Everyone loves a good story. And what a whopper U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has given us.
As usual, the media is far too lazy to seek the truth behind the story, and in this case, that has played right into the hands of the Democrats. In all fairness, though, there wouldn't have been a story, and certainly no "scandal," if only Albert had a modicum of brain cells and the president had even one competent advisor. We have just witnessed the fall of a Washington giant (if only in title), but not because of a true scandal or a major indiscretion. No, this circus was entirely the attorney general's own making, and the drawn-out fiasco will be viewed as the crowning achievement in President Bush's string of colossal failures.
Like most things in life, especially politics, if Bert had just come clean with the truth and explained why he fired the U.S. attorneys, he would still be the top law enforcement official in the land, and the president could, conceivably, be making a run at the 30 percent approval mark. However, his incompetence and penchant for not telling the truth got in the way.
But what exactly was the truth, and why did the Justice Department folks feel they needed cloak-and-dagger deceptions and faulty memories - leading to threats of perjury and impeachment - to deal with the firings? Finally, what are the far-reaching implications, beyond who the next AG will be?
Let's start with the last question first. Who cares about the next attorney general? Now that the president is officially a lame duck and will have to deal with an increasingly hostile Senate for a conformation hearing, it's irrelevant. If he does choose to nominate someone, it will no doubt be a weak, centrist, consensus candidate.
Based on those requirements, maybe he should nominate Alberto Gonzales again.
By far, the biggest blow of this affair is to the possible nomination of a conservative Hispanic to the U.S. Supreme Court if such a position becomes available over the next seventeen months. Think back to Mr. Archconservative himself, Justice Antonin Scalia. As the first Italian-American nominated to the Court, he sailed through by a 98-0 vote. No one dared oppose him for fear of alienating the large Italian vote.
Two decades later, with political correctness in full swing and the swelling Hispanic population voting at historically high levels, the first Hispanic nominee to the Court would have been a slam dunk. To take shots at a Hispanic would have been unthinkable, especially one that was sharp, aggressive and charismatic.
All that changed with the entrance of Gonzales the Clown, a man who was widely viewed as a lightweight from day one, and that's being generous.
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As usual, the media is far too lazy to seek the truth behind the story, and in this case, that has played right into the hands of the Democrats. In all fairness, though, there wouldn't have been a story, and certainly no "scandal," if only Albert had a modicum of brain cells and the president had even one competent advisor. We have just witnessed the fall of a Washington giant (if only in title), but not because of a true scandal or a major indiscretion. No, this circus was entirely the attorney general's own making, and the drawn-out fiasco will be viewed as the crowning achievement in President Bush's string of colossal failures.
Like most things in life, especially politics, if Bert had just come clean with the truth and explained why he fired the U.S. attorneys, he would still be the top law enforcement official in the land, and the president could, conceivably, be making a run at the 30 percent approval mark. However, his incompetence and penchant for not telling the truth got in the way.
But what exactly was the truth, and why did the Justice Department folks feel they needed cloak-and-dagger deceptions and faulty memories - leading to threats of perjury and impeachment - to deal with the firings? Finally, what are the far-reaching implications, beyond who the next AG will be?
Let's start with the last question first. Who cares about the next attorney general? Now that the president is officially a lame duck and will have to deal with an increasingly hostile Senate for a conformation hearing, it's irrelevant. If he does choose to nominate someone, it will no doubt be a weak, centrist, consensus candidate.
Based on those requirements, maybe he should nominate Alberto Gonzales again.
By far, the biggest blow of this affair is to the possible nomination of a conservative Hispanic to the U.S. Supreme Court if such a position becomes available over the next seventeen months. Think back to Mr. Archconservative himself, Justice Antonin Scalia. As the first Italian-American nominated to the Court, he sailed through by a 98-0 vote. No one dared oppose him for fear of alienating the large Italian vote.
Two decades later, with political correctness in full swing and the swelling Hispanic population voting at historically high levels, the first Hispanic nominee to the Court would have been a slam dunk. To take shots at a Hispanic would have been unthinkable, especially one that was sharp, aggressive and charismatic.
All that changed with the entrance of Gonzales the Clown, a man who was widely viewed as a lightweight from day one, and that's being generous.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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