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Incompetent, Corrupt or WorsePosted on Aug 27, 2007By Marie Cocco WASHINGTON—It’s not really Alberto Gonzales’ fault. President Bush’s attorney general, who long ago relinquished any thread of credibility, finally gave up his position as the nation’s top law enforcement official Monday. He leaves the attorney general’s office as the most discredited man to hold the post since Richard Nixon’s John Mitchell. The parallel is apt. We do not yet know whether Gonzales was personally involved in rank criminality. We know only that the Justice Department, on Gonzales’ watch, was an arm of the White House political apparatus—as it was under Nixon—and that Justice lent its good offices to further the goals of the Republican National Committee. This is what the congressional probe that began as an inquiry into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys has revealed. Gonzales, on various and repeated occasions, testified that he either did not recall or was ignorant of how the prosecutors were selected for termination. Some of the dismissed attorneys have made it plain they believe they were canned for failing to pursue the administration’s political agenda, whether it was pressing bogus voter fraud prosecutions against Democratic-leaning groups or indicting Democratic politicians or even failing to be sufficiently zealous in seeking the death penalty in criminal cases. Advertisement There came to be only two conclusions to be drawn about Gonzales. Either he was completely incompetent or unfailingly corrupt. There is a stronger, third possibility, suggested by Gonzales’ entire history as consigliere to the Bush crowd. It is the one to which we must pay closest attention, for dozens more like Gonzales remain in their high offices. Gonzales was willing to do whatever the president and his political men required of him. This is how he came to put his name on memos condoning torture, to call the Geneva Conventions obsolete, and to give his professional blessing to a legal framework for terrorism detentions that shreds decades of international law and with it the reputation of the United States. The significance of Gonzales’ departure so soon after the announced leave-taking of White House political guru Karl Rove is not, as some would have it, merely that the last of Bush’s Texas loyalists are fleeing. It is that they were partners in building a scheme to subvert the entire federal government to political ends. Earlier this month, documents released to congressional investigators showed that top Justice Department officials attended at least a dozen political briefings at the White House over the past six years, and at least one held at the Department of Agriculture. Many were led by Rove himself, and they focused on advancing the Bush agenda—and favored Republican candidates—in congressional elections. Gonzales had testified in July that he wasn’t aware of such briefings, which would violate federal law and departmental regulations if any were held at the Justice Department or at another federal department. Then the documents came to light. The briefings expounded upon an elaborate system of “asset deployment,” developed by Rove, to use every conceivable asset of the federal government—grants, Cabinet officials’ time and travel budgets, media attention—to promote Republicans. The Bush people took a time-honored perk of incumbency and elevated it to a tipping point that may constitute a vast and illicit use of government resources. This is the sort of thing a vigilant attorney general is supposed to watch out for. Gonzales turned a blind eye, or was a part of it. And it is why nothing about his resignation satisfies. We still have a president who does not give a whit that the “assets” his minions deploy in furtherance of partisan gain belong to the people of the United States. We have a president for whom loyalty to the White House, and not to public service or even the Constitution, seems still to be the sole criterion for tenure in high-level office. Bush, not his devout lieutenant Gonzales, is responsible for what has gone on at the Justice Department and everywhere else his hacks are passed off as public officials. Marie Cocco’s e-mail address is mariecocco(at)washpost.com. © 2007, Washington Post Writers Group Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment |
By don knutsen, August 30, 2007 at 12:57 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Orin Hatch for AG ? My God, he’s the poster child of blind partisanhip. Dosen’t anyone remember him during Iran/Contra where he steadfastly cheerleaded for Ollie North after he had admitted to ignoring the congress and running his arms trading with Iran out of Saint Reagan’s basement to secure funds for the Contras in Central America? I’m quite sure he is high on the shrub’s list becuase he, like Gonzalas , apparently feels no need to uphold the people’s constitution.
Report thisBy Ian MacLeod, August 30, 2007 at 12:28 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
First, regarding a comment above about native Texans not reading books: Darlin’, I am a native Texan - as opposed to Dubya, who is NOT - and I read about a book a day; they’re better than apples. In fact, I;m writing a couple; I writemusic too. I detest Bush and his Clingons, a term once used to describes something stuck to a cat’s fur after a visit to the catbox.
Now, regarding Gonzo, I’ll go for calling his actions rank criminality. He, Bush and Cheney all swore to defend the Constitution, and all of them have done the exact opposite: they’ve tried very hard to unmake it! They are all war criminals. all guilty of high treason from several directions, and Pelosi should be named an accessory after the fact for her “Impeachment is off the table” ruling.
