Ann Coulter might be right, but Krauthammer is more right

[Bluemoon_Rising]

Jewish World Review March 23, 2007
Unnecessary scandal
By Charles Krauthammer

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Alberto Gonzales has to go. I say this with no pleasure — he's a decent and honorable man — and without the slightest expectation that his departure will blunt the Democratic assault on the Bush administration over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. In fact, it will probably inflame their blood lust, which is why the president might want to hang on to Gonzales at least through this crisis. That might be tactically wise. But in time, and the sooner the better, Gonzales must resign.

It's not a question of probity but of competence. Gonzales has allowed a scandal to be created where there was none. That is quite an achievement. He had a two-foot putt and he muffed it.

How could he allow his aides to go to Capitol Hill unprepared and misinformed and therefore give inaccurate and misleading testimony? How could Gonzales permit his deputy to say that the prosecutors were fired for performance reasons when all he had to say was that U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and the president wanted them replaced?

And why did Gonzales have to claim that the firings were done with no coordination with the White House? That's absurd. Why shouldn't there be White House involvement? That is nothing to be defensive about. Does anyone imagine that Janet Reno fired all 93 U.S. attorneys in March 1993, giving them all of 10 days to clear out, without White House involvement?

[EveningStar]

Direct link to article (http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/krauthammer032307.php3)

[Maggie_T]

I have utmost respect for Krauthammer. He is one of the most brilliant conservatives out there.

The more I read about this non-scandal, the more despondent I become. Do the estimable ladies and gentlemen in the GOP have a death wish? If so, for Pete's sake, just shoot yourselves (in the head, this time; not the foot) and have done with it. Leave room for those who actually wish to stand for something (and against other things). Or for a third party to become the second.

Enough of all this cowering, hand-wringing, and letting democrats (democrats, of all people!) sit in judgement on you. :flame:

[noncom]

How could Gonzales permit his deputy to say that the prosecutors were fired for performance reasons when all he had to say was that U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and the president wanted them replaced?

And why did Gonzales have to claim that the firings were done with no coordination with the White House? That's absurd. Why shouldn't there be White House involvement? That is nothing to be defensive about.
Gonzales can't be blamed for any of this. It is the President's job to stand up to Congress - no one else can take on that role.

Once again, Bush was "compassionate" to the people trying to knife him, and left his own man to twist in the wind. For Gonzales to stand up and try to defend the Constitution with the President undermining him at every turn would have done nothing but add farce to the tragedy.

And Maggie, this isn't the fault of "the ladies and gentlemen in the GOP" either. This lack of Republican leadership is nearly all ONE guy's fault. And right now he's one of the lamest lame ducks this country has ever had.

Bush will only be heading the Republican Party for a little bit longer. Shortly before the Primaries begin (and I mean the real Primaries, not this pre-season media circus crap), Bush's influence will have outlived its usefulness, and the rest of us will be completely free to rebuild the Party in a new image.

Sure, the seven McCainiacs will have their fair share of input into that process - as well they should - but that fair share will be a very, very tiny one. Because (no matter what the hell the media keep repeating) there is most definitely NOT a huge groundswell of Republicans - either at the "grass roots" or at the top levels - hoping for another 8 years of moderate appeasement.

[Maggie_T]

And Maggie, this isn't the fault of "the ladies and gentlemen in the GOP" either. This lack of Republican leadership right now is nearly all ONE guy's fault. And right now he's one of the lamest lame ducks this country has ever had.


Indeed, he is. But I differ with you about Bush being the only one to blame. I see most of our elected officials as a pack of whimpery, cowardly, spineless morons, who seem to be deadly afraid of angering the democrats and their minions in the drive-by media.

Just my opinion. And I'm entitled to it.

[noncom]

I see most of our elected officials as a pack of whimpery, cowardly, spineless morons, who seem to be deadly afraid of angering the democrats and their minions in the drive-by media.
Yeah, that's called Congress. Collectively it's always been like that and it always will be like that. In fact, it was a lot worse in the 80's than it is now.

Just like a pack of dogs: they're nothing but a bunch of sniveling, backbiting cowards - when they don't have a strong leader. And in exactly the same way, the moderates (on both sides of the aisle) might LOOK vicious, but deep down inside they desperately want nothing in the world more than someone to fall in behind.

[Maggie_T]

Then we agree.

[Bluemoon_Rising]

Gonzales can't be blamed for any of this. It is the President's job to stand up to Congress - no one else can take on that role.

Once again, Bush was "compassionate" to the people trying to knife him, and left his own man to twist in the wind. For Gonzales to stand up and try to defend the Constitution with the President undermining him at every turn would have done nothing but add farce to the tragedy.

