Republican Party.

Digby via Kos says that Nehring is the "architect of the plan to fire Carol Lam" ...

"Ron Nehring ...is an important piece on Norquist's chessboard," states a report titled Target San Diego: The Right Wing Assault on Urban Democracy and Smart Government. Prepared for the Center on Policy Initiatives, a progressive think tank, the report reveals how the National GOP has targeted San Diego as a "battleground" and model for an alleged agenda of radically cutting government funding, permanently weakening organized labor, and aggressively moving to privatize public services....

...Nehring once served as director of development and public affairs for Ridenour’s Scaife and Bradley funded National Center for Public Policy,[Abramoff used the center to channel money to Delay] and worked for its Project 21, an initiative to find right-wing African American voices to criticize the leadership of civil rights organizations. According to Ridenour, Nehring was “the guy who put the African-American leadership group Project 21 on the map.

One of Project 21's leading voices is the controversial Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, under whose election oversight many allege the African American community was largely disenfranchised and unable to cast their vote in the 2004 election cycle.

Nehring was a staunch supporter of Randy "Duke" Cunningham right up to the Duke's guilty plea...It is interesting that not a single local reporter is questioning Nehring's connections with Norquist, ATR and, ultimately, Jack Abramoff. Maybe it is time to connect one more dot in the mess that is the Republican congress of corruption....

...The report by CPI indicates that San Diego was a petri dish for the next generation of crooked GOP political dominance and that it was of special interest to Rove and other DC strategists. I don't know that "localizing" in and of itself is particularly wrong --- the Dems have their 50 state strategy, after all --- but if there was a concerted federal prosecutorial effort to target local Democrats to that end then there is a big problem. And it's hard to read those prosecution statistics any other way. (The Kos diarist says, by the way, that Carol Lam played ball on the prosecution of Democrats front but was ousted because she failed to prove her bonafides with Cunningham.)

San Diego does seem to be the nexus of a lot of very high level GOP interest and influence. It is the home of massive defense spending and the corruption that goes with it. Very important GOP appropriations poohbahs hail from there and close environs. And it turns out that a member of the college Republican mafia led by Rove, Norquist, Reed and Abramoff, was running the party down there --- and he's just been elevated to an extremely important party post prior to a presidential election.

Dang it, never thought I would agree with Amway Chicken Hawk - But, he is correcto about the blatent racism.

Yes, the firing of the USA in New Mexico was racist - Why, the nerve of Senator Pete D for helping to fire his protege, the rising Hispanic REPUBLICAN star, who Pete had originally nominated for the US Attorney position.

Right on ACH, racist indeed. Thanks for your keen eye.

Apollo 13,

Ah, San Diego area - Not to mention the home of the incompetent econ guru, Laffer - Larry KRudlow makes yearly pilgramages to his home as though it is the Economic Mecca.

But, Laffer is correct in his Supply One Small Segment Side theory.

If they get most of the money, they would never, ever want to manipulate or corrupt anything in order to get more and more and more, would they?

Tell it all to Henry Cisneros...

Quite frankly I've found this Dept. of Justice firings business very complicated, and a bit boring. Thankfully, Jon Stewart keeps us up to date in this video:
http://minor-ripper.blogspot.com/2007/03/jon-stewart-keeps-us-up-to-speed-on.html

ah...i fixed it for ya..

.....the gop -IS- a minority..

Only a clumsy mishandling of this artifical crisis has brought things to this pass.

shorter mike k: heck of a job...