Bush Criticizes Handling of Prosecutors’ Dismissals

The New York Times ^ | March 15, 2007 | Sheryl Gay Stolberg

[Billy Jacks blog]

President Bush said Wednesday that he had confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, but that he was “frankly not happy about” the way Mr. Gonzales had handled the dismissal of federal prosecutors, a move that has led to a Congressional investigation into whether the White House allowed politics to interfere with law enforcement.

Bush Questioned on Prosecutors As Mr. Gonzales defended himself in television interviews, Mr. Bush, in Mexico on the last day of his Latin America trip, offered reporters his first explanation of his own role, saying that although he had relayed complaints to Mr. Gonzales about federal prosecutors, “I never brought up a specific case nor gave him specific instructions.”

The president’s statement did little to tamp down speculation that Mr. Gonzales would be forced to resign. Nor did it settle the growing furor on Capitol Hill, where a Republican senator became the first in his party to call for Mr. Gonzales to step down, and the new White House counsel, Fred F. Fielding, met with lawmakers on the possible testimony of administration officials, including the chief political adviser, Karl Rove.

[Billy Jacks blog]

I guess George W. has completely lost his backbone. Absolutely no wrong was done here. Dismissing U.S. Attorneys is, for the President, what ordering room service is for the rest of us. It is common, and requires no permission or explanation whatsoever. Who is President Bush appeasing? Why is he throwing his colleagues under the bus one at a time in order to get along with the extreme leftists? George W. has been a complete disappointment in this second term as well as in most of the first. He could have been the next Ronald Reagan. Instead, he is looking more like his dad!

[MCCRon58]

No, George just fails to realize the political realities of todays DC. When you're a democrat, its different.

[DTogo]

So why didn't Bush criticize the bogus prosecution of two border agents by DOJ??

[kjo]

W has no fight left. The Dems and their pimp media have kicked the crap out of his administration for six and a half years; he's surrendered. What a shame.

Look for the MSM to move to impeachment charges now. Over what? It doesn't matter they'll find something to blow out of all proportion.

[Random Access]

A good part of winning the world wide war on terror is to win the political battles here. If he can't win the political battles and Democrats take over the White House along with the house and senate, the country will be in grave danger. Politics exits he must learn to deal with the dangers here at home as well as the dangers in foreign countries.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I still say he should dismiss the rest of the U.S. Attorneys so he can claim to be on par with Clinton. Then appoint 93 of the least qualified (and most fatally flawed) Democratic Party affiliated lawyers - who the Democrats can try to digest during the 20 months remaining in their term. As each comes up for confirmation - minority Republicans can shoot them down. Meantime - the assistant US attorneys in each office can manage just fine.

[Suzy Quzy]

You should have never hired that weakling Gonzalez, Pres. Bush.

[NittanyLion]

saying that although he had relayed complaints to Mr. Gonzales about federal prosecutors, “I never brought up a specific case nor gave him specific instructions.”

Relying on legalese to answer a straightforward question is just adding fuel to the fire. Bush should just say that these actions are completely legal and legitimate, they removed underperforming employees from their job (something the government seldom does), end of story. Instead he's parsing his words in an attempt to appease the media.

[Suzy Quzy]

Amen...Bush has no fight left FOR the Left....Huis fights are alsways with the Right! Maybe HE should step aside and let Cheney be President....a REAL man.

[isthisnickcool]

"W" is for wimp

Bush has turned out to be a major puss..

[Chuck54]

You pretty well nailed it Billy Jack.

Lack on backbone on this matter is very troubling.

[freekitty]

I am so tired of getting run over by a Mac truck.

[new yorker 77]

Alberto Gonzales is going to keep his job.

Also, unlike liberals, he has not called Iraq a quagmire or a failure.

That is the rhetoric of Osama Bin Laden.

So until President Bush starts to side with terrorists as hate-filled, anti-American, hate-the-troops libs have, his backbone is as solid as ever.

Until then, he will have to put up with a media and liberals that hope for dead troops and failure in Iraq.

[6SJ7]

President McNugget. Boneless white meat chicken.

[Scarchin]

I think the mistake most conservatives made (myself included) was thinking that W was ever going to assert his power and tell the libs to stick it. He never did it - and this mess is what we have as a result.

I don't know about you folks, but this finally makes sense to me on a personal level. In any place I've worked where things were a mess, the boss was weak, spineless, and unwilling to directly assert himself/his authority. Conversely, the best places I worked always had a very strong boss who was strong and direct. Everyone knew where they stood and it was never personal. Some folks hated him - the dead weight and the pansies.

For me - W is embodies a life lesson for me.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Bush has become a shill for the America haters down at the DNC. I've lost all faith in him.

[ex-snook]

The buck stops with Clinton.

[new yorker 77]

Is Code Pink sponsoring this thread?

[3niner]

I'm getting tired of being a Bush supporter. Have we ever had an administration less inclined to defend itself, when attacked for doing right?

[LibFreeOrDie]

"...a Republican senator became the first in his party to call for Mr. Gonzales to step down..."

That Senator is John Sununu of New Hampshire. I wrote him a nastygram this morning, telling him he's the one that's gonna get fired, in '08 when his Senate seat is up for re-election.