Support of Gonzales affirms power play (by Whitehouse)

[UpInArms]

Source: Boston Globe

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is trying to do something few have done: Outlive a Washington scandal. And he's trying to do it with little or no support from Republicans in Congress.

The White House, however, is backing him. President Bush has an admirable sense of loyalty to his top aides. But the administration's willingness to withstand its own party's disdain for Gonzales probably springs not from loyalty but from self-interest: The last thing the president needs right now is confirmation hearings for a new attorney general.

It's well known that the administration is seeking to maximize its own powers. This effort takes many forms, from asserting the right to bypass laws that Bush himself has signed, to asserting the authority to hold prisoners without trials, to forbidding Congress from seeing information the administration deems sensitive to national security, to asserting its own, highly debatable interpretations of the Geneva Conventions.

<snip>

But with the Bush administration's popularity near a record low, and with the opposing party in charge on Capitol Hill, few senators are going to vote for another crony appointment. Republican senators' unwillingness to keep towing the administration's line was visible at last Thursday's testimony by Gonzales as the attorney general sought to explain inconsistencies in his account of the firings of eight US attorneys. Republican after Republican, including many diehard conservatives, heaped criticism on the attorney general.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/04/24/support_of_gonzales_affirms_power_play/

[SpiralHawk]

1. "admirable loyalty" ??? WTF? More propaganda from corporate media

It is in no way "admirable" to be loyal to a liar who stands against the interests of the citizens of the United States of America.

It is evil.

[rodeodance]

2. I am so sick of hearing about this loyality factor---guess I am just sick and

tired of Bush!

[xchrom]

3. bush needs alberto to sit on the ne'er-do-well activities

they've been up to til 08.

[krkaufman]

4. I think this writer is on track. Just look at how off-message Gates has been...

... since replacing Rumsfeld. His statements have varied several times from the Admin message, from closing of Guantanimo to last week's "no more training of Iraqis."

I'm sure the * Admin would have a difficult time finding another AG as compliant as Gonzo, in regards to subverting the rule of law for political purposes.

[salin]

6. agreed - the Senator seems to be hitting the mark.

and in this case both the WH and the AG himself have a LOT at stake to keep the DOJ acting as an arm of the WH. So much bad acting has gone on. It would be hard to find a replacement that would keep a lid on it all.

[bdamomma]

5. Gonzo is another nail in the coffin for Bushie

let him stay and let them all go down altogether.

[tanyev]

7. I don't think the problem is confirmation hearings for a new guy.

I think the problem is that Gonzo knows too much and he's already showed that he can't lie worth a darn. If he goes down, he'd take everybody else down, too.

[Massachusetts]

8. Impeachment proceedings NOW!

Our government is FUBAR.