Gonzales replacement name-dropping begins
Name dropping about who will replace Alberto Gonzales started moments after he stepped down.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - It happens immediately after any high-level White House official resigns his or her post - political observers and Washington reporters go into overdrive over possible replacements.
The scenario played out Monday, when moments after news surfaced that Alberto Gonzales was stepping down from his post as attorney general, senior administration officials told CNN that current Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would likely get the nod.
If true, it would be "a surprise to Mike," another source later told CNN.
Yet other senior administration officials started knocking down such reports, telling CNN that Chertoff's role in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath could raise problems during Senate hearings.
Did things really change that quickly? Which sources had better information? What are the rules of engagement in the name-dropping game?
TIME.com: Why Gonzales Finally Caved
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According to other blogs, Chertoff is a pretty qualified guy, Katrina notwithstanding. Nevertheless, whoever Bush nominates, for all our sakes, I hope its done during Congressional recess so we don't have listen to the Democratic windbags hassle yet another American Citizen just trying to do what is good for all of us.
I would like to nominate John Ashcroft as Attorney General of the U.S.
Alberto, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, especially if you are lying through you teeth at a congressional investigation.
I wouldn't mind seeing John Ashcroft back in that position. At least he thought about the constitution in the back of his mind.
No more Bushies will be confirmed by the Senate. Only truly distinguished legal minds need apply, not lapdog consiglieres admitted to Harvard Law on affirmative action.
"I hope its done during Congressional recess so we don't have listen to the Democratic windbags hassle yet another American Citizen just trying to do what is good for all of us."
WOW...
Not much of a fan of legislative ovesight are you Lou? Ever heard of checks and balances? I suppose you don't think this administration has operated with enough carte blanche already - now god forbid Congress should be allowed to exercise their authority too.
I guess you'd like to see more people like Dick Stickler appointed to powerful positions in our government, woudn't you Lou? You probably don't recall that Stickler, a former coal company executive, was twice put up for appointment as head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and twice rejected - and this was before last November's Democratic victories, mind you. So what did Bush do? He just waited until Congress went on break, and appointed Stickler anyway.
Here's to more Dick Sticklers in power!
Alberto Gonzales never had a CHANCE!Its "Remember the Alamo" or "9/11" and Kick the Mexican Overboard!! Its not the Elephants or the Donkeys; Its, White is Right! Ask, Osama? Ask Saddam? well, later!
lou tulsa ok.
How dare we have a confirmation process to make damn sure the NEXT guy isn't as screwed up as the last two Bush had in the position:
Gonzales, who denied the right of habeas corpus, advocated torture, approved illegal spying, and destroyed the country's faith in its judicial system by playing partisan politics in attorney firings and then lied (when he could remember anything at all) to cover it up.
And Ashcroft, who actually lost an election to a DEAD guy as incumbent senator before he took on a position with Dubya where suspected terrorist after suspected terrorist walked free after being tried.
Yep, damn those confirming Dems!
I am not American. I cannot vote. I am a diplomat. Keeping informed is one of my duties.
This morning, scanning the world's leading newspapers for views about Mr Gonzales' departure, I noticed a degree of unanimity.
All of them gave a rundown of who has departed in the last few months. The main differences were in the counting: either 6, or 7, or 8. This confirms my comment yesterday that it is the GOP's doing–not the President's. The 'house cleaning' will give the GOP 14 months to turn public support in their favor.
So the Democrats were out the room for the last confirmation hearings were they? One of the reasons Congress is so unpopular at the moment could be beause they refuse to be accountable for anything.
Alberto Gonzales did not defend our borders and the reason for this was that one or more of his parents and grandparents were illegal aliens from Mexico. I remember seeing this when he was going through confirmation and Alberto did a 1 on 1 interview on CSPAN. The fact is that Latino (and even Hispanic leaders from the islands like PR.) in congress and government in general defend open borders even to our countries detriment. Gov Richardson is one big example he is Gov of a border state and he said in the youtube debate he wants to give free health care to Illegals. How does he expect the USA to pay for that when people with serious diseases will only have to pay for a plane ticket to the USA instead of paying for medicines and operations. If stepping foot on USA Soil means you can have free health care our country will be full of the Tired, Sick and homeless and our country will fall apart. We need to give the statue of liberty back to France and then we need to kick out people like Gonzales, Richardson, McCain and (ONESHOT... Kennedy) Arlin Spector that would give our country away. maybe they even need to be deported or forced to move to Guam or some distant American territory.
