The Hill reports on the status of the attorney-firings investigation within the Justice Department.
The federal investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys could jolt the political landscape ahead of the November elections, according to several people close to the inquiry.
Washington’s attention has been diverted from the scandal since the August resignation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, and has focused instead on Democrats’ efforts to hold White House officials in contempt for ignoring congressional subpoenas to testify on Capitol Hill about the firings.
But recent behind-the-scenes activity in several investigations suggests that the issue that roiled Congress in 2007 could re-emerge in the heat of the election year. Two inquiries by the House and Senate ethics committees are examining whether several congressional Republicans, including one running for the Senate this year, improperly interfered with investigations.
As potent as the congressional probes might be, they appear to be far narrower than a sprawling inquiry launched by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
Investigators from these offices have been questioning whether senior officials lied to Congress, violated the criminal provisions in the Hatch Act, tampered with witnesses preparing to testify to Congress, obstructed justice, took improper political considerations into account during the hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys and created widespread problems in the department’s Civil Rights Division, according to several people familiar with the investigation.
The internal Justice Department probe cannot bring charges but can refer findings to a U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia or a special prosecutor, who could then pursue a criminal investigation. One source close to the investigation expects the offices to issue a scathing report within the next three months, but they have not announced a timeline for their joint inquiry.
After seven years I have learned not to expect much in terms of accountability, but with the Bush administration’s term coming to an end and with their grip over the DOJ being loosened, there may be enough career people left with a sense of integrity to make this time different. I’ll believe it when I see it.
When that report comes out you’d better print it out and frame it. Cause that’s as far as it will go.
Bet on it.
I hope strenuously that you’re wrong but I fear you’re right.
I continue to cling desperately to the hope that the lack of action we’ve seen out of Conyers, Leahy, Waxman etc is a cynical strategy of timing, that they want the hearings, testimony and (crossing my fingers) constant media coverage to be fresh in the voters’ minds in November. And that they are using the intervening time to get lots of really ugly ducks into well-fortified rows.
That would be small consolation for the damage the Bushies continue to do in the meantime, but it would be better than NO hearings at all.
I think this will be done slowly and with a measured tempo. Remember, Bush holds the trump card: Any investigation that results in a conviction will be overturned by a pardon.
Bush will attempt to hold the loyalty of all current adminstration members by the pardon.
So, I think that the investigations will be timed carefully to produce maximum dread, but no convictions. The prosecutions will start with the new administration.
Imagine if the roles were reversed and the Democrats appeared to be illegally tampering with the Justice Department for political gain and the Republicans controlled Congress. The Republicans would be focused like a laser on investigations and making sure the solemn condemnation of the appearance of illegality and stonewalling would make the daily news.
This one scandal alone would bring down a Democratic president.
As it should.
I don’t know what’s more frustrating–the Democrats lack of character for not doing the right thing on this, or the Democrats political malpractice for choosing not to fully join the battle. The Democrats will inevitably cut and run and choose not to confront Bush and the Republicans. Bush will once again get a free pass on possible (probable?) illegal actions.
Your comments in a nut-shell sum up my frustration with the Democratic congress. I feel this way about almost everything they do. For god sakes, the reps impeached Clinton over a blow-job….. They would have gone bannanas over something like this.
I periodically wonder what life would have been like under President Gore, and then I realize that he would have somehow been impeached for September 11th. These people are evil. Instead of impeaching Bush, he gets a free pass.
Plame Gate. AG Scandal. Iraq. Torture, any one of these things would have gotten any Dem impeached, yet our rep’s sit there and twiddle there thumbs.
My comment below was meant to be a reply to your comment.
And good points Ben. Gore probably would be impeached as you say. It’s funny you mention Gore. I think Gore is largely responsible for the Democrats current strategy of cowering in fear of Republicans. As the first post-Bill Clinton leader of the Democratic party–Gore sure set a precedent of appeasing Republican frames on the issues. After all, he spent the most energy in the 2000 campaign in a failed effort to convince the electorate that he wasn’t responsible for Bill Clinton’s blowjob.
Impeachment was a great success for the Republicans, right?