I feel the neocon contingent of asylum escapees should be required to pay back everything they’ve stolen, as well. That should take care of the Bush fortune (including Papa Bush’s; it all came from supporting Hitler - while we were fighting him! - and other tyrants, thievery and insider trading, etc., anyway) and everyone else’s. That will still leave the better part of a trillion bucks they owe, but I have an idea there too! I say that our government should sell raffle tickets for positions on the firing squads after the trials. THAT ought to make a BUNDLE back, especially if they’re sold in the Middle East as well as here at home! My point? That there HAS to be a price paid for such a blatant, despicable sellout of the American people! If not, the Rule of Law is made a mockery of forever - or so close to it, not even my grandkids will see anything different.
Ian82making
Report thisBy Dawn Griffin, August 29, 2007 at 4:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Finally someone said it. Why anyone would think the Prez would choose someone of fine moral character to advise him after Ashcroft finally drew the line on Bush’s megalomaniacal destruction of the Constitution is beyond me. I pity Gonzalez’s weakness in accepting the job in the first place. What a patsy. Impeach Bush
Report thisBy Marshall, August 29, 2007 at 2:08 am #
#96013 by cyrena on 8/20 at 11:14 am
<<a >>
Cyrena - the defict so far is at $157B, much lower than the $239B during the corresponding period last year - and due to record federal tax receipts. This is a fact. I’m sorry.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, August 28, 2007 at 10:22 pm #
Kinky Friedman and Wilie Nelson in my opinion are two of the Best “Sons of Texas” to come forward in my lifetime.
I would wholeheartedly back either for AG.
Report thisBy cyrena, August 28, 2007 at 9:54 pm #
Well now Farmertx,
I don’t know if anyone has actually appeared there or anywhere with ALL of the answers, but maybe a few.
Meantime, don’t beat yourself up too badly. There’s still a chance to recoup. I actually remember the days of Ann Richards being some fairly decent days there, and I dearly loved Molly Ivins, and I miss her as much.
Texas has brought us other heroes and heroines as well, so I’m not diminishing any of that. Ys’ll just need to set up some Constitution Study classes with the same frequency that they have all of those Bible Study sessions. Now, if Texans could do THAT, they’d be some real smart citizens. Of THAT, I am convinced.
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 9:32 pm #
Purplewolf
Report thisHmm, yup that would bring about some pain and misery.
If there is a sudden increase in ant eradication efforts and a shortage of honey, we will know for sure that someone in DC is reading posts.
By purplewolf, August 28, 2007 at 8:23 pm #
#97326 farmertx: Back out west, we Indians would deal with such a character by arrow, just enough so he can’t run, scalp him, then we’d stake him out in the desert on top of an ant hill and pour honey on him and let the ants, coyotes, and buzzards finish the job.
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 7:11 pm #
Cyrena
Report thisDamn, read books? Native Texans? Come on.
Seriously, we do need to do more. Like paying attention when someone comes out of nowhere with all the answers.
The real shame was that the Democrat’s could only find a Mexican-American who could self finance his campaign. Then his connection to money laundrying for the Mexican drug cartel was exposed. Jeez…
Sad time to be a Democrat in Texas. Real sad.
But we are hanging in there and trying to rectify our mistakes, legally. Which ain’t easy worth a damn, as the rest of the country is discovering.
By cyrena, August 28, 2007 at 6:15 pm #
#97317 by ender on 8/28 at 12:46 pm
Curious that my own response to Farmertx on this was one of the many that they chose not to post.
Still, I’m kind of anxious to make it clear, that native Texans apparently DID allow their state to be hijacked by this crowd, which then used the place as a launching pad to hijack the rest of us.
So, Shrub et all didn’t do any damage that they weren’t allowed to do. So, enough folks apparently bought into it, and over a long enough period of time, to be a little bit responsible for what has resulted.
This is a perfect example of how folks who don’t know history, are bound to keep repeating the same mistakes.
Now, let us see if this makes it through. Meantime, I don’t see any need for apologies. Maybe we can suggest to Texans that they be a little more alertin the future. Read a book or two. It can’t hurt.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, August 28, 2007 at 6:09 pm #
Bush only needs an AG to cover the remainder of his presidency….most likely Orrin Hatch. He’s the most plausible to be comfirmed.
The Heritage Foundation use to print a pocket version of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
I keep it in my truck wherever I go. It’s a contant reminder of how far we as a nation have strayed.
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 5:50 pm #
No Harm/no foul.
Report thisMost who post remarks about Texas do so out of frustration in trying to cope with Shrubs’ b.s.
