U.S. attorney scandal widens

[Joanne98]

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
EDITORIALS>>U.S. attorney scandal widens
BY ERNIE DUMAS

A sheaf of Justice Department memos that arrived on Capitol Hill Monday confirmed what had only been a strong suspicion: The White House intended to fully consolidate the entire federal criminal justice system into its political operation. The primary duty of every United States district attorney was to move along the Republican political agenda and see to it that Republicans were elected in the next election.

Not even lip service was given to the faded ideas of the independent prosecutor and impartial justice under the law. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ chief of staff, whose name appeared most often on the telltale correspondence with the White House, promptly resigned.

White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers, who it turned out had told Gonzales two years ago that President Bush wanted him to fire all 93 district attorneys, each of them appointed by Bush, and install more loyal Republicans, had resigned in January soon after the purge of “disloyal” Republican prosecutors but before her role was known.

Even Republican senators were hinting that Gonzales himself should resign, and yesterday he took the blame for the mess but said he would stay on and fix things. He had one small defense.

He had spurned Bush’s desire to fire all the district attorneys in the United States. Indeed he did, but his explanation at the time was that it would be “disruptive,” not that it would be unconscionable. It is hard to see how Gonzales and the Department of Justice can recover a semblance of trust that they will be the impartial tribunes of justice across the land.

One other resignation or dismissal ought to be imminent: Tim Griffin, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Arkansas, a former political operative for Karl Rove and a mastermind of Republican voter suppression activities in Florida and elsewhere in 2000 and 2004.
http://www.arkansasleader.com/2007/03/editorialsus-attorney-scandal-widens.html

[solara]

1. Keep this kicked!

K&R :kick:


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT INCARCERATE :patriot:

[graywarrior]

2. Why doesn't this entire admistration just roll over and die.

Jesus H.

[robinlynne]

3. in absolute agreement.

[glitch]

20. Zombies are already dead. K & R nt

[diane in sf]

23. I generally don't believe in the death penalty

but for this admninistration and its friends I'd make an exception. If their bus had taken a plunge before they were in office think about how many lives would have been spared. They are mass murderers.

[cassiepriam]

4. Hey, how else you going to keep a dictatorship alive and well?

You have to take over the media, the courts, the congress.

[jimshoes]

5. Oh the wheels are coming off this

*co train for real now. Kickity kick.:kick:

[ninkasi]

6. The widespread corruption

of the Bush administration, and their smug arrogance, shows how badly the Republic Congress bungled their jobs. There was zero oversight, and they are the perfect example of a Rubber-stamp Congress. It's mind blowing to think about how many other scandals will be uncovered now that Dems are in control.

Our country has been led by a criminal organization for 6 long, painful, costly years, and it's past time to put a stop to it. I agree that Gonzales should be fired, but I also want to see Bush and Cheney impeached, tried, and convicted. The damage they have done not just to the American people, but to the world is a disgrace. Bush had already earned the title of worst president in U.S. history, now he can also be called the most criminal and corrupt.

[Hestia]

7. Wow! Cudo's to the Leader for writing this! They got a Major

printing coup a couple of months ago, now it is showing in their writing. Well done Leader for printing Ernie Dumas! Good one!

Here are some of his editorials from the Ark Times:

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/Category.aspx?CategoryID=3beea60d-ec9e-4463-b6da-de720eb727eb

[cascadiance]

8. He was probably reading DU the day before!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2685750&mesg_id=2685750

Perhaps even TPM Muckraker was, according to Robbien! He and I just were high fiving each other in messages today!

[The River]

9. We Knew This Was Coming

Maybe not this specific scandal, but that multiple serious scandals
would come to light once Congress changed hands and Dems took control
of the various Committees.

