NY Times article

The Work Remaining

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/opinion/26wed1.html?pagewanted=print

It has been nearly a year since the United States attorneys scandal broke, and much has changed. Many people at the center of the scandal have fled Washington, and new laws and rules have been put in place making it harder to use prosecutors’ offices to win elections. Much, however, remains to be done, starting with a full investigation into the misconduct that may have occurred — something the American people have been denied.

The primary responsibility for giving the public the final answers about what happened, and assurances that it will not happen again, lies with Attorney General Michael Mukasey, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Over the course of the year, considerable evidence emerged that the Bush administration did what seemed unthinkable: it used federal prosecutors, who are supposed to be scrupulously nonpartisan, to help the Republican Party win elections. As many as nine United States attorneys were fired, apparently because they brought cases against powerful Republicans or refused to bring cases that would hurt Democrats.

When the scandal broke, important players either refused to testify before Congress — like Harriet Miers, a former White House counsel, and Karl Rove, the presidential adviser — or professed ignorance. Then these officials began to slink away. The list of people connected to the scandal who resigned their jobs includes Ms. Miers; Mr. Rove; Kyle Sampson, the chief of staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; Monica Goodling, the Justice Department’s White House liaison; and Mr. Gonzales himself.

Reforms were instituted. Congress passed a law taking back the power it had unwisely given the president to appoint United States attorneys without Senate confirmation. That should make it harder for future presidents to put political operatives in these sensitive posts. More recently, Attorney General Mukasey issued new guidelines restricting contacts between the Justice Department and the White House, which appears to have been the conduit for the orders to politicize prosecutions.

These changes are important, but are not enough. Congress must hear from all of the major participants. The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Joshua Bolten, the White House chief of staff, and Ms. Miers in contempt for ignoring Congressional subpoenas. The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to do the same for Mr. Bolten and Mr. Rove. The full House and Senate should affirm those votes and refer the witnesses for prosecution if they still will not cooperate.

The attorney general also must do more. There is evidence of impropriety in several recent prosecutions, including that of Don Siegelman, a former governor of Alabama who is serving a lengthy prison sentence. Mr. Mukasey needs to investigate Mr. Siegelman’s case and others that have been called into question to ensure that no one was wrongly put in jail by his department, and that anyone who acted improperly is held accountable.

The integrity of the Justice Department is precious. The fair application of the law is the cornerstone of American justice and American democracy. A halfway resolution of this scandal is not enough. It needs to be investigated vigorously and completely.

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Posted by majorleads:

Our troops die so you can enjoy your comfortable lifestyle. Whats wrong with going to war over oil? Please tell me SilverFUEL, I'm dying to hear your answer.

Are you retarded? You want our troops to die so that you can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle? Do you know how many things are wrong with a ****ing war for oil? Do you know that our troops are real human beings that could not be home for christmas because you want them to fight for oil? Try selling that in the media. Even Bush cannot admit this war is for oil. He is making up a story about Saddam when Osama is still not found. Would it not make more sense to invest in research for alternate fuel? Why do you want our troops to die when we can for less than the cost of the war finance all research on alternative fuel?

Do you know why he is killing our troops? Because he is an oil tycoon and this is giving him another oil well. Because Dick Cheaney gets the rebuilding contract. Because weapon manufacturing companies are paying big bucks for those government contracts where tax payer money is spent on buying weapons for the war. Because private mercenary groups like Blackwater are funding their election campaigns in exchange for lucrative deals during the war. They don't care about the young men and women in our military but I do! I think they should have to fight only for the defense of our country NOT FOR OIL!!

BTW: electricity can be generated by hydro plants and cars an my fancy computers can run on that electricity. No need to kill the brave young troops for your fuking thirst of oil.

[Edited by - Silverfuel on 12-27-2007 06:19 AM]

Posted by majorleads:

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by majorleads:

Our troops die so you can enjoy your comfortable lifestyle. Whats wrong with going to war over oil? Please tell me SilverFUEL, I'm dying to hear your answer.

Are you retarded? You want our troops to die so that you can enjoy a comfortable lifestyle? Do you know how many things are wrong with a ****ing war for oil? Do you know that our troops are real human beings that could not be home for christmas because you want them to fight for oil? Try selling that in the media. Even Bush cannot admit this war is for oil. He is making up a story about Saddam when Osama is still not found. Would it not make more sense to invest in research for alternate fuel? Why do you want our troops to die when we can for less than the cost of the war finance all research on alternative fuel?

Do you know why he is killing our troops? Because he is an oil tycoon and this is giving him another oil well. Because Dick Cheaney gets the rebuilding contract. Because weapon manufacturing companies are paying big bucks for those government contracts where tax payer money is spent on buying weapons for the war. Because private mercenary groups like Blackwater are funding their election campaigns in exchange for lucrative deals during the war. They don't care about the young men and women in our military but I do! I think they should have to fight only for the defense of our country NOT FOR OIL!!

BTW: electricity can be generated by hydro plants and cars an my fancy computers can run on that electricity. No need to kill the brave young troops for your fuking thirst of oil.

[Edited by - Silverfuel on 12-27-2007 06:19 AM]

Good lord, not too bright ehhh? Hows old youze bee? 3? Come back to me sonny when you get a clue.

The world runs on oil. Our economy is dependent on it. Your little hydro plants require oil. Your little alternative cars require oil. Your fancy little computers require oil. The vibrator you stick in your ass every night requires oil.

