Read Ted Rall’s latest as the BushCo Justice Department starts prosecuting people just for what they say, shudder, and agree with the Daytona Beach News-Journal that this is speculative justice.
Cross posted at SocraticGadfly.
First, last Friday the home of Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) was searched by the FBI as part of the Abramoff probe. He then resigned his seat on the House Appropriations Committee.
Then on Thursday, a business tied to Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Az.) was raided by the FBI. He immediately resigned his position on the House Intelligence Committee.
Gee, I wonder if somebody at Main Justice has decided to throw a couple of Republicans under the bus to prove they are really on top of Republican corruption. Land of Enchantment over at ePluribus Media (see link above) has the same thought. If we are legitimately wondering, the reputation of the Justice Department is in the ditch. It is going to take a long time for us to recover from the foul stench currently emanating from the Alberto Gonzales lead Justice Department.
The drumbeat for Gonzalez to resign grew louder today when five-term GOP Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska abandoned his support for the embattled Attorney General. "My views were was that this was Democrat(ic) posturing and a witch hunt," Terry said. "My trust in him in that position has taken a hit because of these contradictory statements by him." He went on "Frankly, until these statements came out that contradicted his first statement, I was backing him, saying that he shouldn't resign. Now I think that he should."
What I have been noticing is not so much a groundswell of Republicans crossing over to speak up and call for his resignation, but an utter lack of support from even the most stalwart GOP supporters. It's like even the true believers realize Gonzo is - well - Gonzo. All that is left is salvaging the Justice Department, so the true believers are just letting the AG stew in his own juices.
Off the record, the grumbling that he is sure taking his sweet time in shagging his sorry self up to the Hill and having a sit-down to explain his actions are getting louder. Lawmakers are non-plussed that he was called out by his former Chief of Staff and exposed as a liar; yet he plans to mosey on up to the hill on the 17th of April to clear the air - three weeks after Sampson's allegations under oath.
And those of us who learned by age ten that the ends don't justify the means are shaking our heads incredulously, wondering how the hell these people managed to get through life without going to prison young - let alone how they seized the levers of power for the nation.
Donald C. Shields and John F. Cragan two retired professors, report that as regards local officials during the administration of George W. Bush
Data* indicate that the offices of the U.S. Attorneys across the nation investigate seven (7) times as many Democratic officials as they investigate Republican officials, a number that exceeds even the racial profiling of African Americans in traffic stops.Interestingly, on a statewide and national level through 2006 the Bush Justice Department had investigated or indicted 66 officials, 36 Democrats and 30 Republicans. Not a significant discrepancy. During the same period the Bush Justice Department, through it's US Attorneys had investigated 375 local official, 298 Democrats, 67 Republicans and 10 Independents. Why the statistical difference between local, and state or national investigations. Well, Shields and Cragan think the difference has to do with the national press. If the Justice Department were to investigate 7 times as many state or national Democrats as Republicans the Washington Post or the New York Times would notice. That would not be good. Investigating local Democrats is much easier. Local small town reporters don't have the national perspective. If city council member Jones is indicted he is pretty much on his own. The implication of Shields and Cragan's reasoning is that the policy is intentional, not accidental.
A friend of mine signs her emails with a Barbara Jordan quote from the Watergate hearings that chokes me up every time I read it – and in fact it was almost the quote at the top of the page. (I tried it both ways about five times before settling on the Ben Franklin when I was getting this place move-in ready.)
My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.
I, too, believe fervently in the Constitution. It is the only thing outside my family worth fighting and dying for.
But the Constitution only works because it is built on a foundation of Justice.
If Justice is undermined, if it becomes just a word, just a quaint and archaic concept that just doesn’t work anymore because "9/11 changed everything" we need to just pack it in because the grand experiment that was
That is why everyone should be up in arms about the US Attorney firings. Politically motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys undermine Justice. It removes the lynchpin of our Republic.
This is the kind of thing that people should set their hair on fire about. Not gay marriage or any other social issue that has no business being legislated anyway.
The derailing of Justice with the intent of furthering the interest of one political party is tantamount to treason.
Display the appropriate level of outrage already.
