Gonzales is a stinking liar and criminal who was the worst A.G. in the history of the U.S., just as Dubya is, by far, the worst president in history.

And Bea, hate to burst your sadly brainwashed bubble, but plenty of Republicans turned against your Torture Boy as well.

Can't blame it on Republicans.

What I'd blame it on, Bea, is a lack of honesty and leadership by the entire administration. The only other place besides the White House that so many criminals gather is in prison or in a gang.

Wake up.

I think Michael Chertoff is basically an honest guy and totally qualified, but his nomination to replace Gonzalez as AG is highly problematic for several reasons:

1) This administration needs new blood. To keep rotating the same few cronies looks incestuous and limited. Gonzalez kept his job as long as he did because he was part of the so-called Texas Posse, President Bush’s small circle of friends from down home. The President needs to cast a wider net and show that he wants a quality cabinet, not just a familiar one.

2) Politics vs Policy. There has never been a White House (not even Nixon’s) with less understanding of the importance of separating political victory from policy decisions. Whether it’s Karl Rove making legislative calls or the Gonzalez firing Democratic U.S. Attorneys, the Bush administration has blurred a line that should be clear. Chertoff was part of the failed Whitewater investigation, worked with Rudy Giuliani, and was a major fund-raiser for President Bush and the Republican party. The Justice Department isn’t supposed to be a political arm of the White House. There are many highly qualified Attorneys without the political baggage that Chertoff carries.

3) Two confirmation hearings are worse than one. If President Bush nominates Chertoff, he’ll have to replace him, too By choosing someone from outside the current circle, the President can save his administration at least one hearing full of dirty laundry.

4) Katrina, Katrina, Katrina. Chertoff was the guy in charge of the pathetic disaster response, and he tried to pass the buck when faced with the aftermath. Despite an existing FEMA report which identified the exact scenario as one of the three most likely disasters to strike the U.S., Chertoff said, “That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight." Whether you buy that or not, coverage of a Chertoff confirmation hearing is going to feature lots of footage of those poor New Orleans folks stranded on rooftops and the President saying “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” I doubt if that’s what the Republicans want on tv screens in an election year.

Strategically, I think the President should leave Chertoff where he is, and replace Gonzalez with a moderate highly-respected Republican ex-member of Congress. That way he can stumble through his final lame-duck year in peace. But then, the only thing I’m absolutely sure of is that the President doesn’t care what I think.

I assume you work for an airline because you made a statement that -

"airline employees are only ramdomly checked at security"

Are you referring to outside contractors working @ the airport? Because I can tell you as as airline employee myself at one of the most heavily secure airports that airline employees have a separate queue for security and that each employee is "checked", sometimes patted down. Anything in our possession is screened. It is almost exactly the same equipment used for the travelling public, including bag screening, walk-through screen, the puff of air and manual checks .

You people are funny. And delusional.

Conservative, no problem, but, please, FOR THE CONSTITUTION, someone outside the Bush-Cheney circle.

Patrick Fitzgerald, come on down!

And, for God's sake, I hope they don't nominate al Maliki

As for the return benefit provided, it is also obvious and not limited to just political contribution and support. We have seen it demonstrated in well financed, well organized groups that suddenly pop-up whenever the Bush administration needs help that is not to be with an apparent connection;: against John McCain (2000); against John Kerry (2004); against AARP (2006); against Cindy Sheehan (2006); and now Ari Fleischer against antiwar sentiments, as but a few examples. Then there is the pressure exerted against people and in the manipulation of the media recognized in the way criticisms are always dropped without answers/resolutions and we are then told the over used statement, 'it is time to move on'. It is also apparent in the attitude of the administration created by the confidence gained in this backing which goes beyond assured and unconcerned, beyond bold and belligerent to "in your face' cockiness and arrogance. And finally, I don't doubt there is a deffered compensation plan for after office to provide payment for services rendered – opportunities for positions, giving lectures, doing consulting, receiving insider information and the like.

Who could these sponsors be? I suspect you could start with a 'think tank' like the Carlyle Group and then consider all of those who are obviously greatly benefiting – like Halliburton, the oil companies, the defense contractors, the drug companies, some connected consulting firms and so on. They all have the ability and the experience in working with government (as does people like Dick Cheney in reverse) to know the way. It is an interesting puzzle and the pieces fit together well.

Now the next question is, are all of these people just going to go away 'into the night with the upcoming dawn' of a new election? That really isn't very likely and I am sure they are all doing everything within their substantial power to insure the continuation of their favorable circumstances. I'm sure everything is in place to promote, support, protect and back their next 'puppet', at whatever the cost – and anyone in the way better watch out (remember McCain, Kerry, AARP, Cindy Sheehan,,).

Who will the next 'puppet' be? Fred Thompson already knows well how to follow a script; Rudy Giuliani also is very capable of subordinating himself; and all of the Republican candidates have shown strong support for the Bush administration. Could it even be a Democrat? I wouldn't doubt that these very influential people have plans to cover all eventualities and Hillary Clinton has even shown past suseptability but I doubt their current ties to the Democrats are that strong; likely there are some hurt feelings from the last six years.

The real point in all of this is that America, the average American, can't take more of the same. This country can ill afford the continued neglect of the decaying infrastructure, the loss of jobs and taxes exported to other coutries, the focus on policies for profits for 'big money' creating a run-away deficit, the loss in real spending power for the middle-class, the costs in lives and tax payer dollars from the falsely justified and continually rationalized Iraq War, and on and on all of it constituting a private agenda being pursued for the benefit of Special Interests and a select few while the average American is given little more than apathy, subterfuge and the costs.

These are my thoughts and I don't presume to tell anyone what to think. Rather I present this to stimulate and with the encouragement just to really think, to put all biases aside and to avoid being manipulated long enough to objectively see the facts and then to simply make your own conscientious decisions. Today there is a consistent and concerted effort to hide the truth and disguise the lies which creates the real need for the people to dilligently look behind the rhetoric. Then maybe America won't have to put up with 'more of the same'.

BAD NEWS IF HE GOES ANYWHERE IN THE GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY ATTORNEY GENERAL...BETTER NYTHONG.

BAD NEWS IF HE GOES ANYWHERE IN THE GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY ATTORNEY GENERAL...BETTER NYTHONG.

With Chertoff's lack of concern for American citizens, how could the President, or anyone, think Chertoff would be effective as the next Attorney General in upholding the Constitution, and the rights of all the citizens.

Of course Chertoff could be a ploy and the person he nominates next could be even worse! Isn't Jeb looking for work?

There is NO WAY any individual who blamed the Katrina victims for their own demise should EVER serve in public office.

Chertoff should be next in the endless train of officials to quit and join the Neoconservative Boys and Girls Choir singing:

"Mistakes Were Made"

If Bush can't put up an independent, NO nomination should be confirmed!