This editorial ran today in my local paper, and it illustrates why i don't much respect our current elected leadership in the country.....to my thinking this is underhanded and damn near criminal behavior.....this is wrong no matter who is doing it, republican, democrat or independent. I fucking hate when they develop legislation under the guise of one thing ( in this case protecting the nation), then turn around and use it for political gain or moral enforcement. Makes you want to take back your votes at times....or, only worsening your situation, never vote again......
Editorial: Stop the Bush purge
The administration is using its new anti-terrorism power to push out some federal prosecutors. Congress must rein this in and investigate the dismissal of the eight U.S. attorneys.
From the Journal Sentinel
Posted: March 4, 2007
The Bush administration slipped a provision into the USA Patriot Act that Congress renewed last year allowing the attorney general to appoint interim U.S. attorneys for indefinite periods without congressional approval. Previously, such appointments could last for only 120 days. Lawmakers may have figured that the extra leeway might help in rare emergencies.
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Well, surprise, surprise. The Justice Department has so far used this provision eight times - and not for emergencies. In a move unprecedented for its scope, the agency has fired eight U.S. attorneys. And indications are that the dismissed prosecutors were too independent, even though President Bush had appointed them. The administration appears to be replacing them with those more pliable.
Congress must stop the purge and reimpose the time limit. Commendably, a House judiciary subcommittee is issuing subpoenas to four of the dismissed prosecutors to appear before it on Tuesday, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to follow suit. Sworn testimony should shed some light on what may be an administration effort to get prosecutors to toe the party line.
Among those called on to testify are prosecutors with stellar records.
Carol Lam, dismissed as U.S. attorney in San Diego, nailed Rep. Randy Cunningham, a California Republican, for accepting bribes from defense contractors. H.E. "Bud" Cummins III was removed as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, Ark., only to make room for an aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove, a Justice Department official has admitted. And New Mexico's David Iglesias charged that he was let go because he refused a request from two Republican congressmen to speed up a probe of possible Democratic wrongdoing to improve GOP election chances - an allegation the Justice Department vigorously denies.
The dispute is all the more reason to set the record straight in hearings.
Also, Congress must retract the permission it gave the Justice Department to appoint interim prosecutors indefinitely - permission the administration has abused.
