All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. --Thomas Jefferson
Another document dump happened last night, and one of Josh Marshall’s astute Citizen Journalists flagged an email exchange that originated with Kyle Sampson to Harriet Meiers. Here is the link to the whole thing. (.pdf alert)
Here is the part I found damning:
Harriet/Bill, please see the attached. Please note (1) the plan, by its terms, would commence this week; (2) I have consulted with the DAG, but not yet informed others who would need to be brought into the loop………(nor have I informed anyone in Karl's shop, another pre-execution necessity I would recommend); and (3) I am concerned that to execute this plan properly we must all be on the same page and be steeled to withstand any political upheaval that might result (see Step 3); if we start caving to complaining U.S. Attorneys or Senators then we shouldn't do it -- it'll be more trouble than it is worth. We'll stand by for a green light from you. Upon the green light, we'll (1) circulate the below plan to the list of folks in Step 3 (and ask that you circulate it to Karl's shop………
Damning evidence that Gonzalez abdicated his responsibility to the Department of Justice to a political hack like Rove.
The American people have the right to feel secure that federal prosecutions are not political in origin.
In fact, we spent money hand-over-fist for five decades because we were locked in an ideological battle against an authoritarian regime that engaged in political persecutions via prosecutions.
I was there for the Cold War. I am the definitive cold war brat – born six weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis, I married into the Strategic Air Command when I grew up.
I did not give my life over to the side of Democracy in the struggle against authoritarian ideology elsewhere to capitulate to a dogmatic authoritarianism at home. Even if it means the blood of patriots and tyrants must be spilled.
