Gonzo, "Good Americans," and a rogue President

by: Jay Stevens

Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 12:42:53 PM MST

First, he's being investigated for possibly trying to influence Monica Goodling's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Second, subpoenas have been issued to compel former Rove aide, Sara Taylor, and former White House counsel, Harriet Miers, to testify about the prosecutor purge.

"Bradley J. Schlozman is systematically attempting to purge all Civil Rights appellate attorneys hired under Democratic administrations," the lawyer wrote, saying that he appeared to be "targeting minority women lawyers" in the section and was replacing them with "white, invariably Christian men." The lawyer also alleged that "Schlozman told one recently hired attorney that it was his intention to drive these attorneys out of the Appellate Section so that he could replace them with 'good Americans.'"

It's bad enough that being "loyal Bushie" is considered the prime qualification for a federal prosecutor; it's worse that this "loyalty" to the President and his extra-legal directives is considered a prime component of American nationality; it's worse by far that those characteristics are assumed to be housed in a body of particular gender, race, and religious belief.

But don't hold your breath. Gonzo's probably not going anywhere. As the editors of Slate realized, no amount of disgrace, incompetence, or law-breaking perpetrated by our Attorney General will prompt Bush to sack Gonzo. They've dismantled their Gonzometer, tool settling the odds on the Atty. Gen's removal.

When we first launched this enterprise, we truly believed that the sun rose in the east and gravity worked. We were wrong. As we have increasingly observed, most notably on the days the AG testified before Congress, some mystical alchemy provides that the worse he does, the better his chances become of remaining in office. At this point, just about nothing Gonzales does could cause the president to fire him.

Steve Benen:

Our political system is supposed to follow certain unwritten political "rules." When a cabinet secretary screws up, creates a scandal, becomes a distraction, loses the nation's confidence, and possibly engages in criminal behavior, he or she is supposed to resign. If a resignation isn't offered, a president is supposed to ask for it.
But this president doesn't concern himself with these "rules." Donald Rumsfeld, Alphonso Jackson, and Rod Paige proved that the president is more than willing to tolerate cabinet secretaries staying on far too long.

Can't wait for the Mercer testimony...