<p>I predict this will be yet another in the long line of “-gates” that we have hoped would bring down this nefarious, yet Teflon administration…and won’t change a thing.</p>
<p>Hanna, thanks. My question was half a real question, and half a rhetorical question. Because if there there were in fact a crime committed, the only crime I can imagine would, as you point out, be obstruction of justice. So that in itself argues that she, at least, believed that the motives behind the firings were to either stop/hinder valid prosecution, or begin an invalid prosecution. </p>
<p>Among the requirements for a democracy to be successful over time are the notion that justice is fairly dispensed; and that the will of the people, as expressed in their vote, is thoroughly and fairly captured. I think the politicization of the justice system (and I’m including both the US attorneys and the more bi-partisan choices of Supreme Court appointees) and all our recent voting problems, strike at the heart of our country in a more profound way than we generally realize.</p>
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Now, why would that be the case? If there was anything concrete, i don’t doubt that the very clever lawyers within the Democratic party would find a way to “bring down” this administration. It certainly can’t be for lack of trying!!! Is it possible that it’s not a question of Teflon, but of nothing substantive that can stick?</p>
<p>"Is it possible that it’s not a question of Teflon, but of nothing substantive that can stick?</p>
<p>Could be. (We haven’t gotten to the full fallout from Abramoff yet.) All we know for sure is that the go-between the White House and the Attorney General’s Office fears she could be prosecuted for a crime for testifying before Congress on what she knows or did.</p>
<p>Oh, now there’s more of a likelihood of something substantive, now that we have a balance of power (more or less…those pesky judges).</p>
<p>Between Abramoff, Ney, Libby/Cheney links, the Downey Street memos, Sibel Edmonds, Kenneth Blackwell…there is plenty of “substantive” material, that really “could stick” (you do need to have moral and law abiding members of Congress willing to investigate though, and not just people in cahoots with the administration). </p>
<p>I could go on and on…the list is so long…</p>
<p>I believe Ms. Goodlings credentials puts into question the interest we all have in getting our children into selective colleges.</p>
<p>I wonder why the USA’s were terminated without any documentation re: their performances. I’ve worked for the government and finishing one’s paperwork is a TOP priority!</p>
<p>allmusic, I just disagree with you on this. I think if there were illegal shenanigans that could be proven, the Democrats would have used every tool they had to make it stick. It doesn’t always require a majority in Congress – through media leaks, lawsuits, MSM or whatever, nothing would be allowed to pass.</p>
<p>Oh, I think of the Ohio voting fraud “investigation”, for example…which was a charade. That has been true for most of the “investigations” (of which there have been a couple doozies). Some are held in the basement, and news airs on C-Span at 2 a.m. MSM…ha!</p>
<p>Look, Bush even ignores his own bi-partisan commissions…the rule of law (remember those 700 “signing orders”…he just makes up laws as he goes). Some of this is reported, right in the news (even with a laughing Fox spin). Fat lot of good it does. It is almost comical to see what is ignored…if we didn’t care about human life, our budget, rule of law, constitutional rights…</p>
<p>Americans like to believe their justice system is above the political fray. What’s troubling here is the situation where we’re seeing that is not the case. It is not a blanket firing when a new president moves into office, but a selective surgical firings which either intentionally or just lottery luck (?) happened to those justices who were involved in gop corruption cases or as in our state’s case, the governers race. </p>
<p>No matter how innocent it might have been (doubtful) it comes across again with ham fists for the bush admin. Topped again by basic lying by administration when pressed and the attempt to replace them via the patriot act. </p>
<p>If this kind of behavor continues and the gop stands behind Bush, the next election will put more democrats in power and the presidency. Then we will swing the other way and we’ll lose perspective again. </p>
<p>All I want is some balance… I want NO stupid ideas from EITHER party dumped on the American people until THEY fight it out. The last 6 years have done damage to the country, just as before when the demos controlled everything. We have proven that we are a country that can’t run fairly with one party holding all the power. So, I look at the latest situation from the wh and shake my head because at the end of the day, the wh has just ensured more demo’s to be elected into former gop offices. </p>
<p>Supporting this pres till the end will damage the gop and strengthen the demos.</p>
<p>When one is away from this for a while and returns–it really is funny. I personally can’t wait for Mrs. Clinton to be President so all of you can take a breather from your paranoia and have the opportunity to rest easy when she installs her government personnel who will be * as pure as the driven snow.*</p>
<p>I don’t care about “pure as the driven snow”. I’m just waiting for basic competence, unlike the keystone cops hacks that have clearly been the norm in the current administration.</p>
<p>Alberto
Brownie
Kyle “I’m just an aggregator of input” Sampson</p>
<p>Don’t forget Rummy and Ashcroft.</p>
<p>Wasn’t Bush supposed to be the “business” President? </p>
<p>As Chairman/CEO, he’s doing a pretty ****-poor job - hiring (not to mention praising) incompetents for their ideology/loyalty rather than their competency/expertise/management skills (but then again, Dubya wasn’t exactly the best businessman in his private life).</p>
<p>^^^There is a whole generation out there who will not be able to cope unless they have BUSH on which to blame every single dang problem in their lives. Their teachers, professors, etc. have encouraged this. Once Mrs. Clinton is President, it will be cognitive dissonance for them. They really think St. Clinton or St. Obama will solve all of their and the country’s problems.</p>
<p>I guess that includes many “old school” Republicans such as myself (btw, there is plenty of EVIDENCE which backs up Bush and his underlings’ incompetency).</p>
<p>Hillary for President - uhm, NO THANKS!</p>
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</p>
<p>I think the old-school Republicans may be angrier at Bush and his hack-filled administration than anyone. Not just the botched Iraq invasion and occupation, but the out-of-control budget deficits.</p>
<p>The old saw about “tax and spend” Democrats loses a little of it’s teeth when it comes from a “don’t tax and spend” administration with a reckless attitude toward fiscal responsibility.</p>
<p>“I think the old-school Republicans may be angrier at Bush and his hack-filled administration than anyone.”</p>
<p>That’s been my experience. In the legal community you meet a lot of smart, steadfast small-government Republicans and libertarians. They’re so frustrated that a lot of them have basically dropped out of the political scene and don’t even talk about it any more.</p>
<p>It’s not a matter of good or bad job.</p>
<p>It’s “high crimes and misdemeanors”. (It will be interesting if they decide to give Goodling immunity.)</p>
<p>High crimes and misdemeanors still require evidence. If there is any, it will be produced. Anything else is just noise.</p>
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Similar to the one which blamed everything on Clinton.</p>
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Not really. They just think they could not possibly make things any worse.</p>
<p>I don’t project saintliness on any of the Democratic contenders. I worked on the Hill for only a short while but long enough to know that’s a quality not often found or even particularly useful. However, any of the leading Democratic contenders offer above-average competence at worst and I think that Hillary has gotten positively Teutonic as she’s aged. The contrast between the Dem contenders and the Bush administration on the basic issue of competence is staggering.</p>