Government as TV Movie: Gonzo tries to strongarm Ashcroft

[substitute]

It's not just that they insisted on violating the law and the Constitution. It's not just that they tried to pressure the Attorney General to approve it when he had already refused. And it's not just that they did it while he was ill and not acting as Attorney General.

They did it at night in his hospital room, causing the acting Attorney General and the director of the F.B.I. to go lights-and-siren through the nation's capital and run upstairs to the hospital room and stop them.

And then tried to refuse a witness to the discussion afterwards.

And then, after Ashcroft had walked over the whole deal, they got what they wanted anyway because Gonzo got the job.

How close are we to a coup, anyway? Who's got five bucks on it?

Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/washington/15cnd-attorneys.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Comments

[dr-strych9.livejournal.com]

It looks to me like they just pretended they got what they wanted for two or three weeks while DoJ made up its mind about what to do in the face of a White House that openly defies it. Then DoJ gave them what they wanted and pretended they had meant to do that all along.

[substitute.livejournal.com]

When the last thin line of legality protecting you from a totalitarian state is John Ashcroft, you know you're havin' a great day.

[dr-strych9.livejournal.com]

I firmly believe we crossed over the legal line two or three years ago (depending), and now the only thing protecting us from a totalitarian state is the threat of a military coup.

Sadly, I think Göring's prescriptions are still the "best current practice" for preventing the military from getting in the way of establishing a totalitarian state. If you haven't read this yet, then well— oh, I guess I shouldn't have fed you that. Never mind.

[substitute.livejournal.com]

I'm not arguing. But I do think this particular incident was both very significant and shockingly... cheesy. And

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

Unreal.

[jamie-miller.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[nom-de-grr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my mouth was hanging open when I heard about this on NPR this morning. Congress may not be able to shitcan Alberto, but they sure can impeach him, and they better after this. They've run out of excuses.