NYT: The Right Thing, at Last (Ashcroft recusal and special prosecutor)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/31/opinion/31WED1.html

After an egregiously long delay, Attorney General John Ashcroft finally did the right thing yesterday when he recused himself from the investigation into who gave the name of a C.I.A. operative to the columnist Robert Novak. Mr. Ashcroft turned the inquiry over to his deputy, who quickly appointed a special counsel. There was little chance of a credible outcome for the investigation as Mr. Ashcroft had originally chosen to run it: under his personal supervision, using Justice Department lawyers whose futures are dependent on his good graces. Even the normal investigative units of the F.B.I. would have been cut out of the loop.

<snip>

There are still serious questions about the investigation, the most immediate of which is whether Mr. Comey will give Mr. Fitzgerald true operational independence. Mr. Comey must also allow Mr. Fitzgerald to use the full powers of a special counsel, including the ability to seek Congressional intervention if he finds his investigation blocked by a government official or agency.

We may never know what damage was caused by Mr. Ashcroft's delay of nearly two months in taking the proper action. Further time will now be lost as Mr. Fitzgerald gets up to speed on the investigation. In his announcement, Mr. Comey said that Mr. Ashcroft was displaying "an abundance of caution" in recusing himself from the case. But that sort of care would have mandated the appointment of a special counsel from the start. Yesterday's developments left open the possibility of what we feared all along: that Mr. Ashcroft's extremely tight political bonds with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, the chief White House strategist, inevitably conflicted with an investigation into whether someone at the White House, perhaps acting with institutional sanction, had revealed the name of a C.I.A. operative for political reasons.

[readmylips]

1. But Fox Pundits already put out the word...

the reason Fitzgerald, an outstanding and successful lawyer, was chosen is that 'there's nothing there to be found.' To protect Asscrap, Fitzgerald will be credible when he announces to the world that 'I found nothing, there's nothing there..case closed.'

[demgrrrll]

3. Have you read Fitzgerald's biography? He has taken down some

pretty big fish. I wouldn't imagine he is easily intimidated.
I disagree with your assessment at this point and time.

[demgrrrll]

2. I'm starting to feel like this really may go somewhere. Josh Marshall

at TPM has a good post on the subject. He rightly points out that Ashcroft isn't just doing the right thing and that something has probably happened. But what? If you operate under the premise that
the person or event that has been identified is so close to Ashcroft that he couldn't do anything but recuse himself then all signs point to Cheney or Rove. Scooter seems far enough removed that Ashcroft wouldn't have felt the need to make a move. Interesting.

[DemoVet]

4. Don't discount the CIA

It may be that they dropped a few cards on the table in front of Johnny Boy, just enough to let him know what else might be lurking in the deck. He's an ideologue and a neocon but he's no dummy, and he's not taking a fall for anyone, even Junior, who I don't think he has much loyalty to anyway. For Holy John, Junior is just the means to an end.

[hellhathnofury]

5. I agree.

I think the CIA is pretty pissed and threatened to make some nasty leaks about Iraq or something along that lines.

[Mecil]

6. Or maybe the CIA has some info on their sexual preference:o)

Or maybe the CIA has some info on their sexual preference, not uncommon for intelligence agencies to keep tabs on sexual habits of leaders. Just to pressure them when the right time comes. Maybe some of the spooks came by and said, either you guys own up to this, or we let the world that you're like Wacko-Jacko on crack.

[Demeter]

7. Too Little, Too Late

All the bodies have been buried by now. Unless Novak is subject to the kind of treatments the folks in Guantanamo are getting....

Sigh. A girl can dream, can't she?