Back from a two week hiatus that included Spring Break in Vegas, and a job interview out in Los Angeles. I'd like to focus this entry almost entirely on recent developments (in the Bush administration, that word is increasingly becoming synonymous with despicable scandals) in the world of politics. Tomorrow, I will discuss the Suns roller coaster week, and a conclude with a few, pithy, movie reviews.
Amidst the growing maelstrom over a recent disclosure that 7 U.S. Attorney's were fired simply because they do not conform with the "politics over the rule of law" mentality of the Bush Administration, lies the similarities between the now ex-communicated I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby and presently beleaguered Attorney General Alberto GONEzales. In fact, the congruence between the scenarios of the downfall of the two men becomes more apparent on a daily basis.
Both Libby and GONEzales were essentially the hatchet men for the White House. In Libby's case, he was the chosen man to smear Joe Wilson after his unfavorable assessment of the Administration's WMD intelligence analysis in the run up to the Iraq War. Actually, I don't even think it's accurate to depict "Libby" as chosen, but rather, he was just relegated to this duty when Cheney realized that this bit of subterfuge may actually cause a controversy. Upon this realization, Cheney exited stage left, and let his loyal deputy receive the brunt of the blow.
In the same vein, GONEzales was the poor sap selected to do the bidding of Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Karl Rove after the former complained that U.S. Attorney David Iglesias failed to prosecute Democrats in the New Mexico State Legislature during the hotly contested 2006 mid-term elections. (Never mind the fact that, since Bush illegitimately ascended to the presidency in 2000, Democrats have been prosecuted six times as often as Republicans by U.S Attorneys)
Secondly, Libby and Alberto will now both be forever known as the men who protected their superiors at the White House, a decision which both thereby perpetuates their own personal ignominy, but also prevents the general public from knowing the extent of the malicious influence of Bush, Cheney and the rest of their cabal in these two situations. Finally, both men will ultimately be exonerated by history, though that likely hardly serves to assuage their grief at present.
Ultimately, no one wins as a result of this arrangement. GONEzales and Libby have their previously burnished records tainted forever, while the Administration escapes unscathed from yet another catastrophic, illegal attempt to subvert the Constitution. And this sobering evaluation of the situation is probably where the investigation ends. As the Times reported yesterday, Mr. Bush is almost certainly to invoke the powers of "executive privilege", thereby preventing Rove, Miers, Sampson or GONEzales from testifying under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here's to hoping that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and his colleagues on the left side of the aisle continue to apply the utmost pressure upon the Administration. Otherwise, Mr. Bush may have finally proved that he will disregard the Constitutional principles of accountability, egalitarianism amongst the branches of government and the rule of law, even if sycophants like former Senate Majority Leader Frist, McConnell, Boehner or Hastert have been relegated to the minority party.