Our Dems may not be perfect...far from it actually BUT,
they are a hell of a lot better than any of the Republic Congress critters.
We may not get out of Iraq as fast as we'd like
or get *bush & shooter impeached as fast as we'd like (if ever)
but another 2 years of uncovering 6 years worth of
Republic-scum scandals will insure that Democrats take the
WH in 08 with Super-majorities in both Houses.

Put your popcorn makers and HI and rip the knob off.
The show is going to be running 24/7 till Jan '09!

[roseBudd]

10. OMG I know someone on DU remembers and may have the misrouted email mentioned

"Tim Griffin apparently was the prototype of the men the White House wanted. Emails from Griffin to the Bush re-election campaign in 2004 about suppressing Democratic votes in Florida found their way into the wrong hands because he typed in the wrong domain."

It went to whitehouse.org. I remember those emails. I may have it at work as I know I forwared the file.

[seafan]

13. Get yer Tim Griffin "caging FL" e-mails here.

Yep, this is the same Tim Griffin that the Bush administration inserted as a US Attorney in Arkansas, after firing the existing US Attorney there.

I expect this is why Mr. Griffin suddenly got cold feet and withdrew his name from serving in this position further.



Here is the BBC story from October 26, 2004, describing this illegal voter caging in Florida:

New Florida vote scandal feared

By Greg Palast
Reporting for Newsnight

26 October, 2004


A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts, a BBC Newsnight investigation reveals.

Two e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in Florida and the campaign's national research director in Washington DC, contain a 15-page so-called "caging list".

It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida.

An elections supervisor in Tallahassee, when shown the list, told Newsnight: "The only possible reason why they would keep such a thing is to challenge voters on election day."

Ion Sancho, a Democrat, noted that Florida law allows political party operatives inside polling stations to stop voters from obtaining a ballot.

.....

According to one of the e-mails in the link below, dated August 26, 2004, the "National Research Director" named in the BBC piece above is, none other than:

Tim Griffin
Research Director and
Deputy Communications Director
Republican National Committee
310 First Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003



It's time to send in the federal marshals for this entire administration.


E-mails at this link:

[jazzjunkysue]

11. Geeze. Glad I don't have any staff members who need to "resign."

Seems like everyone who has a staff member "resign" these days has a little problem with their boss breaking the law and the constitution.

I mean, just forget the judges, juries and lawsuits: Simply hang anyone who's chief of staff resigns in the next 2 years.

[byronius]

12. k&r

[Morgana LaFey]

14. OMG. That's starkly put, isn't it?

A sheaf of Justice Department memos that arrived on Capitol Hill Monday confirmed what had only been a strong suspicion: The White House intended to fully consolidate the entire federal criminal justice system into its political operation. The primary duty of every United States district attorney was to move along the Republican political agenda and see to it that Republicans were elected in the next election.

Of course, there were a few other goals as well: shutting down Carol Lam, and so forth.

[Diane R]

15. Our local U.S. Attorney, James McDevitt, certainly fits the profile. Rabid bush supporter.

[glitch]

22. Maybe DU should put out a call to all DUers asking them to look at their local USAs.

We really need to know what "investigations" the bushbots that weren't fired were pursuing, because it sure as hell looks like they were manufacturing cases against Democrats in preparation for vote suppression in 2008.

[ClayZ]

16. Kick and R

[Senator]

17. Finally, the magic words ... "NEXT ELECTION"

That's what's missing from all the Euphemedia babbling.

Please all, email everywhere you can that "This Is About Stealing 2008."

---

[IWantAChange]

18. Arkansas Leader? Uh oh, mainstream America isn't just watching American Idol - Repukes beware.

You have nowhere to hide - the curtain is going up and all your slime-ball tactics are going to shine in the light of day and there is going to be hell to pay.

[formercia]

19. The whole point:

"The White House intended to fully consolidate the entire federal criminal justice system into its political operation. The primary duty of every United States district attorney was to move along the Republican political agenda and see to it that Republicans were elected in the next election."

Heil Bush!

[Left Brain]

21. just logged in to KnR

most excellent!