Buzzflash: Bush's Director for U.S. Attorneys Mysteriously Resigns

[demobabe]

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

The "unprecedented" U.S. Attorney firing scandal keeps getting weirder. It was revealed today that Michael Battle, the director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, will resign on March 16.

Battle personally informed the fired attorneys of their removal, but the Department of Justice insists he was not involved in the actual decision making process (he allegedly told them the order had come from 'on high'"). A spokesperson also said the timing is merely a coincidence and "is not connected to the U.S. attorney controversy whatsoever."

In fact, the DoJ now claims he had informed them of his resignation as long ago as last summer, which would have been just a year since he began working in June 2005.

Congressional Democrats are understandably skeptical. Sen. Charles Schumer wondered whether Battle's resignation was merely "another casualty of the U.S. attorney's imbroglio."

"The Administration's explanation of Mr. Battle's apparent resignation is as murky as everything else they have told us about this case," said Rep. Linda Sanchez. "I look forward to hearing the testimony of the fired federal prosecutors so we can get closer to the truth of what happened."

Full Story here: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/189

[aquart]

1. Aww. Missed his chance to resign in protest.

And will now slip down the drain of history.

[MADem]

6. Or maybe he was the 21st century equivalent of a "Cox Sacker"

the role Robert BORK took on after Elliot Richardson refused to do the dreadful deed.

He probably figures if there's any questions, he'll be called to answer, and he's leaving to prep and lawyer-up himself...

[Lasher]

14. 'Cox Sacker', that's sick!

Tee hee hee :D

[MADem]

16. It used to be on a bumper sticker, back in the seventies.

IMPEACH THE COX SACKER....meaning, of course, Nixon.

[Richard Steele]

2. The fact that ANYONE is resigning tells us this is a MAJOR problem for B*shCabal™.

Bigger than we think it is. YET.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

4. Warm up the subpoena machine. Nothing will ever come of this unless

there are subpoenas issued, hearings scheduled, oaths administered and these asswipes on the record. The one constant with all these BushCo flunkies - they are chickenshits. They will sell each other down the river to save their own hides. They will turn on each other so fast they will all have a severe cases of whiplashitis.

The first question they should be asked by the Congress Critters, "Can you spell perjury? Do you know what it means?" They might want to call Scooter for clarification.

[struggle4progress]

11. Guessin he caint claim executive privilege once he ain't with the executive branch

[Canuckistanian]

7. I think this is the tip of a very dirty iceberg

Neocons don't just resign for symbolic purposes.

They're afraid.

[Richard Steele]

9. Exactly what I'm thinking as well. nm

[habitual]

3. out of curiosity, does his resignation change the way he could be subpeona'd

Is there a requirement for him to testify as long as he is in his position that he can avoid by leaving it?

[Canuckistanian]

8. Nope. In fact, it strips away any protections he has.

That's what makes it so mysterious.

UNLESS... it frees up his time so he can get properly lawyered up.

No, that can't be it. Political appointees like this don't have to worry about job performance....

[grasswire]

5. when's Paul McNulty going?

He is the Bush FIXER in the DoJ, appointed from U.S. Attorney in the rocket docket of Alexandria to *Deputy AG* over the heads of other career servants. In my opinion, McNulty is the hatchet man here.

You may remember McNulty as the face of the post-election recount in Florida.

[yellowcanine]

10. The wheels are coming off the cart. who the hell is in charge anymore?

Rove has been emasuculated since he escaped the Plame scandal with his neck and his job intact. Since then nothing has worked. They are just drifting.

[Divernan]

12. Battle parroted Bush rhetoric, saying Patriot Act did not compromise civil liberties.

It is obscene to me, as a lawyer, that ANY lawyer would enable BushCo. to strip away our civil rights
by lying to the public as to the effects of the Patriot Act. But when a BLACK lawyer does so - I simply cannot wrap my mind around it! Without those civil rights which so many black (as well as white) Americans fought, suffered and sometimes were lynched for, Battle would never have had the opportunities to gain admission to college, let alone law school, nor would he have ever been considered for such a high level job within the federal government. To me, his actions (in justifying Bush - not re this informing the U.S. attys. they were "asked to resign") spit on the graves of MLK and Rosa Parks. Whatever person was in his administrative office would have carried out the orders to get rid of the U.S.Attorneys - that was administrative. (Although, as another poster pointed out, he could have resigned in protest.)

It is his statement that the Patriot Act expressly protects civil liberties which so grossly offends me. That said, I hope he is subpoenaed to testify on this matter, because his reference that the orders came from "on high" means he can quote a higher up - probably Gonzales - with some incriminating language.

(Here's the quote from the OP's link)
"News of Battle's resignation comes just days after the resignations of two top military officials following the Walter Reed Hospital scandal. Battle has long been a loyal member of the Bush Administration, having been appointed a U.S. Attorney in 2002 before his current position. In an online Q&A for WhiteHouse.gov in 2005, Battle parroted Bush rhetoric, going so far as to claim that "Far from compromising our civil liberties, the PATRIOT Act expressly protects them."

[liberal N proud]

13. The trail of destruction left by the bu$h regime will take decades to recover

The damage this regime is doing to this republic is so far spread and so damaging that it will take decades just to make what they have done in 7 years right.

What will we learn once they are all out of power?

[Thor_MN]

15. Mr. Battle better fly commercial, and avoid puddle jumpers...

No doubt his office is getting/has been shredded.

[northzax]

17. more 'performance issues'?

how sad.

[progressoid]

18. This is getting curiouser and curiouser and curiouser.

[truthisfreedom]

19. Note the timing. They waited for the Libby trial results. Smells of rove.

Stench is overpowering.

[pfitz59]

20. Michael Battles

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/mbattle-bio.html

Judging by his White House bio he seems to be more than just a political hack (AKA: Gonzales). Maybe he resigned for ethical reasons? (Couldn't stand the stench anymore!)

http://www.ithaca.edu/icq/1996v1/battle.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-07-20-oppose_x.htm

Then again... maybe he's just a another freaking token... (AKA: Gonzales, Rice)