The points you make are part and parcel of why I wonder whether the national Democratic Party even has the wherewithal to fight any battles and win. Whether it is an election campaign, reigning in a dictatorial executive branch or enforcing the damn Constitution, time and time again they show that they just don’t have the stomach for a fight. They still seem to think they must maintain a certain level of decorum and respect toward those who deserve neither of these. I understand that you often have to pick your battles wisely. You can’t go all hard-ass on everything that comes along. But you do have to at least make an effort to battle when the cause is just. When the people are behind you and you don’t fight, well you get what we have today. Ultra low popularity in the polls and a total disenchantment by the public. And all this in the face of the most consistently disapproved-of president in our lifetimes. What a disgraceful display of non-leadership on the part of the Democratic Party.
It certainly does not help that they must also fight the narrative so cherished by the media that the Democrats have no spine or principles or courage. But hey, can anyone deny that there is certainly a modicum of truth to this favorite media narrative? The Democrats had the opportunity to take advantage of the perfect political storm after November 2006. And in my opinion they fumbled it miserably. The advantage is lost. And history has certainly proven them incapable of the necessary fighting spirit, even in the best of times. Rough roads will likely lie ahead. As the Democratic machine rolls along they always seem to be quite adept at steering themselves directly at the potholes in the road, even if the holes are few and far between.
Their power was vastly overstated post 2006. The expectations, mostly from people who do not understand congress, were unrealistic and wholly absent of reality.
What you can do with a 1 vote majority in the Senate and the veto in the WH of the opposite party is little. This is why, unfortunately, we do remember Clinton fondly, since he, like Bush, held the whip-hand.
Especially when that one-vote majority in the Senate is Joe Lieberman.
When they organized the Senate following Nov 2006, they created the rules for the session. It would be quite interesting to know exactly what concessions Lieberman extracted at that point for his continued Democratic caucus. I really wonder what kind of blackmail he pulled out?
A whole lot of truth in that statement. I think a lot of frustration people have, myself included, comes from the fact that in many instances, the Democratic leadership gave every indication imaginable that they were going to at least try to address some of the more obviously egregious activities of the administration, even going so far as to draw lines in the sand and make overt and public statements as to their aggressive pursuit on certain matters. Then, when it came time to make good on all that they had implied, after the entire country was primed for action, they would back down and slink away. Expectations were raised time and time again that they were going to try and make good on their threats. I know that initially they banked on potential Republican help on some issues but that didn’t pan out. They weren’t ready for that and it showed. The Republicans stuck together and covered the administration’s ass. And the Dems never were able to make a good case to the public on the Republican’s enabling of the lawlessness.
All of this just creates a strong and lasting image of a weak and feckless party. Just like out on the street. Don’t keep getting in a guys face time and time again if you don’t plan at some point to sock him in the nose. Cause eventually, he will sucker punch you when he eventually figures out you’re nothing but blow.
I will never forgive the Democrats for is their failure to take action on the fact that the executive branch illegally spied on the American people and committed war crimes by illegally holding and torturing prisoners.
That a sitting president would admit that he is violating federal criminal law and spying on Americans without warrant is almost as astounding as the fact that the president’s political opponents do nothing about it.
And what culpability do Clinton and Obama bear for this ethical and political malpractice?
Exactly what were they supposed to do? Get the DoJ to investigate? Appoint a special prosecutor?
I am never so amazed at the ire and angst expended on the Congress. They have little investigative power. They rely upon the DoJ to do prosecutions.
Please, be specific. No waffling: Exactly what should they have done?
What exactly can be done? How about we impeach the criminals! Immediately. I seem to remember some little part of the Constitution that give the House the sole power to do this. Is that specific enough for you?
They could also appoint special prosecutors, have hearings, and not pass spending bills until we get to the bottom of this. There’s a lot that can be done.
And more importantly, the Democrats should have squealed like stuck pigs–like the Republicans would have rightly done. It’s not rocket science. It’s called being rightously outraged. As I get everytime I come across a so-called liberal that gives the current Democratic party a pass. Pathetic. It should be easy. The Democrats neeed to come up with some sort of political theater. You know–play politics. Hold friggin hearings where a representative volunteers to be waterboarded or how about all the Democrats come together on the capital steps, or in front of the Lincoln memorial, and demand our damn country back! How about the candidates for President actually give a shit about these crimes. There’s a lot that can be done. Stop making excused for failure.