A listing of this week’s degrading tales of corruption in the Bush Administration and Congress.Friday’s Washington WatchBy Cliff Montgomery – Aug. 31st, 2007
- Bush May Pick ‘No One’ To Be Attorney General
- Craig Surrenders Committee Posts; Two Senate Republicans Call For Resignation
- Iraq War Topic Of Massachusetts’ House Special Election Campaign
Bush May Pick ‘No One’ To Be Attorney GeneralHere’s an interesting question posed on Aug. 29th by CQPolitics.com: “Why should George W. Bush even want a Senate-confirmed attorney general for the remainder of his term?”As the website points out, the Bush Administration in the past few days has been floating names, apparently just beginning to put together a workable list of candidates who may stand a chance of approval from congressional lawmakers.”All this despite knowing for months that Gonzales might have to quit,” reported CQPolitics.com.The website understandably deduces that any attorney general candidate which might prove reasonable to liberal Senate Democrats will certainly not be someone who hates liberty and civil rights with as much passion as had Alberto Gonzales, George W. Bush’s dream attorney general.Therefore, continues CQPolitics.com, “the White House could benefit by dragging out the confirmation process as long as possible.””No president wants an independent-minded attorney general who might aggressively pursue administration wrong doers,” the website continues. “If Bush cannot have such a person formally in the job, he might think that he is better off without anyone at all.”It’s possible the daily website edition of Congressional Quarterly is giving the Bush Administration too much credit. We at feel it’s equally possible that the lack of fixed candidates may be just another proof of gross incompetence from a White House that has for the last six and a half years proven itself wildly incompetent. But CQPolitics.com may be onto something.Craig Surrenders Committee Posts; Two Senate Republicans Call For ResignationWhat a difference a day makes.Twenty-four hours after apologizing to the citizens of Idaho for what he still claims was merely a poorly-reasoned guilty plea for a mistaken legal charge of lewd homosexual conduct, Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) has listened to quick-acting Senate Republican leaders and has surrendered his powerful positions on three legislative panels.GOP bigwigs in the Senate have acknowledged asking Craig to step down as the leading Republican on one full panel, and as a top Appropriations subcommittee member on another.A few GOP colleagues are even calling for Craig’s congressional resignation.Craig’s Senate Republican colleagues publicly isolated the lawmaker within hours of the embarrassing scandal hitting the newsroom and the public imagination.For those eight people who still may not have heard, on Monday news reports revealed that neo-conservative “family values” Senator Larry Craig recently pled guilty to lewd and disorderly conduct at a Minneapolis-St. Paul airport men’s room.Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his top GOP lieutenants said through a joint statement that Sen. Craig “has agreed to comply with leadership’s request that he temporarily step down as the top Republican on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, and Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests.”McConnell and other Senate Republican leaders have clearly learned their lesson from last year’s GOP fiasco in the House. Then, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) refused to promptly act on revelations that former Florida Rep. Mark Foley had been making improper sexual advances to male House pages. This made the GOP appear even more remote and arrogant to the average American already fed up with six and a half years of Republican hubris.The Republican Party’s bumbling and arrogance on that issue helped give a sweeping November victory to congressional Democrats last year. It provided a lesson that McConnell and other Senate Republican leaders have clearly learned.Iraq War Topic Of Massachusetts’ House Special Election CampaignThat the Iraq War has become the primary issue in American politics is evident in a House special election primary for Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District, which will be held on Sept. 4th.Situated in the birthplace of the American Revolution, the district has a natural liberal slant–as evidenced in recent congressional races–so no one should be surprised that the majority of Democratic contenders voiced a righteous opposition to the fruitless nation-building of Iraq during a Monday debate held on the University of Massachusetts campus at Lowell.Even the front-runner for the House seat among Republicans, retired Air Force officer Jim Ogonowski, was understandably strong in his criticism of George W. Bush’s handling of the Iraq mess.Such are the signs of these times.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) ofe-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
