The Republican party continues to put lockstep, craven ass-covering ahead of national interest when it comes to the Department of Justice. But this is simply, flat out, unacceptable:
Notwithstanding Mr. Gonzales’s assurances, other department officials said that, by several measurements, the work of the department has been severely disrupted by his troubles, especially in recent months. There are vacancies through the senior ranks….
Among the 93 United States attorneys, who serve as the chief federal prosecutors for their regions, there are 24 vacancies. The White House has announced nominations for only six of those offices, which means that several of the jobs may remain unfilled for the rest of the Bush administration. (emphasis mine)
This is not an approval from Congress problem – there simply have been no nominees put forward by the Bush Administration to fill the jobs. Out of the 24 open USAtty postitions, only six have potential nominees identified, none of whom have been sent up to the Hill as yet, only announced. This puts our nation at risk. Period.
Assistant USAttys work very hard on cases for trial, but they do not have the ear of the folks back in DC who make fundamental policy decisions and who can make desperately needed course corrections for the whole of the DOJ when changes are warranted — that duty generally falls to the USAtty or a designated top deputy. People working in the trenches cannot possibly see evolving national trends, because they are too busy trying to secure day to day trial convictions and plea deals. Additionally, without people with integrity, with the professional experience to spot the need for changes where they are necessary, and whose opinions are listened to and valued who are in those top positions, we lose a great deal.
24 vacancies out of the 93 total USAtty offices is simply unacceptable.
This is a substantial dereliction of duty by the Bushies who are too stubborn or too shortsighted to know that nominating someone of quality and integrity to the jobs — a decent, hard-working, committed and ethical person that Senators of both parties would find not only acceptable but also substantially so – is essential to restoring the faith of the public in the nation’s judicial system. Because to do what is necessary right not for the whole of the nation would be to admit that they have been wrong all along about the politicization. And what are the odds that George Bush will admit — to himself or the nation — that he and his Administration have made a grievous error in judgment?
That the DOJ is being led at this moment by a man whose own integrity and honesty is significantly called into question? Beyond appalling. Anonymous Liberal has done some amazing combing through back testimony from Alberto Gonzales and after reading through his findings, I have to say that Gonzales wouldn’t know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth if it stood up and smacked him on the ass.
The fact that we have this very same issue at the Department of Homeland Security? Where the enormous number of vacancies at top level strategy and implementation/supervisory positions is appalling, and which puts the nation’s security at risk every single day that they are left unfilled. Sure, George Bush tries to spin a good public game about his Administration being so tough on threats to our security — but when it comes to doing the real, hard work? They don’t even bother with filling jobs.
National security is more than some swaggering bravado, a few press conferences, and a photo-op or two. That’s simply smoke and bullshit. It is a day to day grind, and the Bushies are not doing the work.
They aren’t even committed enough to find people with integrity to stand up and do the work for their nation. The Bushies have become so toxic, so broken, so untrustworthy that Republicans with integrity (there are still a few out there) don’t want to get anywhere near their Beltway circle.
They can no longer find people to fill these essential positions. And the nation is put at risk as a result.
That George Bush would rather allow those positions to be unfilled, empty placeholders rather than give up his dream of partisan hacks doing his bidding in them screams out for public outcry. That he has become so toxic that, even if he wanted to fill them with people of integrity, those same people would not trust him enough to think they would be allowed to do their jobs without White House political interference, needs to be a topic for public discussion. Regularly.
George Bush has taken a system that was balanced on integrity and trust, and injected mistrust and political foul play. And the Republican party, especially the enablers in the House, don’t see anything wrong with that at all.
Unacceptable. Completely, totally, fundamentally unacceptable. Bottom line for me: Republicans see the nation’s government as existing for their own craven, ass-covering benefit — and they are putting the entire nation at risk with their incompetence, and breaking the Department of Justice just like they are breaking the back of the Army and the Marines with misuse and piss poor decisionmaking. We cannot afford more failure like this — we will be years in the rebuilding.
Unacceptable.
PS — I don’t get to say this very often, but good for Arlen Specter. (H/T C&L)
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Zed!
Under five?
Second?
Wow, dos!
epu’d from below:
If Gonzales were to resign in August, can BushCo appoint a successor (in the absence of Congress)? If so, what happens next?
(Apologies if this has been discussed another time and place.)
