Captain's Quarters -

Gonzales would already be gone if the Senate was still Republican-controlled and the President could be confident of getting confirmation for another loyalist.

To borrow a phrase from Hawk Harrelson:

He gone.

I don't see how he survives, unless Bush is just so far removed from trying to be a good leader that he just keeps him despite:

A) clear evidence that he lied to/misled congress or just didn't know what the hell was going on in his department.

B) Damaged the integrity of the justice department with was are seemingly political firings. From many accounts, moral has been hit hard by these firings.

C) Calls from both liberals and conservatives for him to go.

If Bush doesn't ask him to leave or accept his resignation, he would be acting at his most petulant.

The reason why Gonzales hasn't resigned by now is that the White House is desperately stalling for time while they try and cover for Karl Rove and his involvement in the firing of the U.S. attorneys. I'm sure Rove thought they could fire seven U.S. attorneys for no other reason than that they wanted hacks to replace them who would pursue cases that would be helpful to the GOP at the ballot box, and that no one would raise a fuss. Thankfully, elections do have consequences and one of them is a Congress that no longer gives the White House a pass on such things.

Based on his ridiculous, pathetic and unseemly op-ed in the WaPo a few days ago*, Gonzales needs to go... after being roasted by the Senate. The man is either a liar or else spectacularly incompetent. Either way, he should never have been made the USAG.

As for President Bush, I've always admired his loyalty. It's rare in politics (and business, for that matter) today to find somebody who WON'T throw a subordinate under the bus at the first hint of trouble. However, there is a higher duty to the country, and keeping that idiot Gonzales around, though personally commendable, was professionally wrong.

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(*) http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/009688.php

I never believe what I am reading these days from posts to comments. I keep wondering if there are any Republicans left that are interested in retaining power so that we just might get a piece of the loaf and possibly save our necks from the head-choppers.

I do not side with Terrorists........I believe in fighting them. I do not side with Democrats or their MSM Army ........I believe in fighting them because they tend to represent socialism/communism and anything that is anti-American/anti-military. Their party changed from anything that even remotely resembled the old Democrats. You find a Democrat grinning behind every MSM frontpage of sending all our secrets to the enemy. They are not concerned over protecting America or American interests. That simple. That easy for me to choose to fight.

I am not such a purist that I must cut off my nose (or throat) and at the same time help those that are willing to cut off funds to the troops. They do NOT care a whiff what happens to those boys. Nor does their Army. Look at the difference in the treatment of this latest horrible crime and the way their MSM Army treat our soldiers.

I will NOT help them. Gonzales must stay and if those impotent Republicans in Congress thinks they are being cute again, that they can blame again........they are just as stupid as they were when they have sat there and let Schumer with his MSM Army run them out of their seats in 2006. There is more than one war going on and I am watching my side give up and give it all away, without a fight. Who cares? I care. Why? Because whoever wins this stupid fight wins what happens from Iraq to Iran to the UN to the ICC to Global taxation to our own Supremes.

Gonzales is not my favorite fellow. Gonzales is a line in the sand and must stay. This is not and has never been about Gonzales but about if we are finally really to fight. I don't think we are because for some reason, I see everyone treating this issue as if it is about Gonzales. Why would Leahy or Feinstein give two hoots about booting Gonzales and leaving the Freezer Man on committees? I do not understand this constant helping hand. Schumer is grinning and asking how much better can it get.

Attorney General Gonzales Is Incompetent

I have been watching his testimony.

If he has been truthful, he has demonstrated a complete lack of ability to manage the DOJ.

In any case, if Gonzales does not resign, he should be fired.

Just remember, we traded Ashcroft for this phule. All negatives aside, at least Ashcroft could explain himself.

First rule of holes: When in one, stop digging.

Cap'n Ed : Instead of firing Rumsfeld when Bush made the decision to let him go -- in the summertime, when it might have helped Republican candidates in the midterms -- he made the poor political decision that a resignation would weaken the GOP and waited until the day after the Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress. That's not loyalty, that's bad political analysis.

