I believe this scenario has way better than a 50-50 chance of working out. Gonzales is a legal firewall between the president and disaster. He could have whacked him under a Republican congress which would have rubber stamped the next guy, but then under a Republican congress, this scandal would never have seen the light of day.

It's taken the Dems a couple of months to get up and running. It should be a most interesting next 18 months.

Especially with guys like Gordon Smith looking over their shoulders as they try to get re-elected.

Too bad he didn't get that gig with The Supremes.

Too bad he didn't get that gig with The Supremes.

He was too liberal too be a Supreme. At least that's what James Dobson thought.

James Dobson thinks Sponge Bob is gay.

Good.

I veiw myself as conservative I voted for bush in 04 Harry brown in 2000 and could care less who gets fired in this administration but can anyone here recite how many attorneys were fired under Janet Reno in 93 by orders of hillary. I guess it wasn't news then. still trying to determine my vote in 08

I don't understand how Hillary, I mean Bill gets a TOTAL free pass for firing all 93 US Attorneys General and the dismissal of 8 by Presidant Bush turns into this firestorm. Actually I do get it, and it disgusts me!

No, actually, you don't get it. Replacing all the U.S. attorneys when you first take office is not out of the ordinary. Selectively firing 8 or 10 of them because you don't like their politics or the cases they're pursuing against your friends -- now that's disgusting.

All the Bush apologists here trying to compare what occurred with the recent firings of 8 U.S. attorneys to the standard attorney replacement practice that every newly-elected first term president does are really, really, really pushing the limits of...somebody help me with a word please.

Strategery.

So Bush was too compassionate and should have fired them all on day one. I get it and I agree. He's way too compassionate for me. The reason I didn't vote for him in 2000 was his campaigning in spanish made me sick to my stomache. I voted for him in 04 because Kerry made me sicker. In my short 42 years of life it has always been the lesser of two evils and it really looks hopeless for the future.

Career politicians is not what makes a great democracy just look at local politics. Do you think sten or Adams will ever hold a private sector job, not unless they become lobbyists for condo builders but they get voted in again and again. This is why the greatest form of government fails. In the end the masses become lazy,uneducated sheeple with their hands out asking what government can do for them and the career politician always has the right answer.

The really telling part of this was the change put into the Patriot Act that would allow the fired attorneys to be replaced without Senate confirmation. That's the part that speaks to this administration's desire to end Constitutional government in America. If you eliminate the checks and balances, then the judicial system could become quite a weapon against political dissent and a dangerous tool to hold onto power, much as it's used in banana republics. Under this system, for example, Bush could have picked Scooter Libby to prosecute Fitzgerald and there's nothing the legislative branch could have done about it. President Bush would be the only say on this, which is how he wants it. He wants to be the law - the Decider - and that is why many patriotic Americans are working so hard to make sure he doesn't succeed.

Oh, by the way, ask yourself how this got into the Patriot Act and why? Were we afraid the terrorists might get elected to the Senate and filibuster the confirmation process? I'd hate to think the War on Terror was just an excuse for an executive power grab.

So some of the posts above complain that it was wrong for Clinton to replace all the US Attorneys when he took office. Let's for the sake of argument, give them that. How does that make what Bush has done o.k.?

So some of the posts above complain that it was wrong for Clinton to replace all the US Attorneys when he took office. Let's for the sake of argument, give them that. How does that make what Bush has done o.k.?

In my dictionary it's called hypocracy

This is about the media coverage not the act itself

For all of you historians who are foaming at the mouth about Clinton/Reno firing the AGs, look a little farther back to the late, great Ronald Reagan. He did the same thing. It's accepted practice to clean house at the beginning of the Presidency, but very fishy when it's done in large numbers in the middle of a second term.

Commenter: "The Bush administration did something wrong."

Bush: "But Clinton did it!"

you know, that didn't even work for me on the 6th-grade playground.

the first sign of maturity and leadership is taking responsiblity for what you say and do. the first sign of immaturity is to justfy your behavior by blaming others.

or so my high school coach said.