I've received no fewer than six self-congratulatory emails today--most with subject lines like "We did it! Gonzales is gone." As much as I dislike what he did, I fail to see cause for all this jubilation.
Our attorney general was a toady. And the people who played the tune he danced to are still in office. The problems they created still exist. The civil rights and liberties we've lost are still gone. Investigations into what they did and how have just scratched the surface. And while Gonzales was a transparent--and so largely ineffective--liar when he was in office, his political masters no doubt hope distance from D.C. will make him a tougher, or at least less attractive target. It worked with Harriet the thinking goes. Maybe we can do the same with Karl and Alberto. Just get them out of town and the furor dies down.
Unfortunately, they may be right. I hope not. If so, it sends a horrible message that our government officials can ignore their oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and do so with impunity. If true, never doubt that public officials will duly note and take advantage of that for years to come. If we do not stand for the rule of law now, and apply those laws equally, we may find ourselves unable to do it later.
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