[excon]

Hello:

Bush lied vs Bush is stupid. I don't believe that he lied. But, I still think he's stupid. I know, I know - you've brought up before about his Harvard credentials...

But, I can't see it. You can see a spark of intelligence in someone's eye. I only see arrogarence. Ok, I don't like him. But, I didn't like Ashcroft either, and his singing sucked, but he was no dummy. Even if you disagreed with him, he could articulate a position.

Gonzales can't do that. Not one of you even, think he can. There's only one person in the country who thinks he can.

So, the question is why is he still there. He's the 800 pound gorilla that nobody wants to talk about. I'll talk about him. What I find most unbelievable is he's the TOP COP in a law and order, send 'em to chair, administration. And, he's an imbecile.

If Bush isn't an imbecile, why would he keep an imbecile as Attorney General?

excon

[Choux]

I think it is because he deflects full attention away from the Iraq fiasco.

The "surge" was instituted to *help Maliki* get his government on more firm footing, but that hasn't happened. His government is weaker than ever.

I have noticed on TV that Bush is spewing all kinds of rational on why more and more US soldiers should die midst a civil war in Iraq.

[ETWolverine]

Bush is keeping Gonzales in his seat because of loyalty. There is no other reason for it.

Well, perhaps one more reason... Bush's administration has seen a huge amount of turnover over the past 7 years. Mush of that was due to political pressure (see Rumsfeld's and Ashcroft's resignations for good examples). Bush may fear that if he allows Gonzales to resign due to political pressure, he might be ceeding too much political power. He may be keeping Gonzales on board in order to prove that he's not going to be pushed around by the Dems.

Between the loyalty factor and the political pressure factor, I don't think that Gonzales is going to resign without a fight from Bush. I happen to agree with you that Gonzales isn't competent for the position. But Bush isn't keeping Gonzales on because of stupidity. Bush has calculated the political situation and the fallout from keeping Gonzales on, and is willing to live with the consequences.

Elliot

[tomder55]

I think loyalty is one issue .

I would like to expand on the political pressure .

Recall when Nixon needed to replace his AG Mitchell with Richardson one of the quid pro quo for Senate approval was that he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Executive Dept.

I have no doubt that a similar stipulation would be asked of a Gonzales replacement .

[excon]

Hello again,

I, of course, think he's keeping him there to avoid impeachment.

In any case, he shouldn't be Attorney General - for whatever reason. To me, when combined with the Libby fiasco, kills any law and order argument the right could ever have. IF law and order are so important, why haven't YOU called for his departure. You could do it, right here. Maybe Bush will see it.

excon

[tomder55]

I have called for him to step down... but I understand why the President hasn't fired him .Nor do I think our reasons for the action would be the same. I just think that Gonzo is over his head in the position.

[ETWolverine]

Excon,

In your first post you said:

Bush lied vs Bush is stupid. I don't believe that he lied. But, I still think he's stupid. I know, I know - you've brought up before about his Harvard credentials...

But, I can't see it. You can see a spark of intelligence in someone's eye. I only see arrogarence.

In post #5 you said:

I, of course, think he's keeping him there to avoid impeachment.

So which is it? Is Bush an imbecile who's keeping Gonzo there because he's too stupid to get rid of him? Or is he a Macheavelian schemer who's keeping Gonzo in office to prevent an impeachment? He can't be both a schemer and an idiot at the same time... at least not successfully enough to become President.

Elliot

[excon]

Is Bush an imbecile, or is he a Macheavelian schemer who's keeping Gonzo in office to prevent an impeachment? He can't be both a schemer and an idiot at the same time... at least not successfully enough to become President.

Hello again, El:

I agree. He was successful enough to become president. He isn't successful enough to BE president.

He's a schemer, who's looking out for his own a$$ and willing to destroy the Republican party in the process. Even though I'm not a Republican, I think it's pretty stupid to do that.

excon

[speechlesstx]

Exdude,

Speaking of singing that sucks...

Back to Alberto, you're going to be hard pressed to find much support for the guy anywhere besides the oval office, you certainly aren't going to find us wingers singing his praises (and I can sing it a lot better than Hillary or Aschroft). You will still find at least a show of support now and then. Ruben Naverette has been fairly supportive - and no he isn't always kind to Hispanics because he is one - but I think he does make an interesting point:

Poetically, Gonzales got his final vindication from his original tormentor. The New York Times recently reported that the conversation in the hospital might have been about a “data mining” project in which authorities review telephone records and not the NSA's wiretapping program. So Gonzales could have been telling the truth. A perjury charge will never stick.

D'oh! Foiled again, Gonzales' persecutors now complain that he is, in the words of Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, “too clever by seven-eighths.” Not bad for a guy who, a few months ago, was depicted in the media and on left-wing blogs as an incompetent dolt.

The hapless members of the Senate Judiciary Committee obviously hold Gonzales in contempt. But they've got it backward. It's obvious from the way he answered their questions that the attorney general, in this matter, holds the committee in contempt – as should we all.

You know Bush couldn't afford to dump Gonzales in the rabid stages of the new congress' Jihad against him. That doesn't mean he can't or won't persuade him to step down in the near future but it was important for the administration to get through these investigations without any charges that could stick. And, I don't believe Bush is too concerned with impeachment as one of the reasons to stay with him. After this many years of moonbats pushing for impeachment and having not found any basis for doing so why should he worry about it now?

I'll bet Gonzales is on a short leash though, but don't 'misunderestimate' him or Bush.