And,Lord knows, I can’t blame them for feeling that way.
Us real Texans, including quite a few Republican’s at this stage, feel a lot of frustration with Shrub.
As he is wont to say, Back out West, we would deal with such a character by applying tar and feather’s, finding a suitable fence rail and giving him a parade out of town.
It still has a certain appeal, but he deserves so much more…pain and misery.
By GW=MCHammered, August 28, 2007 at 5:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Incompetence, Corruption and Corporatism is not what America should be about. Our leaders turned the Sirens of Capitalism into mindless Whores of Materialism. What a waste.
Report thisBy ender, August 28, 2007 at 4:46 pm #
re: farmertx on 8/28 at 11:23 am
Sorry. I know he’s just old money connecticut yankee banker scum, but he’s sold that Texas lie, like so many other so long, that it I started believing him.
PROBABLY THE ONLY THING HE’S EVER SAID THAT I BELIEVED, AND IT’S A DAMN LIE ALSO.
Again, my apologies.
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 3:23 pm #
Re:#97281 by ender on 8/28 at 8:07 am
(42 comments total)
Hey, give us a break here in Texas. Yes, Shrub says he’s a Texan, but he has lied before and often.
Report thisWhen Shrub left the Ivy League college, he showed up in West Texas, thinking that a smooth city slicker such as he could con these hick Texans into sending him to Congress.
They listened to what he had to say and voted for the other guy.
That was back when Texans were native born, not transplanted from up North.
Sad to say, that is not the case now. And our State is paying a heavy price for all those damn Yankee’s calling theirselves Texicans.
Lil’ landslide Ricky…only Gov. elected with 36% of the vote, is offering any and everything for sale to keep from raising taxes.
Meanwhile schools are struggling, teacher’s are underpaid, roads ain’t getting fixed…but, as of this time, no bridges have fallen down. No bets on how long that will hold true.
So, don’t blame Texas for the Shrub. He was the root cause of most of our current problems.
By Louise, August 28, 2007 at 3:01 pm #
We like to believe our elected officials have a working knowledge of the Constitution of the United States. And that would imply being able to understand what it means! Likewise, We like to believe whoever runs for president has the same knowledge.
Since so many of our elected officials are attorneys, it stands to reason they would understand the Constitution, as short and simple as it is, as the basis for our law.
Likewise, it stands to reason the current president, having never been an attorney might not understand the Constitution as the basis for our law. I guess ignorance has it’s virtues. At least in George W. Bush’s case. He does have that excuse.
But what about everyone else?
Someone asked once, regarding Gonzales, Rove, Cheney and Bush ... where is the shame?
There is no shame.
Even surrounded by advisers who understand “right” in the context of law, these people apparently don’t get it! Or don’t care.
So it falls to us to understand, with these people, the object is not to get anything right, but to win the game. Winning the game they play means, more money, more power.
Does anyone really believe for one minute such people sit around and worry about anyone getting hurt?
Not unless it means losing the game. And at this point in time, when it comes to money and power these people are still “winning.”
All the righteous protests in the world mean squat if we don’t really understand what we are at risk of losing. And while most who read ‘truthdig’ seem to understand, how many of us can honestly say we convey that knowledge to everyone who’s lives we touch?
We understand the reality of what they are doing to our military, our economy, our treasury and our future. But we need to daily remind ourselves, if we don’t restore the full protections of the Constitution none of that will matter, because we will be absolutely silenced!
Our congress needs to be deluged with demands to do away with the legislation that has empowered this administration to destroy so much. Twelve years of destruction by bad legislation can not be overcome in a day, but it needs to begin.
Eight years of Empirical Despotism can not be overcome in a day, but it needs to begin.
And it needs to begin now!
Doing away with the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is an absolutely necessary place to begin. Because that bit of legislation immunizes Gonzales and the rest of the crew from prosecution, no matter how much evidence the congress may gather.
No presidential pardon required!
Our congress needs to be deluged with demands they restore Constitutional Law!
Waiting for the Supremes to wade in on this is waiting for more destruction. They are biased and weighted against we the people.
So writeand phone and FAX. Get a pocket copy of the Constitution and carry it, and send a copy to everyone you know!
They are relatively inexpensive and make a great Christmas gift! Even young readers can read the Constitution! It is so simple!
We need to finally realize, if we don’t save the Constitution, we cant save anything!
Report thisBy Sharon Ash, August 28, 2007 at 2:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Gonzales is representative of all of Bush’s cronies, they work for Bush, not for the citizens. The citizens just get to pick up the tab. Moreover, these are the only types of people the Bush Administration is able to attract. No one of intelligence and/or integrity would be associated with this administration.
