Ironic Quotes
As part of the scandal over the politics behind the dismissal of several U.S. Attorneys, pages of e-mails have been released from the Justice Department. They reveal a plan to fire prosecutors who weren’t displaying appropriate loyalty to the Republican party. Based on the testimony of the axed attorneys, some refused to bring indictments against Democratic officials, despite pressure from Republican lawmakers who felt they could use the justice system as part of their election strategy.
All of the e-mails seem pretty damning. The part that struck a nerve with me was an e-mail from Alberto Gonzales’ chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, regarding replacing one attorney with a friend of Karl Rove. From the Post:
When Arkansas senators balked at installing Karl Rove protégé Tim Griffin in the U.S. attorney’s job there, Sampson recommended that the department “gum this to death.” If the senators ultimately balk, he said, “then we can tell them we’ll look for other candidates . . . and otherwise run out the clock. All of this should be done in ‘good faith’ of course.” Of course.
The emphasis is mine.
The fact that the chief of staff for the U.S. Attorney General would ironically indicate, in writing, that he in fact has no intention of acting in good faith when it comes to appointing someone to serve the people of Arkansas is quite disturbing. Fortunately, Sampson stepped down on Tuesday.
So will Gonzales follow? You can place your bets at Intrade. Click “Current Events” on the left, then “White House.”
