Bedtime for Gonzo

This week in "It's about effing time," Attorney General Gonzales has resigned. I think it is fitting that two years since Katrina and the shameful discovery that Bush had appointed a friend with no experience as the head of FEMA, that we once again learn the price of nepotism and of appointing people based on loyalty.

While Gonzales has impressive credentials (unlike many other appointees and attempted appointees like Harriet Miers), his loyalty to this administration was dangerous to us all. The head of the Department of Justice must have the independence to question the legality of executive branch decisions, not rubber stamp and advocate them. Whether it was the questionable firings of some of the U.S. Attorneys, or the highly suspicious hospital visit to get Ashcroft's ok for the domestic surveillance program, Gonzales has been no friend to the office or the Constitution.

¡y adiós muy buenas!

Narrowly Missed: Harriet Miers' incredible judicial objectivity

Remember Harriet Miers? Ex-Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers? A.k.a. the smartest person within 30' feet of shrub's office?

Well, as it turns out she was the one who started the ball rolling in the recent wave of US Attorney firings. In fact, she originally suggested in February 2005 (as White House Counsel) that all 93 of the US Attorneys should be fired at once. See article form SFGate. That sounds like a great way to fight terrorism! It also sounds like a great way for Karl Rove to get his 'ol buddy Tim Griffin in the Arkansas vacancy.

This seems to fly in the face of the White House's explanation now, that 1) the White House wasn't involved in the terminations and that 2) the final 8 US attorneys were fired only because of work-performance issues.

There has been some suggestion that the San Francisco's own Kevin Ryan was sacrificed because he was vigorously investigating and prosecuting the stock-option back dating cases in the valley of silicon (article at valleywag). Something must have happened though for the powers to change their mind though, because he was originally on the list of "Stellar performers," according to this NYT article.