Morning, Christy!!
This is a very serious result of the administration’s actions. So much for law and order.
The trick that Bush has used to get his more controversial people into posts – the recess appointment – was designed for the purpose of filling important posts, so that the government could continue to function when Congress was not in session, Instead, it has become a gotcha, in your face tool of an arrogant, spoiled, ineffective, and venal executive.
{{{{{{N=1}}}}}}}
and to all the firepups who are making me so proud.
Wish I could do more than send good thoughts your way, I have also had to move suddenly, felt overwhelmed to put it mildly.
I’m unconvinced that not having these positions filled by this administration is a greater detriment than having them filled by them.
What are the talking heads saying this morning about Gonzo’s lies? I can’t bring myself to spoil a perfectly good, if cloudy and humid, day by peeking at the teevee. When even the usual suspects turn on him, then things will be going in the right direction.
It’s not a crisis for Bush or his allies. Government that can’t function has always been their goal. As I said elsewhere. it’s a tribal thing. As long as their clan is happy, everyone else can go hang.
If someone said to Bush “The Maliki government in Iraq will do its job and begin to work as soon as it puts its own interests aside and works for the good of all Iraqis under the rule of law – just like your administration,” do you think he’d grasp the irony?
WRT to Specter, I won’t hold my breath. I have yet to see him walk the walk. He only talks about possibly doing the right thing and then caves.
It’s not just the Gonzales scandal. It’s much worse than that. Like John Edwards is saying:Washington is broken.”
Just caught the end of Russ’ spot on Fux. Nice how they noted they had “no takers” from the Administration to defend Gonzalez. Did Russ say anything new?
Okay – now, not having been a math major, I’d say that’s pretty near 50%.
I know we have a U.S. Attorney ‘cuz Abu Gonzo met with him when Abu was here talking about ‘gangs.’
triciawrites @ 7
Is there an update somewhere? I’ve been thinking about her & the kitties.
Christy writes:
I’m reminded of the scenes in Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy when they’ve landed on Vogon and every time anyone says “I think…”, they get smacked in the face.
Every time Abu opens his mouth to lie, something should jump out of the ground in the same fashion as it did in Hitchhiker’s Guide…
The CIA, State, EPA and so many others have been gutted and run roughshod by these criminals. Why should it be different with Justice?
Had a talk with one of my judge friends, who says the DOJ is a mess, and imploding. He said that we’re in a full-blown Constitutional crisis, and most people are unaware.
This administration is at odds with our system of government, and seeks, at all levels, to subvert, minimize and co-opt its institutions. To treat them as peers, willing to work within the system, allows the tumor to grow unabated.
Let the battle begin “Pat”
George W Bush [and minions] deliberately diminished this government and America.
Lagging in global technology and scientific development, less safe, less….
leaving my globally slower broadband [30 times or so] now to watch Face
Y’know, this may strike a dissonant note, but, given the assholes this administration has stuffed into available USA slots, it might not be the worst of all possible worlds that those vacancies remain vacant, with assistant USAs covering in the meantime.
That doesn’t cure the politicization of the DOJ, but it does mean that the situation doesn’t get worse while the Bushies are in office, at least at the state level.
M’self, I wouldn’t trust anyone proposed by the Bushies, right now. All those they think would be good for the vacancies are sure to be toadies. The Bushies don’t give up on anything, anytime, anyhow. Rove is, at this moment, oblivious to his ass firmly wedged in a crack, and is working to screw us all out of another election in 2008.
I say we’re better off. (!)
tommy yum @ 17
Ditto!!!!
Even if there were nominations made, they’d be loyal Bushies (and thus of questionable competence). Congress would (I hope!) reject them, and then we’d have Bush/Cheney making speeches about Congress not doing its job and being a roadblock … never mind that the WH isn’t doing its own job well enough to earn its own salary.
I worry about how many recess appointments this White House will be making.
OT but of interest for those going to YKos
let’s be clear here;
the reason these are going unfillied is to get some recess appointments
Oh, God, that’s sweet. Let me savor that for a moment.
Mmmmmm. Aw yeah.
