Comments on: Virtually unprecedented

Virtually unprecedented

delmoi — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:20:26 -0800

Carol Lam was the first one to receive much publicity. A federal prosecutor fired for not making guns and drugs a top priority. She was also Duke Cunningham's prosecutor. No big deal, she just hadn't prosecuted many cases during her tenure. Except that Lawyers called the firing "virtually unprecedented And FBI people claimed the firing would jeopardize cases. Then there was Daniel Bogden, a federal prosecutor in Nevada was also canned for "fostering low morale". And actually it turns out that as many as many as eight federal prosecutors have been fired in the past two months.

By: mds35

mds35 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:41:03 -0800

More dots, please. Will connect.

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:47:43 -0800

youtube vid of Feinstein discussing plans to address this.

By: suckerpunch

suckerpunch — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:48:04 -0800

All I know right now is from Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo blog. Does anyone else know any evidence to back this up?

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:49:38 -0800

Also, my speculation is two fold, the one in San Fransisco could be a bid to launch investigations into Pelosi in an attempt to bring her house to a screeching halt. The rest seem to be either attempts to protect dirty senators from future "embarrassments," and or bush co's dirty corporate masters.

By: suckerpunch

suckerpunch — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:52:15 -0800

One more links : from TMP Muckraker, detailing the laws in play with respect to the interim replacements.

By: suckerpunch

suckerpunch — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:53:49 -0800

Son of a bitch. "One more link", not "One more links", and the actual link is here, not above.

By: Heywood Mogroot

Heywood Mogroot — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:58:03 -0800

the clot thickens...

By: pruner

pruner — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:58:33 -0800

sourbrew - The rest seem to be either attempts to protect dirty senators from future "embarrassments," and or bush co's dirty corporate masters. you don't think making an RNC oppo researcher US Attorney for the Eastern district of Arkansas might have something to do with Hillary Clinton's expected White House bid?

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:00:44 -0800

"you don't think making an RNC oppo researcher US Attorney for the Eastern district of Arkansas might have something to do with Hillary Clinton's expected White House bid?" That's true, that would make some solid sense. I guess I just consider her candidacy so laughable I glossed over that.

By: pruner

pruner — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:00:59 -0800

here's another link to TPM regarding my above comment.

By: specialk420

specialk420 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:14:12 -0800

uhhh... call your senators please tomorrow? and maybe your local media (like that is really going to make a difference).

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:19:28 -0800

It would make sense for the GOP to begin to place foot soldiers in place to open up trumped up phony investigations of prominent Democrats. Seems to me that after Watergate the strategy was to even the score on the executive level by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Clinton (and all they got was a guy who likes the ladies. Yawn.). I imagine now that the house and the senate are in Dem hands they need to staunch the flood of corruption charges that are going to begin hitting the light of day. What better way to do this. This is one to watch as the pattern of "gaming the system" on this has a unique imprint on it (i.e. Rove). And you know how we joke around here about Bush declaring a third term and all that...well I'm starting to think it might not be beyond the realm of possibility. Kudos on Fienstein.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:22:17 -0800

Hmm, turns out the ability to appoint attorneys on an 'interim basis' is part of the patriot act Cute.

By: pruner

pruner — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:39:20 -0800

I kindly request that the "shenanigans" tag be added to this post.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:21:17 -0800

So the Patriot Act is a weapon against terrorists and federal prosecutors? What an amazing law.

By: jamjam

jamjam — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:36:35 -0800

He's appointing a bunch of little Ken Starrs. Bush is sending the Dems a very simple and straightforward message: "go after me and my dogs will go after you." No act of corruption is beyond this degraded administration. Great post.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:36:39 -0800

Yeah, I'd love to hear the argument for why it's in the Patriot act. And what in the hell else is in there?

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:37:58 -0800

"She has shown a certain tunnel vision in her prosecutions and has exercised an appalling lack of discretion in terms of the individuals she has targeted for prosecution and the classes of crimes that she has chosen to direct her resources at," said criminal defense attorney Geoffrey C. Morrison, who represented a defendant in the City Hall corruption case prosecuted by Lam's office. i can't think of a way to translate this statement that wouldn't be utterly offensive, can you?

By: IronWolve

IronWolve — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:39:02 -0800

This is why Riders on bills should be limited. End of PAC's and Riders on bills NOW! Also, isnt this misconduct or abuse of power of the whitehouse?

