Griper Blade: Political Deathwatch

You've got to wonder when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will give up the political ghost. It's nearly inevitable, yet he clings to life in a way that can only be described as irrational. Is he getting direction from the White House to hang on as long as possible? Who knows? The Bush administration's dedication to hopeless causes can likewise only be described as irrational. They have the contrary nature of a three year old -- if you told them to go to bed, they'd stay up all night just to spite you.

They're even losing the GOP over this. "The American people deserve an attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer of our country, whose honesty and capability are beyond question," said Sen. Chuck Hagel. "Attorney General Gonzales can no longer meet this standard. He has failed this country. He has lost the moral authority to lead." Others were more blunt.

"When you have to spend more time up here on Capitol Hill instead of running the Justice Department, maybe you ought to think about [quitting]," said Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

At least one GOP Senator is predicting Gonzo's resignation.

Associated Press:

Senator Arlen Specter predicts the investigation into the firings of federal prosecutors will cause Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign.

Specter says when the investigation is over, Gonzales and President Bush will realize the Justice Department is "dysfunctional" and can't properly protect the nation from terrorism.

You've kind of have to wonder where Specter's been for the last six years. If he's waiting for Bush to 'realize' he's gone down the wrong road, he'd better pull up a chair -- it's going to be a long wait. Bush doesn't give a damn about the nation, he's proved that over and over. George W. Bush is all about George W. Bush's historical legacy -- if Gonzales goes down in yet another Bushie scandal, the Bush administration's place in history as the most corrupt, incompetent, and short-sighted in a good long time will be further cemented.

Which is why the Senate is taking action.

New York Times:

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's standing in Congress weakened further on Thursday as Senate Democrats arranged to hold a no-confidence vote and the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted that the furor over Mr. Gonzales’s stewardship would end with his resignation.

Mr. Gonzales's already shaky position eroded after reports this week about an episode in 2004 when as White House counsel he was involved in an apparent effort to circumvent Justice Department officials who had refused to renew authority for a secret domestic eavesdropping program.

And Thursday, The Washington Post identified several United States attorneys who appeared on various Justice Department lists in 2005 and 2006 as potential candidates for dismissal.

Whether or not this is a test vote for Gonzo's impeachment is a matter of debate. I'm saying probably not. More likely it's an attempt to wound him so badly that he can't run from responsibility anymore.

I'd like to see him go down for torture and wiretaps but, frankly, I'm not really picky. The man's proven himself to be completely without principle or any sense of justice. He's been a team player on a team that has no concern for the american people or the good of the nation. If he finally goes for just being a lying sack, that's cool with me. It wouldn't be justice, but it'd be just enough.

What bothers me most about Gonzales's refusal to die is my fear that it's indicative of the entire administration's attitude. When 2009 rolls around and it's time for him to finally move out, I'm kind of scared that Bush -- like Gonzales -- will refuse to go.

--Wisco