The Trashing of the President

It has been intimated (too many citations to list!) both from the Hill, and from many other hills and dales around the country, that Alberto:

1. Is a token minority in the Bush Administration

2. Is only there because the Prez wanted at least SOME of the Latino vote.

3. Neither has, nor deserves, the President’s support.

Further, Congressional Democrats have authorized subpoenas, not yet issued as of the last I heard, to get Gonzales and his team up on the hill and give them a good old-fashioned birching on public TV.

(http://www.huffingto…

http://www.alternet….)

Why? Even the dumbest dumbocrat should know that the fired US attorneys are political animals, who serve at the President’s pleasure, and he can hire or fire them at will. No explanation needed, it is said. Perhaps he doesn’t like the color of their ties. Fired!

Now, I am going to use the “X” word. I know that it gives many of you out there in Blue-land the willies, probably rightfully so, but I’m going to use it anyway. The Christian (OUCH!) Science Monitor, a publication esteemed far more than its parents, at least by this writer, stated, (http://www.csmonitor…)

“Documents show that dismissal of US attorneys became a subject of discussion between the White House and top Justice officials as early as the first months of 2005. Eight were then fired in 2006.”

According to the handwritten talking points, the firings were for “various degrees of dissatisfaction.” They were “not for cause, but good reason,” said the memo. Reasons weren’t discussed with those who were fired because doing so would unavoidably lead to objections and comparisons, according to the memo.”

Dan Bogden, US attorney in Las Vegas, was fired for `lack of energy and leadership for a highly visible district with serious crime issues,’ according to the memo.”

Paul Charlton, US attorney in Phoenix, was let go in part due to “repeated instances of defiance, insubordination, actions taken contrary to instructions…,” according to the matrix document. Mr. Charlton also failed to follow Justice Department instructions on the death penalty and required the FBI to videotape interviews, which was contrary to FBI policy.”

David Iglesias, US attorney in Albuquerque, N.M., on the other hand, appears to be a particular target of the prosecutor purge. Democrats have insisted, and Mr. Iglesias himself has suggested, that he was fired for declining to investigate allegations of voter fraud in his district.” (Aside:Well, I would surely have fired him for that, particularly if I thought the fraud was helping those sneaking, conniving, vote-inflating Democrats!)

Carol Lam, US attorney in San Diego, was another particular target. A May 31, 2006, e-mail from a top official in Washington wondered whether she had ever been “woodshedded” about a perceived lack of enforcement of immigration laws.”

John McKay, US attorney in Seattle, was clearly thought by his superiors to be a loose cannon. One reason cited by top officials in his dismissal was “temperament issues.”

Critics of the administration have cited Mr. McKay’s endorsement of an information-sharing system for federal and state law enforcement – an effort the Justice Department has questioned.”

Kevin Ryan, US attorney in San Francisco, was cited as running “the most fractured office in the nation.” Morale there was so low it was “harming our prosecutorial efforts,” according to Justice officials.”

That’s six of the eight. I would have fired them for those causes, in about a freaking heartbeat!

So the question remains. Why? Why, that is, are the Democrats making such a fuss over the exercise of a granted Presidential prerogative? Why didn’t the same Democrats squawk over Carter’s firing of a US attorney who was about to indict one of Jimmy’s pet Democrats for accepting bribes, and who was subsequently fired from his seat in Congress, tried, convicted and spent five years in prison for same? Why doesn’t anyone seem to have any evidence that the Republicans (who really HAD cause!) didn’t even whimper over the exercise of a Presidential prerogative by Carter?

Don’t bother to answer. We all KNOW the answer; the Democrats hope the public, and particularly the majority of registered voters, are stupid enough not to know that what the Administration did is pure, unadulterated Presidential prerogative.

Sadly, they are probably correct, at least about the Democrats.