Rick,
Dude, put the Starbuck's down and slowly back away from your weapon. It's readily apparent that you don't trust anyone with an R near or in their name (Rick). The horse has long been dead, stop beating it.
Many could say that Ashcroft lost to a DEAD guy, because all of the other DEAD guys that voted for him stayed loyal to one of their ilk.
I don't think Gonzales single handedly "destroyed the country's faith in its judicial system". I lost faith in it long ago.
Chip
How about Kenneth Starr, recess appointment for a little late term jiu-jit-su?
eh Lou? You have got to be kidding.
If Bush wants to annoy the Congress into killing his next Attorney General then he would go the recess appointment route. Bush is dealing with a whole different situation than he has in the past when he has pulled that trick. If he wants to finish his presidency on a high note he really needs to work "with" congress instead of sticking to his very partisan tactics.
Most of his high level staff is out the door or is heading that way by Labor Day. The time for pulling divisive partisan ploys is off the table. Time to govern for a change.
Telling it like I see it,
Wynter
I don't think its Katrina alone that is the problem as much as the fact that he is about as coherent as Miss South Carolina.
His job is Homeland Security but he won't build a fence and he won't require funding to capture illegal immigrant gang members.
Terrorists in Afghanistan are making billions of dollars off of Heroin Sales to our country and we even have 25,000 troupes in that country doing nothing or rebuilding their homes from that earthquake.
I don't know it seems so simple to me but then again it seems that way to most people that don't have the ability to enforce the rules. I really REALLY hope they find someone that will defend our borders and start prosecuting companies that Hire Illegal Aliens.
If they put a few people in jail from the Fortune 500 list for hiring Illegals even if it was only a Paris Hilton Sentence all of this would stop immediately.
Its just so very dangerous for the future if we don't stop illegal immigration today.
I would like to nominate Donald Duck. At least he's got a sense of humor and you can understand more of what he says.
If the Dems don't stick to their guns and prevent another puppet in the office of Attorney General, they deserve the election fraud they're gonna get when 08 comes around.
the Attorney General decides who to prosecute and in the last two elections the Attorney General sat idly by while massive, MASSIVE election fraud went down that bought Bush the White House.
Don't believe me? Check out "Armed Madhouse" by respected American BBC reporter Greg Palast. It's at Borders or Barnes and Noble, or you can get it from the Library. Karl Rove's missing emails are in there, he found some of them. They're illegal "caging" lists, used to challenge 100's of thousands of black voters and soldiers in Iraq without their knowledge.
Don't vote absentee or provisional, that's for sure, they'll throw them out.
Unless we get a REAL attorney general in charge of Justice. Someone not afraid to actually investigate the RNC would prevent massive corruption in the next election, and for anyone not paying attention, ALL of this scandal is about elections, not about terrorists, not about anything but POLITICS. They fired the attorneys because they wouldn't prosecute Dem Senators and make them look bad before the 06 elections.
The Republicans will do anything to gain power, even tatter the constitution, therefore we need a hard as nails A.G. to make sure that doesn't happen.
Alberto Gonzalez was an empty suit, just like every other key position around Bush. That's how they like it, why they like people like Monica Goodling and Tim Griffen, they're young and able to be molded into the crooks they need to steal away our democracy and create a Fourth Reich of Republican Greed for themselves and their rich big oil buddies in Saudi Arabia and Houston.
How about Judge Joe Brown?!? Anyone would be better. I may even apply.
NOW ARE THE DEMOCRATS HAPPY ?
The more I consider it, the more clear it becomes. Stop a minute and think like George W. Bush. He’ll want a Yale man, a loyal member of his inner circle, someone he can trust to back his play no matter what the law says, someone Dick Cheney approves of, an experienced Washington insider, and a lawyer who needs a job. The answer is obvious. President Bush’s nominee for Attorney General will be... Lewis “Scooter” Libby.