I believe this to be one of your more important posts yet, which given that you have a long record of excellent and timely posts is no small thing. I am in complete agreement with your concerns here, while I may be Canadian I do share your appreciation for the importance of the rule of law being evenly applied without fear or favour, and that what Bushco with the GOP Congress’ aid when they were in power has all but totally destroyed one of the cornerstones of these principles, the USA system. I was very much afraid from early on that Bushco and the GOP was willing to pervert the system of justice into a partisan tool, but they have proven themselves even more dangerous a threat in that respect than I had initially feared and my initial fears were enough at the time to get people thinking I was a whacked out crazy idiot because no such thing could ever happen to America.
Indeed, it is the importance of the rule of law and equality before it that is held by the FDL core members that kept me to FDL, not the Plame affair (although that was what initially introduced me to this blog) despite my interest in that treachery being exposed. Thanks to you and others here CDS I have seen the evidence to show my worst fears were an understatement, and while that gives me no pleasure to know I am pleased to be able to find it out thanks to the excellent work of those at FDL.
Specter just said on Face, “tomorrow morning I’m going to be ‘read into’ the program….”
What program? What does it mean to be “read into” a program? Is Leahy being “read into” the program? Or is this more BushCo BS?
There is a wonderful line in the musical Into the Woods, where Prince Charming confesses, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”
That’s Bush. His team was picked to win elections, not to actually run the government.
They wanted to be in a position to do favors for their friends, not operate what has historically been a viable democracy.
OT – Arlen just said that tomorrow he’ll be ‘read into the program’ (TSP) by the White House.
Hard to believe that the former head of Judiciary hasn’t already been read in, and – I noticed that Leahy did not say that *he* was subject to the same WH offer.
jayt @ 30
and who called Specktor from the Administration to tell him about it over the weekend, and how secure was that phone call?
Don’t worry Christy ’cause Junya says:
“Ah jest been waiting for recess. As soon as ah here that bell, ahm gonna git on mah tricycle and ‘point some folks! Jest lahk usual. Jest don’t you worry ’bout it.”
Morning everyone.
tommy yum @ 17
Yesterday, someone suggested the article I cite below as an “interesting” read. That puts it mildly. I just fired the link off to a bunch of people, & would suggest other pups read & do the same, if it strikes them tw’ the eyes the way it did me. This administration’s antics and abuses scream for action ASAP.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/072707a.html
It will be increasingly difficult to find candidates outside the system because there is relatively little time left in the Bush Administration. I doubt there are many who would be willing to uproot their lives for a position that would be ending about the time they got there. And since we are talking Republicans, most of them are probably making more money where they are now and wouldn’t want to tie their stars to this failed Presidency.
Where you would normally look for replacements is from promoting people lower down in the bureaucracy. Here there are two problems. A lot of the political appointments below the top tier have been of the Kyle Sampson/Monica Goodling to date. Would anyone in their right mind want to move these into greater positions of authority? As for the non-political appointees, many of these are demoralized or have left government. What is being done is being done by mid-level officials but, of course, this means that important decisions are either delayed or not made at all.
This administration has “twisted” everything, protecting interests at odds with the interests and long term welfare of the “American People.” Instead selling us a bill of goods under false pretenses.
Eradicate “RELIGIOUS” Fascist networks!!!
Keep the Constitution intact during that process rather than manipuating and or dismantling the “rule of law” while protecting Corporate Oil and the MilitaryCorporate Country Club boys. Meanwhile Americans and Iraqis die for oil and energy!!!!!
Gross!!!!
More from the SF Chron on YKos:
On Friday, the Republican National Committee sent reporters a set of YearlyKos talking points with a headline that read, “Democrat Candidates Plan Panderfest To ‘Liberal Partisans’ At YearlyKos Convention.”
“These guys (the liberal political bloggers) have power now. They can change elections,” said Michael Cornfield, adjunct professor in political management at George Washington University and author of “Politics Moves Online: Campaigning.”
In last year’s midterm elections, Cornfield pointed to how liberal online activists helped dump incumbent Republican senators in Virginia and Montana, and led the effort to defeat Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary in Connecticut (although he won election as an independent).
Clinton’s campaign, Cornfield said, “made the judgment that they can’t get the nomination as long as the netroots oppose them. They don’t want them to hate her; they just want detente with them.”
The netroots have come a long way from the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when it was big news that bloggers were given media credentials.