Report thisBy mary, August 28, 2007 at 2:11 pm #
Revin Floyd #97253, well put. I shake my head to see how many Americans just don’t know what’s going on. Such followers are always the most surprised when they finally see how screwed up things got. Let’s hope this next election cycle will bring more voters to the polls, voters who are looking at the details that will set the course for the politicians who want to do the right thing, not just follow the “party platform”. I’ve got to think even politicians are getting tired of this….....
Report thisBy JEP, August 28, 2007 at 1:43 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
“I figure that when they found out how many times he had violated the Hatch Act, they also called for his immediate resignation.”
If the two official titles Rove claimed had different people holdinh them, even by a narrowly interpreted Hatch Act, when those two people met to strategize, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN VIOLATING THE HATCH ACT!
So, after he was appointed to the job as Deputy Director of Staff, and retained his political-office job, Rove represented a walking, breathing Hatch Act violation.
I wonder if it hurt?
Apparently enough to make him resign…
Report thisBy Greg, August 28, 2007 at 12:50 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I haven’t heard anyone mention very loudly that Gonzales, and especially Bush, should be investigated for obstruction of justice charges. When Congress orders someone to testify before Congress and the president tells said people not to appear that is executive branch interference with a legal investigation. When will the Dems get some balls?
Report thisBy ocjim, August 28, 2007 at 12:41 pm #
Unless you’ve been in a bubble, you know that the whole apparatus of the federal government—the legislative branch until last January—was controlled by and used for the Republican Party and more specifically for the Bush administration agenda. Even the Nixon administration didn’t brazenly use the people’s resources as completely as the criminal Bush administration. For those who criticize the angry voices on this website as not being productive, most of us have voiced our disgust and displeasure in phone calls, faxes, emails and in letters to the editor. Our so-called represetntative only have ears for lobbyists and the administration does not even provide the appearance of listening from 2001 on.
Report thisBy Dr Bob, August 28, 2007 at 12:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Competence is the issue. The President himself has rarely if ever relied on his competence/personal qualification to achieve his goals. He got what he got because he was the scion of a powerful family, not because he was competent in whatever he was trying to do. To him, competence doesn’t matter, it’s all who you know, so it’s no wonder competence plays little role in his appointments. Thus we wind up with an administration characterized by its general incompetence, the Attorney General included.
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 12:11 pm #
Re:#97253 by Revin Floyd on 8/28 at 4:35 am
(1 comments total)
Actually, I think most of on sites such as this one did vote and for a better person.
Report thisIt is all the ones who say that one vote makes no difference.
Plus so many people are so fed up with politics as usual that they avoid political discussions like a plague.
Politics as usual hadn’t been so bad until the neo-cons decided to see how far they could go.
A long ways, sadly.
Hopefully, that fact will have woken many up to the dangers of leaving politics to the politician’s. Shrub and worse is what happens when it’s left to the politician’s.
That is the one point that I stress when trying to talk folks into thinking about really voting.
By ender, August 28, 2007 at 12:07 pm #
It’s kinda funny. I think Bush’s true Tesas, racist self shows out on this one, as in let the wetback take fall.
Momma’s Little Cocaine Cowboy says it’s sad to see a good man’s name dragged though the mud.
In the Cesspool this Administration has become, I don’t think that’s mud that’s covering Gonzalez.
Report thisBy G.Anderson, August 28, 2007 at 11:21 am #
Bush’s presidency is very much like a break in at the White House. In which a group of adolescent burglers decide to divy up “the loot” before they get caught, by the police.
Gonzalez, peeked through the curtains to await the arrival of the police department, while Rove and Cheny worked on their alibis.
No one could have been more surprised than they were that they got away with it.
Report thisBy SamSnedegar, August 28, 2007 at 8:55 am #
“...they were partners in building a scheme to subvert the entire federal government to political ends…”
I think she’s got something here, but WHO are the “partners,” who to my thinking are more at “the manipulators” than partners with the stupid likes of Gonzales and Bush.
And believe me, I don’t think that the wizards behind the curtain KNEW all that Rove was doing, because I figure that when they found out how many times he had violated the Hatch Act, they also called for his immediate resignation.
But don’t blame Gonzales OR Bush; they do what they are told. It’s like the horribly bad Shakespearean actor said from the stage where the audience was pelting him with fruit and worse: “Hey, I didn’t WRITEthis shit!” They didn’t make it up; they only followed orders, never mind how many people died.