How you ask? Well for one, machinery is built with oil. Computers require batteries and they are made with oil. Alternative cars use parts and batteries which are made with oil. Tires are made with oil. The roads we drive on are made with oil. Refrigerators, Ink, Shampoo, Lubricants for machinery, all made with oil. Same with medicines and life saving medical devices, all made with oil. Many other products we use and need everyday which make our lives easier all made with oil.

Point is, you take away oil, life as we know it shuts down.

Wait, you're still here? Thought you were moving to Africa to live in the jungle? Just make sure you don't fly or take one of those fancy new boats to get there.

So until you stop driving your car, turning your computer on and refrigerating your food, do us all a favor and STFU. You complicit jackass.

Are you that stupid? Did you really miss my point that was in your ****ing face for two paras? Ok fine, I'll help educate your arrogant ass. Have you ever heard of renewable energy and the alternative fuel movement? Everything you said in your post is so juvenile and dumb. Your research is incomplete. Let me also point out that you are completely mistaken if you think life would shutdown without oil. Do you know companies are already working on replacing oil with solar and wind powered generators at their facilities? The dutch produce 20% of their electricity off wind power not oil. Electricity can be generated by solar or chemical batteries as well NOT JUST OIL. Since those wikipedia articles will go over the technicalities and prove you wrong, let me concentrate on making you understand that PEOPLE SHOULD NOT DIE FOR OIL and we should be spending our tax dollars on research not on a war for OIL.

How do you think a mother would react if you tell her that her son was killed so that the cars can run a little faster on oil? Even the republicans are voting against the war. Did you know England pulled all its troops out because they care about the lives of their soldiers more than OIL? WOW! What a concept!? Lets value the lives of our soldiers more than we value oil. Really? I don't think majorleads can comprehend that. Are you ****ing dense you or you have no ****ing heart that you can justify killing young soldiers for oil? Especially when there is significant progress in the alternative energy fields. Think about it before saying you will kill young Americans so that you can save some money at the gas station.

EDIT: Also, yes, I will stop driving my car and turning on computer if it will save lives so you do us all a favor and stfu you selfish scum.

[Edited by - Silverfuel on 12-27-2007 08:36 AM]

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Everything I know I learned since Jan. 20, 2001
NEAL STARKMAN
GUEST COLUMNIST

Being a Christian is the best. It's not really OK to be a Jew unless you live in Israel, the Promised Land. Mormons should learn how to be more Christian. Everyone else should convert or die.

The U.S. does well when huge corporations are allowed to do whatever they want. The more we can make rich people richer, the better it will be for everybody:

Rich people hire everyone else to work for them, making our economy robust.

Rich people got rich because of the free market system and their own individual efforts, for which they should be rewarded. Those people who aren't rich have only themselves to blame.

People in high office -- like the president and the vice-president -- have difficult, complicated jobs. If they forget to do stuff, or if they cut corners here and there, or if they tell a white lie now and then, that's OK, because the important thing is for them to protect us not only from bad things but also from thinking about bad things, unless they feel we need to. The only thing a president shouldn't do is to have sex with someone who's not his wife -- because that's a betrayal of the American people's trust.

Scientists' opinions are neither better nor worse than anyone else's.

Just because someone doesn't use big words or make sense a lot of the time doesn't mean that that someone isn't smart and kind and doesn't have our best interests at heart.

If people disagree with you, the only reasonable explanation for their behavior is that they're traitors. Sometimes they know this and sometimes they don't.

If you have nothing to hide, it shouldn't matter who listens to your phone calls or looks at your bank statements or follows you around the block in a van that says "ClearTone Cell Phones" or talks to your neighbors about who's been visiting you on Tuesday evenings under the guise of "playing poker." Only criminals would object to any of those things.

If you live in an area that's prone to a natural disaster like a fire or a flood or an earthquake or a hurricane, you shouldn't expect the federal government to take care of you when your neighborhood gets destroyed. Next time you'll think more carefully about where you're going to settle down.

Some people in the world are envious of everything we have -- computers and cable TV and cool-looking clothes and the Super Bowl and especially our freedoms. They'll do anything to destroy us, because if they can't have those things, they believe that no one should. These people are probably dark-skinned. That doesn't mean we should be suspicious of everyone who's dark-skinned. Still.

The immigration problem is the most critical issue facing Americans today, except maybe for those terrorists who are envious of us -- unless they're both illegal immigrants and terrorists, which is more common than most people think.

The fall of communism is the best evidence that providing everyone in this country with free health care is doomed and in any case gives drug addicts and slugabeds free handouts and no motivation to succeed on their own merits.

Democrats block progress at every turn, either by spending beyond our means, taxing beyond our means, preventing the administration from doing what's right, or just kind of being obnoxious. They should go away and let Republicans fulfill their mandate.

God speaks to the president, which is really fortunate, because otherwise people might have stronger arguments against what he does.

Neal Starkman lives in Seattle.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/345161_starkman28.html

Happy New Year!

Good article Marv.

^Yeah, same here.

Hillary is the only democratic candidate that can win the Presidential elections. Even though she isn't the best candidate, she is the least evil out of all the possible candidates.

Posted by VDesai:

I'm an idealist, but I still support Obama. I wish he waited a little longer, but there may have been no better time to capitalize on his popularity than now.

In fact, it might be best off if he ends up being someone's running mate. I think Hilary will get a lot of pressure to put Bill on her ticket (that might look like desperation though), but Obama would make a stellar running mate for her and break down a couple of barriers at once.

That would be an impossible ticket to vote for IMO. A woman president and an african american vice president? I cannot see that happening. If Hillary wins the democratic primaries, what do you think about Gore as her VP?