On paper, the four-day convention that opens Thursday resembles any other convocation of 1,400 like-minded people, albeit one that is likely to be obsessively blogged by 200 journalists. Run by a nearly all-volunteer staff, with many of its leaders living in the Bay Area, its schedule is full of seminars with titles like “Blog Foreign Policy and Networked Public Diplomacy.”
Kudos to Face and Schieffer for giving intelligent television this morning. From politics to sports.
I’d add only one thing on the Barry Bonds controversy…where was all this breast-beating when Mark McGwire, Sosa and seemingly a gazillion other hitters were going after Roger Maris’ homerun record? 61 in 61 still stands for me!
Bonds reflects an era that was juiced up all round. You can’t tell me it was just Bonds or some of the hitters. Look honestly at the pitchers and the fielders’ actions, too.
Good morning from L.A. Locally we’ve got George Cardona as the interim USA after Deborah Yang left the Jerry Lewis investigation hanging to accept a $1.5 million signing bonus w/the firm that represents Lewis. So very interesting, & Howie Klein has been all over this @ DWT.
Meanwhile in AZ where a lot of my friends & family live (mostly Repubs BTW), Daniel Krauss is the interim USA replacing Paul Charlton. Will Rick Renzi be indicted under Krauss? AZ papers are speculating on the odds of if & when. Gee, a lot of this has a hard time passing the smell test, doesn’t it…
tommy yum @ 17
Now might be a good time for people to start wondering, out loud, about the loyalties of the entire Bush clan, from Prescott all the way through to this little shit.
There is no doubt in my mind that the entire Bush clan was brought up to revere a fascist form of government. How could it be any different? The patriarch was complicit, hell, actively endorsed and supported the Nazi cause. I’m sure he was part of the group of right-wing nuts who tried to get Smedley Butler to lead a group to overthrow the government. He was charged with Trading with the Enemy during WWII yet, like his progeny, escaped any punishment whatsoever.
The Bush family and its cronies thrive when there is broken government because there are people more interested in surviving the chaos than are able to step back and take a close look at what’s happening. It is no accident that both Bushes have presided over administrations that are an economic mess. Regular working people are too concerned with living and getting through each day to stop and really check what the government is doing.
And these bastards depend on widespread cognitive dissonance among the people. Who wants to believe that your president and his “trusted” aides are plundering the country and leading us to the brink?
Any word as to whether Faux Noise personnel will be given “Opinion Media” badges at YKos?
ALBERTO’S LATEST ‘STORY’: DISPUTED PROGRAM NOT TSP, BUT ESP
Marie Roget @ 38
Couldn’t get back in to correct a typo- Daniel Knauss is the interim USA in AZ.
Someone has probably already linked, but here are Pat Leahy’s comments in today’s Montpelier newspaper Justice not Served
From the Sacramento Bee on Friday: LINK
moments after Specter’s comments, he called Schumer’s move for a special prosecutor “partisan” and made noise that it was uncalled for.
Sam old specter…
brendancalling @ 45
same feeling sad to say!
The missing USA’s would tie in quite nicely with GOP voter suppression efforts for ‘08. Understaffed equals less oversight or appearance of partisanship.
AZ Matt @ 44
gonzales isn’t hanging on because he wants to, the president is insisting since he cannot allow a senate confirmed ag, the shit will hit the fan…(well the diareah, the shit already hit the fan)
if a new ag that is confirmed by the senate takes the office the president will get impeached months later
he has to hang on to abu torutre for all he’s worthq
carolyn urban @ 43
Thanks, carolyn urban. Reading and/or listening to Pat Leahy always gives me some hope…
perris @ 25
Fuck me, Pumpkinhead hit his marks on the Abu clips.
ABC has stealth neo-cons Cokie Roberts and David Gergen. They lie about Democrats. They lie about the Iraq war to keep it going indefinitely. They oppose the “left Democrats” who want immediate withdrawal. They have blood on their hands.
There is no point in listening to a word Spector says any more. He is as shameless in his own way as Gonzales. The man has voted for the Bush agenda consistently. The rest is obfuscation & dissembling. Like celebrity tv, it is designed to distract and mislead.
The man is a disgrace
unique gingrich;
as I said, the president cannot afford a senate confirmed ag, but he also cannot afford to keep mr torture on either
this means recess appointment for ag or a liarman submission for new ag
liarman will be worse the mr torutre
heh, heh.
Caught a little of FTN live this morning, now watching it all on DVR.