What, Cap'n? Are you suggesting that somebody - particularly POTUS - take an objective look at something and, if necessary, admit a mistake?

Some might call that a cut 'n' run strategy.

Supreme Conflict, about our Supreme Court, is as advertised, an excellent read. I couldn't put it down!

In it, you'd learn that Harriet Miers nomination RAN INTO TROUBLE inside the White House! Where she was undergoing the ritualistic process of facing "dummy Hill adventures," in the privacy of practice sessions.

SHE BLEW IT! And, she was arrogant, too.

The people who became responsible for preparing her for her confimation hearings TOLD THE PRESIDENT she'd come off bad. (The donks were just licking their lips. Because they knew they could disgrace her. She's STUPID. Has no real idea of Constitutional law. And, spent her career in law, just managing law offices.) You don't put someone with such a weak record, up in front of the "professionals." Sorry.

Finally, in dispair, it was INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE, that the president was informed. Andy Card went to her, and asked her to "withdraw." The IDIOT at first, REFUSED. She thought her nomination was a brass ring.

NOt what it would have turned into. A turkey shoot. Where the president's nomination, see LIVE, would have disgraced the president, himself. For daring to try to foist this piece of crap up onto the Supreme's Bench.

Yes, she withdrew, finally, "to save the president from embarassment." But she was in no hurry!

Bush somehow manages to fumble the ball, when he's all alone, in the White House. ANd, nobody is even pestering him. He's a gerald ford, walking. Where he fumbles the ball; instead of losing control of his feet. And, sliding down stairs.

As to the loyalty thing; what makes this stick is Paul O'Niell's (also wonderful book), the PRICE OF LOYALTY.

Where you'd expect to see a curious president, instead you see someone stuck on doing just what he wants. Because he can.

The White House now is full of second raters.

You don't notice it?

How long did it take you to notice the dad's mistakes?

Add too this that most Americans hate the idea of "dynasty." When John, Jr., who couldn't fly, decided he'd fly, anyway. Because he couldl. People shrugged it off. That's how far we went from Camelot.

When Governor Corzine, not wearing a seat belt, allowed his drive to zoom at 91 MPH, CAUSING the accident, no less! Did you notice that your "sympathy button" couldn't get played?

It's way too late now for this White HOuse.

Basically, everything betrween NOW at January 20, 2009 is treading water.

Oh, and don't think Bush has friends among the GOP senators, because he doesn't.

(Hey. I believe pelosi, too, comes up short, in the "friends" department.)

Lots of business get run into the ground.

Look at the American Automotive Industry. Even if you saw it coming; it surprised the managers, and the union jerks. And, it surprised the workers, no end. Heck, they can't even sit it out on strike.

Yup. Baseball is an American sport. Takes forever to play a whole game. (Just like golf.) But at least all it takes to ROTATE your players are three chances at bat. Four if you tend to foul balls.

Bush has lost control of his reputation. He did this on his own. With a certain "arrogance."

Later? We'll see this stuff getting analyzed by the professionals. It won't be pretty.

Gonzales is a piece of crap.

That there's "theater" now? What do you expect. In the lonely world of C-Span, they now pepper the audiences, behind the "hot seat" with wacko's. Who shout and yell. In a small room. Which amplifies this crap.

Meanwhile, in the real world of "voter's choices," you'll see DeLay gone, now. Hastert's out. And, Newt Gingrich doesn't have a chance stampeding back into any leadership chair.

Frist's out, too. And, Trent Lott's the "best you can do." Seems very likely that behind the scenes there are players playing with each other, and avoiding the management as well.

Now, LBJ, when he was Majority Leader, would have had handfuls of short-hairs, collected. You didn't play with him? You didn't respond positively to his bear hugs? Uncle Vinny!