Sunday, March 18, 2007

SHOWDOWN! Attorney General Gonzales and others face Judiciary Committee Subpoenas

Let the games begin! I love gladiatorial spectacles, especially when they are produced and directed by United States Senators and their many helpers. In Washington, D.C. the dramatic arc is generally the same old story of arrogance and greed causing the downfall of people whose qualifications to hold high office were questionable in the first place. Now, the rapidly metastasizing Justice Department scandal adds an intriguing element: STUPIDITY! I will explain the “stupid” part in due course. First, let’s revisit the recent past and remember how this situation became, well, FUBAR. Seven U.S. attorneys were fired Dec. 7, and another was let go months earlier, with little explanation from Justice Department officials, who later told Congress that the dismissals were related to the attorneys’ performance. Several former prosecutors have since alleged intimidation, including improper telephone calls from GOP lawmakers or their aides, and have alleged threats of retaliation by a Justice Department official.

E-mails and other documents released last week revealed that, contrary to what administration officials had been saying for weeks, the idea for a mass firing of U.S. attorneys originated in the White House two years ago.

There is abundant stupidity to go around, from the top of the DOJ to the thoroughly befuddled White House operation. Now that Gonzalez has issued his non-apology apology to the remaining U.S. Attorneys (many of whom understand that it was only dumb luck that spared their jobs and professional reputations), the effect of his initial statements is even greater. For what is one to make of Gonzales’s current explanations when they follow weeks of statements by Gonzales and others, that the fired prosecutors had “performance-related” problems or did not hew to administration policy priorities? No, that’s just not acceptable. Nothing pisses off lawyers more than another lawyer insulting their professional reputation. In Bush world, they think because of their position and power they can trifle with whomever they choose. Hmmm, bad mistake in this case. U.S. Attorneys (of both parties) are some of the smartest, toughest, and most ethical public officials in our system.  It was not a good idea to slander those people.
The learning disabilities on display at the White House are stunning. They operate as though Watergate, Iran-Contra, Lewinskygate and the Clinton impeachment never happened. “It’s all just politics!” they say. I suppose that has the ring of truth to the Bushites. Once again, Karl Rove is defending the indefensible by saying that Senator Schumer’s activities as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee are in a conflict with his duties as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). The level of ignorance embodied in Rove’s comment is beyond stunning. Let’s call it what it is: STUPID! For a good summary of this comedy of errors, see NY Times.

Either Rove knows that the legislative branch has the right to ask questions of the Executive branch, and he’s simply using whatever he can think of to defend himself, or he is an enormous jackass who is too dumb to have the ear of the President. Either way, his days in the public sector are numbered. Let us pray…

Courage,

Savant