Leahy suggested that if Gonzo doesn’t wanna change his testimony, he should “talk to a lawyer”.
jayt @ 55
OH BABY!!!
me loves leahey
tulip @ 53
If anything he has served as their lackey since he squealss and then votes in lockstep. The man has no honor nor understanding of the complicity he and the rubberstampers have done to betray the Constitution
Jane Hamsher @ 51
ok, volunteer for the first part…but can you elaborate on the rest please?
Leahy did well this morning. Feingold was less than one might have hoped for, actually, much less. Spector was Spector: a contradiction wrapped up in cowardice.
heading up north for the night, c all L8tr
perris @ 58
Now who’s Pumpkinhead? I mean, I was stuck for a few seconds on FTN. Fuck….the…..Navy??? :o)
“Bush created Al Qaeda.” Charlie Rangel on CNN. “There is no relation to reality in what the President is saying.”
Aaahhhh! yes vacancies which means they will be left vacant(barfs on floor) I mean untill the Congress needs some leg room diverts in another direction then looks starry eyed into the camera and says those big meanies did another end run on us DUH!
Charlie Rangel on Oil in Iraq. “That is the reason our men and women are dying there.” “It is all oil.”
Congressman Shays: “I am a Rove sock puppet.”
raw story has a bunch of great leads, go and check out, I see this but havn’t clicked through yet;
that’s send the president reeling for sure, and check this out;
and now more about abu torture
head on over to raw story to check these out
perris @ 48
QFT. I do not think Reid should recess the Senate for even one day this August. Have one Senator there at all times. Give Bush no opportunity for recess appointments at all.
So what happens to the money that was budgeted for these US Attorneys and HS people? Do the Departments get to keep it to use for some other purpose, or what?
I don’t give Spector kudos because of this:
According to a pool report of the encounter, Mr. Specter expressed anew his criticism of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, but said he saw no signs that Mr. Gonzales would be forced to resign.
Typical.
Bush is sick and mean. Yet there are those who are not sick or mean who support him. I’ve met some of them. Why the support?
Reason: The cultural and religious divides in the U.S.
There are some fairly well adjusted, smart enough people who just hate libruls. Not libruls as individuals but as a class.
I think this sort of person can be turned. Turned by power of reason.
But not unless the left (the powers on the right will fight not to do so) works to reach across those divides.
Putting our nation at risk is a Bush Regime specialty. Heck, they’re even arming the Saudis & Israel now because they have no idea how to run foreign policy in a peaceful way! They could care less about America and that is prevalent in every article I read about what they’re doing and NOT doing.
Frank33 @ 64
Nice of Shays to admit this on TV.
*snarkically retorted*
“Good for Arlen Specter,” but only if he means it. The odds of that are what exactly?
Bush has never run “his” administration. That was clear from the moment he acquiesced in Cheney appointing himself as VP, which he would have done only after having sussed out what he could do in that job, given the gaping holes in Shrub’s, um, intelligence, energy, curiosity, confidence and leadership. Cheney knew he could easily maneuver Bush into a public speaking corner while he did everything else.
Cheney seems to have become more petulant than his “boss”, deciding that if he can’t do it secretly while reaming out an opponent, he won’t do it at all. Better empty chairs than installing someone who might do their job and put Cheney himself in the cross hairs.
To echo EW, this is all about them covering their asses. (Yes, it’s also about gaping holes in “their” leadership and too much to do with too little time, but other public and private entities struggle with those limitations and make other choices.)
It has never been about the country or anybody who didn’t vote for them, or contribute to them, or do them honor and praise. The country be damned if they can’t get theirs first and only. That’s not news, but it should have been long ago.
The other figure still formally employed at the White House on the taxpayer’s back is KKKarl Rove. In this, his and Cheney’s interests align. KKKarl wants to take everything he’s data mined and secret himself in a cave of shadows concocting further lucrative victories for those who have sold their souls. He can’t do that with a half dozen prosecutors breathing down his neck and those of his top clients. Worse, he can’t afford to have a whistleblower or decisionmaker at DHs revealing how big a mother lode of data he’s almost certainly mined.
KayInMaine @ 69
I just saw something yesterday, late last night, about the House putting a hold on this.
QFT. I do not think Reid should recess the Senate for even one day this August. Have one Senator there at all times. Give Bush no opportunity for recess appointments at all.
