Bush Administration has itself to blame for prosecutor-gate

[ck4829]

The Bush Administration considered firing ALL prosecutors at the start of Bush's second term.

The President has the right to fire prosecutors as he sees fit, but I don't think there would have been all that much of a scandal if they fired all of them and not just the ones for political reasons.

Looks like they brought it down upon themselves.

[Kagemusha]

1. That's how I see it, personally. A political enemies' list reeks worse

because then one looks into precisely what investigations were stopped, or precisely which investigations the prosecutors fired refused to engage in because they were without factual merit, even though they would have been of great political use to the administration.

I also continue to note that they only actually fired people after they got their way on the renewal of the Patriot Act, allowing them to replace US Attorneys without Senate confirmation, ever, because they think US Attorneys should not only serve at the pleasure of the President, but perform for the pleasure of the President's politics regardless of the law enforcement merit of a particular action.

[Justice]

2. I agree - if they had fired everyone, probably not much of a scandal

What continues to not get much press is a focus on those prosecutors who were not fired - and Krugman's piece which highlighted their apparent willingness (at least by some and at least in part) to do the bidding of the WH and the RNC.

[Ian David]

3. The Pearl Harbor Day Massacre goes ALL way to Bush. n/t

[rateyes]

4. And, the worst part is...

they can name the replacements and keep them there without Senate confirmation.