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:40:04 -0800

you know our president ... he can't imagine what the hell power would be for if he couldn't abuse it

By: Relay

Relay — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:27:25 -0800

I've said it before: Spandau for every last member of Bush's cabinet and those that enabled them.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:20:40 -0800

I wouldn't doubt for a moment that Rove is gunning to give Bush another kick at the Presidency, by hook or by crook. And what's Bush got to lose by going along with it? The American people are too gutless to impeach him, let alone execute him for treason.

By: rudster

rudster — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 01:10:15 -0800

I love it when reading Metafilter makes me nauseous. Strange to think these prosecutors were most likely all appointed by turdblossom et al in the first place; a quick check already confirms that this is the case for Daniel Bogden and John Mckay. Ce que le salaud veut, Dieu veut, I guess. While we're on cute, this is particularly juicy, if true: " Conceivably, Griffin could serve as interim U.S. attorney indefinitely."

By: i_am_a_Jedi

i_am_a_Jedi — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:01:38 -0800

These are dark days.

By: i_am_a_Jedi

i_am_a_Jedi — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:20:00 -0800

Here's another one "stepping down" today.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:29:03 -0800

Goddamm, Canada really is looking better and better every day.

By: intermod

intermod — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:30:37 -0800

From the second link: "Lam, 47, has been criticized by members of the Border Patrol agents union and by members of Congress, including Vista Republican Darrell Issa, who accused her office of 'an appalling record of refusal to prosecute even the worst criminal alien offenders.'". Darrell Issa? Hmmmmm.

By: pax digita

pax digita — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:44:16 -0800

So, is this reward-friends-and-punish-enemies partisan politics as usual, or is there some conspiracy theory here that I'm not getting, or some of both? I'm not trying to be snarky, but I'm wondering what the reaction would be if the shoes were all on other feet here.

By: nofundy

nofundy — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:02:36 -0800

Let me give you a brief summary pax digita : unprecedented.

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:14:50 -0800

Well, I guess our sniveling little eunuchs in the Congress shouldn't have been so hasty to vote on the Patriot Act without reading it. This is what they wanted, right?

By: pax digita

pax digita — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:29:20 -0800

"Unprecedented" aye. And with a thumb firmly on the fast-forward button. So -- next we'll see the 22nd Amendment repealed as unconstitutional, I wonder?

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 07:13:32 -0800

It's just a cheerleader looking out for rugby players.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:53:02 -0800

Specter, you're doing a heck of a job.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:03:22 -0800

Alberto Gonzales Should Be Impeached

By: nofundy

nofundy — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:02:59 -0800

Andrew Jackson is green with envy (and mold.)

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:07:35 -0800

Earlier versions of the bill did not contain the provision, which grants authority to the Attorney General to replace U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval. When the House and the Senate first voted in favor of the legislation, the provision did not exist. Instead, the tweak was inserted during the conference committee(at the request of the justice department), where lawmakers from the House and Senate reconcile discrepancies in the two versions and craft a final bill. In an unusual move, Republicans blocked Democrats from participating in many of the committee's activities. This needs to be de-blogged and put front and center of the American public. (Hello Newshour? Washington Post? New York Times? Are you there??)

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:30:00 -0800

In other news: Gonzales: NSA Wiretapping Now Subject to Court Approval

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:18:56 -0800

Dems to AG: How Many Prosecutors Have You Pushed Out?

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:22:05 -0800

FLASHBACK: Bush Administration Pushed Out Lead Prosecutor On Abramoff Case

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:01:24 -0800

The Bush administration is trying to protect itself by purging independent-minded prosecutors.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:54:11 -0800

GOP Antics May Have Led to Destroyed Scandal Evidence

By: homunculus

homunculus — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:41:11 -0800

Gonzales appoints political loyalists into vacant U.S. attorneys slots

By: russilwvong

russilwvong — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:46:51 -0800

pax digita: So, is this reward-friends-and-punish-enemies partisan politics as usual, or is there some conspiracy theory here that I'm not getting, or some of both? Not politics as usual. All of these federal prosecutors were appointed by the President. The difference is that in the past they had to be confirmed by the Senate, so they couldn't be too partisan. But as of March, appointments of federal prosecutors no longer require Senate approval. List of replacements from McClatchy Newspapers (formerly Knight-Ridder).

By: homunculus

homunculus — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:40:48 -0800

Ousted Prosecutor to Hold Presser on Indictments Contractor, CIA Former #3 Indicted