Strongly seconded. And I’ll be calling Reid’s office tomorrow.
The case law on recess authority seems slim. 5-day recess appointments have been upheld (possibly even 3 days, can’t quite remember). But after an admittedly brief search, I found no case that has ever struck down a recess appointment by reason of the recess being too short.
Patty Morlan @ 23
Reid said he was going to keep someone on during the August break so Bush can’t do this. I hope he keeps his promise.
Rangel, “I would vote against impeachment because we would get a more corrupt president with Cheney.”
Frank33 @ 52
They’re worried that the Democrats will continue to move leftward to where the 70% of the American people are.
Christy @ Top: “24 vacancies out of the 93 total USAtty offices is simply unacceptable.”
And yet, kind of predictable, isn’t it?
Let’s see, you are either an independent or Democratic lawyer with experience in public service, prosecutions, or other relevant experience. Would you even bother to apply for a position at the DoJ, or anywhere else in the bureacracy now?
After all, you now *know* that appointees and hires are screened for political affiliation, and only ‘loyal Bushies’ are deemed acceptable.
If you’re a Republican, the calculus, surprisingly (or perhaps not), is only slightly different. Being a pro forma ‘loyal Bushie’ is still required, but you wouldn’t *work* for the Bush administration any more than you would sign up for the military you ostensibly support. There’s no future in it. (I’m characterizing the Republican mindset here, not my own opinion.)
Instead, you would want to work for one of the campaigns, Presidential or Congressional, or a lobbying firm, or in business. Something that can be a stepping stone for your ambitions, rather than a stepping stone to Subpoenaville.
So, of course, the Bush administration doesn’t have enough nominees to fill all its vacancies.
@ 72
I hope you heard right, Wordsmith! This is outrageous to say the least. I’m liking the idea of the democrats stopping the flow OF ALL MONEY right now by shutting down the government entirely, but then again, the poor who need the help will suffer the greatest I’m afraid.
*kicking trash can*
Jonathan @ 68
the reason is “the great divide”
rove has been nurturing a “party loyalty” theme and it has taken hold
I have seen people who would have once layed their lives under a car to protect the constitution, now they think the constitution is obsolete
I have seen people who once loved our freedom and government out of our lives, now they insist on government in our lives
these people have too much of their own worth and self esteem invested in the person they supported
you see, if WE weren’t so correct when we predicted all of these things they would have an out
but we DID predict the depravity, I for one am batting 100 percent, as most of us are…we said teh data was being made up for the war, we said we can’t afford to fight on two fronts, we said we shouldn’t engage Iraq, we said he posed no threat, we said he didn’t have the wmd’s that were deliverable
we said al qaeada would growm, we said the president would break the military
if we DIDN’T predict all this, the people that invested in the president could cut the ties
but we did
and they are now stuck with it, they cannot admit to themselves we were right
it’s called cognitive dissonance, it’s called escalating committment, it’s the money pit
Mondale on Cheney in the WAPO.
KayInMaine @ 74
What did he mean by ‘keep someone on’, Kay?
Okay, Arlen:
Show that your words aren’t just wind. Do something effing concrete for a change.
Adie @ 33
Kathleen pointed us in that direction.
JGabriel — Yes, it is predictable. But it is still unacceptable. And because I keep hearing the “Democrats are blocking the appointments process” bullshit for federal judges and other Bush Administration openings, I decided to dig around and find out the facts — and the fact is that they can’t fill these vacancies because George Bush is so damned toxic, not even Republicans who want a political future want to be associated with him at this point.
Having a blip on your resume as having worked in the Bush Administration is so damned detrimental to career advancement, that people are running away from it in droves. Appalling doesn’t begin to describe it. But it isn’t getting nearly the media coverage and discussion that it ought to get on the whole — because it isn’t just DOJ — it is every Administrative agency across the board.
CSPAN is running the Gonzales hearing, Di Fi up
Hugh @ 76
This is because people like Cokie and Gergen have been given honorary membership in the elites. It’s the gold-plated bone they get to chew on for helping the elites use us as their fire hydrants.
Orrin Hatch on This Week with Smiling George said AG is doing a great job and has done many good things for Justice.
Hatch is THE biggest liar in the Senate.
KayInMaine @ 78
Stopping the flow of $$$ works for me. It’d get their attention.
