Of Mountains, Molehills and Inside Baseball

I generally avoid inside baseball political discussions, such as Plamegate/Libby, or the US attorney firings. This story though, has gotten completely out of hand. I’m no fan of Alberto Gonzales, but these are patronage positions people! He can fire them for whatever reason he wants, and this administration has not been a big offender (if one must see it as an offense) in this kind of thing. There is no there there. Contrast this administration with the last one. Pay attention to the bold text.

From the New York Times:

March 26, 1993, Friday, Late Edition – Final

HEADLINE: Backsliding at the White House; Justice Disrupted

Any hope that the Clinton Administration would operate a Justice Department free of political taint — or even the appearance of political taint — grew dim yesterday when the White House confirmed that it would dismiss the U.S. Attorney investigating one of its chief Congressional allies.

When Attorney General Janet Reno first announced the blanket dismissal of about 70 United States Attorneys who are Bush Administration holdovers, her aides said she might exempt those needed to wrap up significant investigations. But yesterday the White House, making clear once more that Ms. Reno is not fully in charge at the Justice Department, removed most of that fig leaf of an exception.

President Clinton’s spokesman, George Stephanopoulos, said that some top prosecutors who are tied up in trials would be allowed to complete them, but most others would have to go. Their investigations would be continued by lower-ranking staff attorneys.

Those booted out would include U.S. Attorney Jay Stephens of the District of Columbia, who, Mr. Stephanopoulos noted, “is not in the middle of a trial.” But Mr. Stephens is in the middle of an investigation of irregularities in the House of Representatives and a detailed financial auditing of one of the most powerful House Democrats, Dan Rostenkowski, chairman of Ways and Means.

Mr. Stephens, who is known to enjoy cases with political overtones, is just the lawyer to credibly investigate Congressional Democrats, but the Clinton Justice Department won’t be waiting for his recommendation for or against prosecution.

Traditionally, U.S. Attorneys are not turned out in a sweep like other Presidential appointees. To avoid the appearance of political justice, they are retained until the President is ready to exercise his undoubted right to replace them.

The unseemly rush to clean out Republican investigators even before the Administration has filled most top slots at Justice looks awful in an area where appearances count heavily. Until the White House gets its fingerprints off the department, there can be no start on the promised regime of justice above politics at Justice.

It is the Bush administration which has acted in the traditional manner, the last one did not. It really doesn’t matter because, as it says above, it is the President’s right.

Anonymous Liberal posts about the e-mail which will “take down Alberto Gonzales.”

Translation: we’re going to invoke Section 546 and make Tim Griffin the U.S. Attorney, but we’re not going to tell anyone that’s what we’re doing. In fact, we’re going to placate Congress by going through the motions of the normal appointment process while actually engaging in a deliberate, bad faith stalling campaign. Sampson even puts “good faith” in quotes, which is priceless.

My translation, typical DC politics are going on and it is not unique to the Bush administration. What administration hasn’t done this kind of thing? How does it compare with talking about “justice over politics” and then firing everybody?

Hillary Clinton wants Alberto to step down. I think the administrations response should be, “he will, as soon as you and all those associated with the purge in 1993 do so as well. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander (actually maybe it should be the other way around.)

Patterico does a very good job of dissecting those e-mails, so don’t waste anymore time with me, go there.

[tags] Alberto Gonzales, US Attorney’s [/tags