Report thisBy Revin Floyd, August 28, 2007 at 8:35 am #
It makes no difference at all who the handlers are, or whether or not they stay or go or testify under oath or lie or steal or kill or torture or what. Their laws are illegal and their crimes go unpunished. Whether it’s Ashcroft or Gonzoles or Rove or Rice or Libby or Cheney or Bush for that matter, it doesn’t really matter. None of these people are American citizens, they are the political puppets who play important people on TV. They do not set the agenda, they do not make the decisions, they are nothng but the names and faces we all know but who do not know us. They don’t look at us and we don’t know who they really are.
We, the American people, should be ashamed! For this sorry State we call a republic is what it is today for the decisions we did and did not make yesterday. We, the people, need to pull our heads out of our corporate sponsored consensus trance and realize, this isn’t just a dream! This is America. It is not becoming what it is, we are becoming who we are, and our government is a direct reflection of what we are becoming individually and collectively. We hire these people! They work for us! Wake up! America tortures the weak, enslaves the poor, and drowns in debt. In Our Name!
Report thisBy Homer Hewitt, August 28, 2007 at 7:59 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
The office of the Attorney General issued a brief statement saying only that Mr. Gonzales wishes to return to Texas and spend more time with Karl Rove.
homer http://www.altara.blogspot.com
Report thisBy farmertx, August 28, 2007 at 6:43 am #
Kiss obviously forgot Nixon’s AG…the one he fired because he wouldn’t go against the Constitution.
Report thisIn the Brown Ones’ case, “All of the above” fits.
Given his total lack of memory before Congress, we really ought to be surprised that he remembered to resign,instead of just walking away.
By KISS, August 28, 2007 at 5:03 am #
Attorney Generals are always beholding to the President.If you think will ever change you been smoking too much dope.
Report thisWhat sets Gonzales apart is his willingness to usurp the constitution and the Geneva convention authority for vindictive and cruelty never before seen in America.
” Gonzales was willing to do whatever the president and his political men required of him.”
This is so sad and true. Chertoff will be as bad and the dimmos will never blink, just pass as OK.
Gonzales will never see the inside of a prison for two reasons: 1- The dimmos have no back-bone nor the guts to go after this criminal.
2- there is the Pardon Aspect of Bush, the reward system for fine work.
By cyrena, August 28, 2007 at 3:42 am #
....“We do not yet know whether Gonzales was personally involved in rank criminality.”...
Marie,
We DO know this. We know about his trip to the hospital, to bully a sickly and frail Ashcroft into signing over all of our rights. We know he worked-up the torture memos, and set that stage for the complete breakdown in any credibility that we might have with the rest of the world, in so far as our committment to international law.
Add that to all of the lies and “I don’t recalls” under oath, before all sorts of hearings, and everything else; and it spells rank criminality and TREASON.
And so YES…he was personally involved. How could he not be? He was probably ready to smother Ashcroft with a hospital bed pillow if Comey hadn’t shown up. How much more “personal” does it get?
We should chop off his big hair - which his head attached off course.
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, August 28, 2007 at 2:31 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Three things about this week’s resignations:
1) Congress is in recess. Bush can make a recess appointment to fill Gonzo’s seat and they can’t stop it—and that appointment will last to the end of Bush’s admin. So watch out!
2) Bush could appoint Joe Lieberman. Lieberman is SO selfish he could take the job, leaving the Republican Governor of Connecticut to appoint a Republican replacement, giving the Senate back to the Republicans for the next 16 months, and allowing him the luxury of more rotten, corrupt appointments. Lieberman’s done it before: In 2000 he kept his Senate seat instead of letting a Dem run for it while he ran for VP. Had he won the VP seat, the Senate would have been 49 Dem 51 GOP. But since he “lost”, the Senate was 50-50—with Cheney as the deciding vote. But Jeffords switched to make it 51-49 Dems…
3) Rove’s resignation is MEANINGLESS! He is an advisor to the President and since he’s no longer “Deputy Chief of Staff” but really the political advisor, it’s just a paper resignation to cover Bush’s sorry ass. Turd Blossom will CONTINUE to be the chief political advisor to Chimpy McFlightSuit.
So what IF Bush actually picks Orren Hatch as AG? Hatch is politically the most double-jointed politician on the Hill. Clarence Thomas sexually harassing Anita Hill: Good. Bill Clinton propositioning Paula Jones: Bad. Newt Gingrich et al cheating on their wives: Good. Bill Clinton cheating on his wife: bad.
Report thisBy Allen, August 28, 2007 at 2:08 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I must agree. At the root of all this sorry mess is the thing we call President Bush. One wonders how many wounds this man will inflict upon our republic.
Report this