As an aside, our newest nutjob Rep (Bill Sali) voted against the Farm Bill because there’s a clause in it about increasing food stamp allotment.
On a pure fluff but curious note, did anyone notice both Cokie and Andrea wore silky orange jackets today, much like the one Edwards jokingly chided Hillary about? Are high collared orange jackets all the rage in D.C.?
@ 81
To keep the Senate open Reid can have other Senators scheduled to be on the floor (not sure if it includes their support people or not) during the whole month of August to prohibit George Bush from doing recess appointments.
@ 88
didn’t murtha cut a department’s funding in half till they cooperate?
this is what needs to be done to the vice president
and if possible to the president
we cannot afford a supreme court challenge on executive priviledge, robers and alito make that a lock for the president
we need to cut that off at the pass
could somenone please throw me out, I want to leave but I cannot
@ 61
FTN=Face The Nation
Pumpkinhead aka Punkinhaid aka Timmeh Russert
I say shut the government down until the troops come home! Hey, I can dream. ;-)
If Arlen is “read into” the spying program(s) tomorrow, and Leahy is not, I would hope and expect Leahy to raise holy hell.
This is from previous thread. It was such a perfect response that I had to show it to you all.
perris @ 92
*swift kick to the butt*!!!
Okay, that didn’t work. Anyone?
KayInMaine @ 97
KayInMaine @ 90
Wow…I’ll have to check that out. I don’t even know if I realized that was a possibility. The things you learn when you start to pay attention.
ralphbon @ 90 of previous thread, the statement in the Times that Cheney sent Fredo and Card to Ashcroft’s hospital bed is both a major scoop and a gaffe. You and I may be the only ones who noted it unless it has been discussed earlier somewhere.
carolyn urban @ 43
Thanks for that, Carolyn. Excellent.
Yogi Berra was right: They stayed away in droves.
Perris: Get out of here.
KayInMaine @ 69
Isn’t congress going to have to approve of that Saudi deal?
NYT editorial …. site of scoop or gaffe on Cheney.
Orrin Hatch was just on abc with steph’os, blaming the Democrats for the vacancies.
unbelievable.
@ 105
I’m wondering that myself…and that would explain the question being asked during AGAG’s testimony.
Schumer most know the answer to that question for some reason, and the NY Times might, too.
AnnieW @ 107, I think it’s both a scoop and a gaffe. A gaffe because it was in the information the Times did not initially publish under threat from the White House. Perhaps a good fairy at the Times wants us to have this information.
A media aside. I’m firmly convinced that NPR exists now only to divert the attention of people who would otherwise have the smarts to figure out what’s going on–if they had some information. For the last forty minutes, the features have been, at a time when people have the time to listen and reflect (a weekend) on important news:
1) a guy who lost a leg in a mountain-climbing accident who won his sport in the Extreme Olympics.
2) an interview with a man who was threatened with eviction because of the number of books in his apartment, including what he thought of the Harry Potter series.
3) An interview with Mara Liasson’s six-year-old daughter.
4) An interview with a woman writing books for “tweens,” with an emphasis on how this might be a new turn in her career.
Now, all of these pieces might be interesting, in and of themselves–at any other time, when the country wasn’t in the midst of a war that the government is hell-bent on continuing, and if we weren’t in the midst of the most significant Constitutional crisis since the Nixon years.
The news that the U.S. would probably give the Israelis 1-1/2 times the money involved in the proposed $20 billion sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia was at the top of the hour and consumed less than thirty seconds….
What’s wrong with this picture?
perris @ 92
Me, too. I keep looking out the window at the sunshine, but I can’t seem to log off.
Fresh thread for everyone…
Flamethrower @ 87
Did he name one?
Is there one good thing this entire administration has done? One?
Not afraid @ 89
It’s all in honor of Markos.
perris @ 92
give it an hour.
