Ashcroft got the Senate confirmation only because he promised to be a good boy and not interfere with civil rights prosecutors already in place, etc. You're right that a lot of Justice is blind to Dem crime and obsessive about Dem issues.
However, it would have been impossible in 2001 with the split Senate to get anyone perceived as more of a threat to Dems than Ashcroft through confirmation, and it was a real fight to get him.
You perceive the problem with entrenched bureaucracies, but I think you underestimate the difficulty of changing them quickly. Changing Justice and the INS and the FBI and other departments is a long and patient haul kind of business because of the political interests and the media ready to go on the attack if you look like you're after their sacred cows.
Let's say yer right--although I give more credit to Dubyuh and our armed forces, but I'm sure there are things Ashcroft's done that I am clueless about--but even if you are, how can he be so clueless about making inroads against the TRAITORS in the previous Administration?! The argument has been made--not by you, but others--that we don't have time to go after domestic enemies/criminals when we are fighting the War on Terror, but Dubyuh's already said he expects the War on Terror to last beyond the end of his second term. Are we prepared to avoid Justice for the Executive Branch Criminals until after 2008?! I'm not.
"Ashcroft got the Senate confirmation only because he promised to be a good boy and not interfere with civil rights prosecutors already in place, etc. You're right that a lot of Justice is blind to Dem crime and obsessive about Dem issues."
If Ashcroft indeed "promised" not to "interfere" with prosecutors who refuse to prosecute criminals based on their political affiliation, then most certainly he must be forced to resign!! The Law is the Law, despite eight years of Reno pretending that wasn't the case, and if AG Ashcroft had to make a Deal with the Devil to get confirmed, well, yer making my point, my FRiend!!
"However, it would have been impossible in 2001 with the split Senate to get anyone perceived as more of a threat to Dems than Ashcroft through confirmation, and it was a real fight to get him."
That's why I think it's probably unlikely that we can get Bob Barr confirmed as AG, but I'd like to see the RATS try and stop Rudy Guiliani's appointment...and then watching the RATS whine about Rudy doing what AG's are hired to do would be PRICELESS!!
"You perceive the problem with entrenched bureaucracies, but I think you underestimate the difficulty of changing them quickly. Changing Justice and the INS and the FBI and other departments is a long and patient haul kind of business because of the political interests and the media ready to go on the attack if you look like you're after their sacred cows."
Sure the Networks will bleat like the worthless sheep they are, but WHO CARES?! The Networks no longer have the Power to influence public opinion they once had, and the alternative media will run circles around them as the RATS try to claim that law-breakers should be immune from prosecution. BTW, we've waited patiently for two years fer Ashcroft to clean up the mess that Clinton made of the DOJ...how much longer do we haveta give him the benefit of the doubt before we get fed up with his inability to make the case against the ClintonCorruption?!
Thank you for yer well-reasoned and obviously heartfelt response, but I'm seriously afraid that the longer we wait fer Ashcroft to get his act together, the more likely the GOP will get burnt in 2004 as the 8-year RenoObstructionOfJustice becomes perceived as a 12-year, BI-Partisan ObstructionOfJustice!! How will Dubyuh explain the lack of progress vis a vis Clinton's Corruption when the Medyuh starts exposing the information that you and I both know exists?!
Fact is, they won't be able to spin the Truth away and saying that we were just being nice to the RATS outta Pity or whatever ain't gonna cut it with the Voters!!
FReegards...MUD