SmallGovTimes.com

By: Benjamin Amis | Published on 04/23/07    

For weeks, the Democrat Party has relentlessly criticized the Attorney General and President Bush for the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys under suspicious circumstances concerning policy. Now many in Gonzales’ own party are picking away at his career as the top executive in the Department of Justice.

Many political analysts, like Dick Morris and even formerly elected GOPers -- including possible presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) -- are calling for the resignation of the Texas native.

Several of those Republicans argue that this clarion call is not the result of a disagreement with the original decision of his department but a result of what they believe will hurt the party in general and, for the good of the party, think he should step down. They see this case as another prime opportunity for a low-blow by the other side of the aisle, as Republicans are likely looking at an uphill battle in the 2008 elections with Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and no obvious front-runner for the White House.

So, should Atty. Gen. Gonzales take the fall for his party? Clinton did not see much heat when he fired all ninety-three U.S. Attorneys at the start of his presidency, so what is the big stink about nine of them now? According to Democrats, the controversy is over the disagreement between the President and the Attorneys over policy. To editorialize for a moment, Clinton’s firing of all of the Attorneys was different because they were all let go with no showing of favoritism. Who is to say, then, that Slick Willy did not terminate all of his U.S. Attorneys based on policy disagreements? Granted, Bill's honesty was second to none, but the question still stands.

His predecessor was George H.W. Bush, a conservative Republican. The attorneys nominated by Bush 41 would certainly have disagreements with the new administration and clear grounds for dismissal. That is the constitutional right and prerogative of the President, whether it is nine or ninety-three; it is always the job of the President to set public policy, which effects how criminal cases are handled in our courts and in turn results in the appropriate selection of prosecutors in office.

Gonzales has appeared in several hearings in Congress in an attempt to discover the reason behind the firings. Most of it has been used as a Bush-bashing session by the majority party. It is yet to be seen if Gonzales will resign, but this will definitely remain as a dark cloud over the head of the entire administration for some time to come.

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