Gonzales Did Away With Checks & Balances & That Is Why He Should Go.
Before Gonzales slipped in amendments to the 2006 renewal of the Patiot Act, a US Attorney could be appointed by the AG for up to 120 days pending Senate Confirmation. After that period, the District Court could renew it. It was a terrific REAGAN policy and there was no immediate threat from hostile forces to change it. After Gonzales, Myers, and Rove did their little amendment (which was voted on in committed without democrats so i can’t blame them), A US attorney could be confirmed by the Senate and the immediately fired and replaced by the AG for an INDIFINITE DUTATION.
I believe in checks and balances and this seems to be definetly out of wack. The backbone of the country I so love is breaking.
I will support the policies of my party that I can justify but this one well, this one scare the hell out of me.
Gonzales allegedly spelled out fears in the Bush administration that the dismissals of eight U.S. attorneys might not stand up to scrutiny.
“I don’t think he should,” Gonzales’ chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, wrote in a Feb. 1 e-mail. “How would he answer: Did you resign voluntarily? Who told you? What did they say?”
Cummins was relieved as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, Ark., and replaced by Tim Griffin, a former assistant to )SUPRISE) top White House aide Karl Rove.
Neither of the two most senior Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are stepping forward to endorse Gonzales, but likewise are not calling for his ouster. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said he will reserve judgment until he gets all the facts. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah has not given interviews on the subject, his spokesman said.
The White House still offered support for Gonzales on Monday, but spokesman Tony Snow said he didn’t know whether the embattled attorney general had contained the political damage. Snow said the White House hopes Gonzales will stay.
Among the e-mails released Monday was one McNulty received on Feb. 1 from Margaret Chiara, the U.S. attorney in Grand Rapids, Mich.
“Why have I been asked to resign?” she asked.
Early this month, a former US attorney wrote, saying that “I respectfully request that you reconsider the rationale of poor performance as the basis for my dismissal. It is in our mutual interest to retract this erroneous explanation.”
She added: “Politics may not be a pleasant reason but the truth is compelling.”
In one, aide Mike Elston said, “our only choice is to continue to be truthful about this entire matter.”
The e-mails provide details on what got some of the U.S. attorneys in trouble with their overseers in Washington. The link is there (or the SMOKING GUN). Decide for yourself.
We need checks and balances. Taken to an illogical extreme, replace the words “U.S. Attorney” with “Federal Judge” and you see what i mean. The Senate Confirmation process basically has been turned into a SHAM and lip service by Gonzales, Myers, and Rove and should not be tolerated.
I want the Reagan rules back and if i could I want the man back too.
So I heard the 120 rule was re-instated. I just wish we did not need a Federal Crisis to do it.
Comment by Kevin Norte — March 22, 2007 @ 8:49 am
And Senators Arlen Spector (R-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Charles Hagel (R-Neb.) are all questioning Gonzales’ credibility. It is time for some answers.
Comment by Rich — March 25, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
Add Senator John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-Oregon) and Representative Dana Rohrabacher )R-Huntington Beach, CA) to the ever growing list.
Comment by Justin — March 26, 2007 @ 7:07 am