Well, time for Face the Nation, so now should be the deciding factor as to whether Arlen deserved that “attaboy” Christy gave him. I have a feeling he’ll take the position that his co-members on the Judiciary committee are grandstanding by asking for a special prosecutor. I think that because I heard him say it after he got off that flight on Air Force One. This, of course, was after I saw him tell Gonzo to his face that his testimony was not credible. I guess for Arlen it’s okay for the AG of the US to give incredible testimony to the Congress. It’s not okay with me. Of course, we aren’t going to get a Special Prosecutor, and although the NY Times says that the Congress should then impeach him, Schumer was hedging on that. My own opinion is that Congress will go on their yearly sabbatical for the month of August, Gonzo will resign while they’re gone (because if they do impeach, Bush can’t pardon him) and Bush will appoint someone as bad or worse (Orrin Hatch was mentioned on Stephanopoulus, although Lieberman would also fit the bill)as a recess appointment.
This has probably been said before; if so, it bears repeating:
Bush, Gonzalez and the Repugs have transformed the Department of Justice into the Department of Just Us.
Flamethrower @ 87
Orrin wants Abu’s job but can’t appear to be too eager to get rid of him. I saw one talking heads program, forget which, where the host slyly suggested that Orrin would be a good successor to Abu. Orrin could hardly contain himself (it was in his eyes and his smirk) while humbly denying any interest in the job.
Though fewer US Attorneys certainly reduces the risk to the GOP.
Newtie boy trying to rehab himself. Again.
On Fox News Sunday this morning, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) refused to defend Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against accusations that he may have perjured himself before Congress. “It’s very damaging…we badly need an attorney general who is above any question,” said Gingrich. He continued:
Both the president and country are better served if the attorney general is a figure of competence. Sadly, the current attorney general is not seen as any of those things. I think…
dreamcatcher @ 117
Now I remember: it was Meet the Press with the Pumpkin.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 119
And Newtie Fuckin’ Gingrich knows all about competence and character. Jaysus, it’s like The Three Stooges in this country around election time….
dreamcatcher @ 120
Egads, I found it. G’Bless YouTube.
Hatch on MTP
raven @ 80
Thanks – enjoyed the read.
The GOP must be running out of
zombiesloyal bushies.Uh-oh. I smell some recess appointments ala The Patriot Act.
Frank33 @ 52
Their comparison of Iraq to Vietnam and how the McGovern loss should cause today’s voters to fear a shift further to the Left could’ve been straight out of a Republican (or even Hillary’s) playbook.
Times are different, though the way Bush has handled the war does have similarities to Vietnam.
Today the public knows it’s a disaster and wants out. What’s the polling say?
Well, if “Progressive” outpolls “Conservative”, then there’s a strong indication the public wants a Democrat and probably a non-DLCer to get us out of Iraq pretty quick.
How far to the Left do you have to go to find a candidate that would satisfy your personal interest and style?
If you want to leave Iraq, but you’re not in a huge hurry, then there are several who fit the bill. The big differentiation is in which candidate (as president) would leave thousands of troops there for lingering commitments.
Which would leave troops there for 1.5 or more years from the date of taking office?
Which would leave them indefinitely?
Which would remove them ALL as soon as can safely be done?
None want to commit very specifically, but when Hillary called for MORE troops than Bush had in Iraq I really have to wonder how she can get out on the campaign trail now and say the first thing she would do is get out of Iraq.
Not afraid @ 89
Cokie’s faux outrage over Edwards’ remark about Hillary’s jacket shows how scared they are of Edwards. But, they showed the video of Hillary laughing at the joke, so Cokie just looked stupid and desperate.
It’s only been in the last couple of days that I’ve heard ANY mention of John Edwards and his poll numbers in Iowa. I guess he’s got a little momentum going.
Still, the big fight at the moment is that pitiful catfight between Obama and Hillary over … oh, what was it…something really trivial…yawn.
Edwards leads on every issue and once the public sees Hillary and Barack bickering like an old married couple they’ll probably ‘find’ Edwards. I just hope it happens before the primaries take off.
solai @ 96
Or, “Why is the DOJ and WH firing US Attorneys for refusing to perform political hatchet jobs?”
The Republicans view government as the enemy, and don’t want it to work. So naturally they aren’t filling necessary positions. Why would this be surprising?
They don’t care about governing, but they do care about ruling.
And so far, that’s worked out very well for them.
peterboy @ 106
Yep. If the Senate Conservative Bush Republicans would let the Dems kick out Bush & Co, then we could get those vacancies filled.
It’s the Senate Conservative Bush Republicans who are holding back progress.
So how many interim appointments will the prez make while Congress is on recess?
Never mind the effect on the economy and small businesses. What Antitrust Division, again?