Got to disagree with you on this one, noncom . . . sort of. This mess is Bush's fault in one sense and one sense only. He appointed Gonzales and therefore is ultimately responsible for this man's incompetency. Incompetency! Beyond that it is not strictly "the [p]residents job to stand up to Congress", but firstly the job of those he appoints, the job of his policy enforcers.

When has Gonzales stood up and effectively defended the presidency in this matter? He’s a disastrous spokesman. His attempts have been weak, contradictory, unnecessarily apologetic, whining and at times, incomprehensible. By his idiotic denials of the obvious for things that were perfectly acceptable and correct as if there were something improper about them is what has allowed the Democrats -- preying on the ignorance of their constituency -- and their willing accomplices in the MSM to generate this phony scandal. Gonzales lied. Stupid. And he lied about things that were perfectly proper.

U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. Period. The president wanted some new faces. End of discussion.

The president did not undermine this man. He needs no help in that department. After admitting that mistakes were made, after taking Gonzales’ ass to the woodshed, and rightly so, the president told Congress that he would not play the game on its terms.

While the president has better things to do than to be constantly wiping his appointees’ asses and cleaning up their messes, he did in fact stand up to Congress.

The essence of common American liberalism, in addition to being mostly baby talk, is demagoguery, falsehood, slander, corruption. We have decades of experience about how leftist thugs operate. Act according; that is to say, appoint strong, competent spokesmen, and get rid of their asses if and when they prove themselves to be dolts.

The conservative cause is bigger than the hurt feelings of one incompetent crony from Texas; it deserves better than Gonzales.

Yes, in that sense, Bush is ultimately responsible for failing us.

For the moment, however, it makes sense to back Gonzales until this thing blows over and then quitely show him the door.

[DesertFox]

Gonzalez isn't up to the job. He, as Bush, isn't confrontational but get-along by nature. Neither he NOR Bush has done the job in this instance.

[MrSanity]

As much as I enjoy Ann Coulter, her columns have reached a consistent theme of "Double Standards for Republicans." I don't know if I entirely agree with Krauthammer - particularly in asking Gonzales to resign. I'm sick of giving the Democrats any head on a silver platter they desire. After they topped off on this non-criminal investigation, I lost even the most remote form of respect for Schumer and Leahy. The two of them are possibly my least favorite Senators as of now.

[DoctorDoom]

The fact of life in DC: if there is ONE RAT in Congress, s/he will control it. The GOP will bend over and grab ankles with each syllable spoken by the RAT.

What's needed is some deep research into the requirements for a Republican to be admitted to Congress. IMO, somewhere in the fine print is a mandate for castration.

[Lazarus]

Maggie is right... We have no leadership in the Republican party today... These politcal disasters are happening because of political incompetence on the part of Republicans in the Whitehouse and in Congress... We gave them the Whitehouse and both houses of Congress and they threw half of it away - Possibly the other half too - We wont know till '08...

They dont deserve to be in the majority - They dont know what to do with it whgen they have it... Apparently its gonna take a Democrat Congress and Whitehouse, and all that THAT implies, to remind the Republicans how the game is played when you are HOLDING ALL THE CARDS!!!

The bad part isd that the Republicans were the party supposedly representing Conservative principles - And their failures, although they are often the results of NON-Conservative decisions, reflect and spill over on the Conservative movement...

The Pubs had better change their direction if they want this Conservative to continue to give them my vote... It is NOW incumbant on the Republicans to give me a good reason to give them my vote next time...

[DesertFox]

Bush never said he was a conservative. He qualified it with "compassionate," and now we can surmise that his compassion is reserved for liberals.

[Lazarus]

Bush never said he was a conservative. He qualified it with "compassionate," and now we can surmise that his compassion is reserved for liberals.And Mexicans... Dont forget the "Chosen People"...:biggrin:

[DesertFox]

Chosen is Korea. :D

[Venus de Smilo]

I would have been happy to see Gonzales go last year and Bush put in somebody much stronger, but the fact is that if Gonzales goes we'll end up with someone worse because the 'rats control congress now and they will not advise and consent to anybody except a weak-kneed lefty, which is even worse than Gonzales. Instead of canning Rummy after the mid-term, which fed the blood-lust, Bush should have canned Gonzales eight or nine months or more ago when we still controlled the congress and could have gotten a conservative approved - IF he was forced into nominating one in the same way he was forced to pull Harriet Miers out and nominate Alito.

[Bluemoon_Rising]

Gonzales was a good White House counsel, but he's not ready for prime time beyond.