But not for the reasons you might think.
US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is stepping down, effective September 17th. Many are happy, particularly those on the left.
Gonzales might have been a good jurist; a manager he most definitely was not. Nor did he apparently, along with Bush, have an idea how to combat the accusations leveled against him with regard to the removal of a mere 8 USAs nationwide.
You and I both know the argument: it was reprehensible for Gonzales to fire 8 US Attorneys in late 2006, despite the fact that Clinton fired ALL the US Attorneys nationwide, except for one.
The bad strategy: to back down. To not point out the obvious.
The bad strategy: to appoint someone who is no manager. Who communicates as poorly as Bush himself.
Bottom line: problem solved. Move on. Better make a damned good pick now, Mr. Bush. Then ensure Gonzales’s replacement has a spine and can defend his own-se’f.
The upcoming hearings for “this person”? A “short timer” (year-and-a-half)? They’d better be wearing titanium underwear. You’d best find the FINEST Constitutional Jurist extant. And a damned good manager.
We lose traction when we, as Conservatives, fail to state the obvious, clearly and up front: we need an AG who screams from the highest rooftops that their job is to defend the nation, provide the greatest ability to fight the war on terror, come down on the side of our nation against all other nation-states. An AG who swears to provide all possible legal tools to enable this wondrous nation to not just survive but flourish.
BZ
P.S.
Rumors: Michael Chertoff as AG. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. “The Skull” brings horrendous baggage. Wrong. Couldn’t be worse. Couldn’t be worse. For those of you who just tuned in: couldn’t be worse. Bring in a young, nasty, opinionated, oppressive current US Attorney. They exist. Right here. Right now. Find one. But NOT Michael “The Skull” Chertoff. WRONG!!
He is a living example of the Peter Principle
A competent person will be promoted until he reaches a level where he is incompetent and then he’ll be left there.
I think he’s gone past just the onel evel of incompetency, more like promote him out of the way and make him become someone else’s problem.
How do we know someone will be leaving the Bush White House in 6 months? He says: “I give my full support to them” and six months later…
He is, however, at his level of incompetence. Look at any Congresscritter running for POTUS and you will see someone reaching *far* past that…
Now, lets just hope he is kept really busy so we don’t do something stupid like hand the law of the sea over to the UN so that they can tax everything crossing the oceans…
I hate the fact that he left the ship, BZ, but I also hate the fact that the Dems badgered him half to death! Was he wimpy for giving up? Yes, I think so. I also hope that someone is appointed who will say it like it is and tell those b*stards where they can go! Why is it the GOP is so darned hesitant to fight back?
In addition, the Peter Principle may work most of the time, but I’m not sure it works in government organizations. I have worked for the Federal Government. I have also worked for a Government Contracting firm which is run like the Federal Government, and I’ve seen many people promoted above their level of competency simply because of who they were or who they knew.
The thing was just mis-handled from the get-go. The more you go “bunker mentality” on people, the more they think you have to hide, though you may not. And yes, in government or the corporate life, it’s all about WHO you know, not WHAT you know. Finding the bread with the butter side UP is always good.
BZ