Attorney general John Ashcroft quits

[Zack Morris]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/3997987.stm


Attorney general quits US cabinet
Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft.
US Attorney General John Ashcroft has resigned from the Bush cabinet, the White House has announced.

Commerce Secretary Don Evans, a close Bush friend, has also quit his post.

They are the first departures from President Bush's cabinet since he was re-elected for another four-year term last Tuesday.

Mr Ashcroft, in a letter announcing his departure, said the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror had been achieved.


I believe that my energies and talents should be directed toward other challenging horizons
John Ashcroft

Who's in, who's out?

Correspondents in Washington say further cabinet changes are expected as President Bush prepares for his second term.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, in Washington, said neither announcement came as a surprise to Washington insiders.

'Objective achieved'

Mr Ashcroft, who has been a lightning-rod for criticism in the administration, wrote in a five-page handwritten letter to Mr Bush that "the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved".

"Yet I believe that the Department of Justice would be well served by new leadership and fresh inspiration," said Mr Ashcroft.

Former Secretary for Commerce Don Evans. Archive picture
Evans is Bush's long-time friend from Texas

Meanwhile, Mr Evans wrote to the president that "while the promise of your second term shines bright, I have concluded with deep regret that it is time for me to return home".

Both Mr Ashcroft, 62, and Mr Evans, 58, have served in the Bush cabinet from the start of the administration in 2000.

Mr Ashcroft helped to lead the US fight against terror after the 11 September 2001 attacks.

He drew up the Patriot Act, which gave the FBI and other agencies powers to tap phones, access private medical and library records, track internet usage and detain immigrants.

The president has responded by saying that he appreciated their service.

There will now be a process of looking for replacements, with suggestions that the administration will be looking to make the appointments as soon as possible, our correspondent says.

[seeking]

fantastic!

[SteveAustin]

Mr Ashcroft, in a letter announcing his departure, said the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror had been achieved.

bua-ha-ha...what an idiot.

[imported_El Mamerro]

Good riddance.

[imported_dowmagik]

currently in oregon it's legal for a doctor to prescribe drugs for you that are intended for suicide. ashcroft's bitch ass is trying to have his overturned. hello asshole, we fucking VOTED to allow doctors to do this. im scared to see who takes his place.

[Zack Morris]

Originally posted by SteveAustin@Nov 10 2004, 10:06 AM
Mr Ashcroft, in a letter announcing his departure, said the objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror had been achieved.

bua-ha-ha...what an idiot.
Quoted post



I don't exactly think so. I think he realized the mess he and bush have gotten us into and decided to run away before has to clean it up. Considering that one of the presidents major campaign issues was that of national security and the increases and precaustions we need to take I think it is safe to say that the security of the nation is not where it should be at. Especially considering the copious amounts of terrorosts good ole g.dub has inspired. Ashcroft is getting out of the kitchen before it gets to hot.

none the less though, good riddence.

[metallix]

http://www.ethicalarts.org/febgallery/ashcroft%20lies.jpg


what do these people think?

[metallix]

http://www.gamersnook.com/blog/archives/ashcroft.jpg

[metallix]

http://minutillo.com/steve/weblog/images/obey-ashcroft.gif

what does the author of this piece of art work want you to understand?

(located at http://minutillo.com/steve/weblog/images/obey-ashcroft.gif)

[kaesthebluntedwonder]

he must be exhausted from detroying civil liberties.

[im not witty]

theres alot of "rumsFAILED" stencils around this way.

[seeking]

i highly doubt this was ashcrofts decision. i think bush knew he had to let some people go as a 'good will' gesture to the nearly 50% of the population who think he's the devil. i'd be surprised if rumsfeld stays much longer as well. i suppose since reelection doesnt matter, its not as big of an issue, but still.... alot of the people who voted for bush did so on very shaky terms the republicans know it. if the morality issue had not arrisen, bush would have been crushed. this gives them a bit of leway to act a fool, but it doesnt give them all them an unbound leash (i just made that shit up, woot woot!).

whatever, the most striking thing about all of this, is after the last year and the rollercoaster of emotions, that upon hearing about this i couldnt muster more than a single word. had it come a month ago i would have written a thesis on it. now though? sheeeit. now all my faith and trust is in quiznos grilled subs.

[23578]

it's got to be a good thing. if only the patriot acts 1&2 went with him. alas, i have little faith in a bush appointment of someone with a conscience judging from track records.

[justaname]

i heard that gondolezza rice going to quit too

[seeking]

i can't see how any of them would want to stay on. im amazed that powell is still in there. i figured he would be the first to go. he's really the only one in the cabinet with something to lose, since people (even dems) still have a lot of respect for him.

even if they actually believe in bush, he's allowed them all to be raked over the coals time and time again. being forced to take it in the ass has got to get old eventually.

[villain]

There has been talk of Powell leaving and Condoleeza Rice replacing him as secretary of state.
As for taking ashcrofts place, it's going to be this gonzales guy whos getting some PR points for being the first hispanic in this position. However I can only assume he was some kind of fascist dictator in south america or something. I really don't know.

[Jimmy Jump]

"However I can only assume he was some kind of fascist dictator in south america or something."

worse. he's from texas.

[KING BLING]

Originally posted by dowmagik@Nov 10 2004, 07:45 AM
currently in oregon it's legal for a doctor to prescribe drugs for you that are intended for suicide. ashcroft's bitch ass is trying to have his overturned. hello asshole, we fucking VOTED to allow doctors to do this. im scared to see who takes his place.
Quoted post



On top of that the Surpreme Court ruled that it was a state issue that needed to be essentially experimented with to weed out any complications. He tried to use narcotics laws as a means to subvert the surpreme court...

[villain]

Originally posted by Jimmy Jump@Nov 10 2004, 04:41 PM
"However I can only assume he was some kind of fascist dictator in south america or something."

worse. he's from texas.
Quoted post




:haha:

[Nekro]

I'm glad Ashcroft's incomptetent ass is gone, but his replacement is worse. I forgot his name, but he's the guy behind the whole Guantanamo Bay/Enemy Combatant/torture thing. Even worse, he used to work for Enron. At least the conformation hearing will be interetingl.

[ClueTwo]

So from what I've read in the news Bush has already nominated Alberto Gonzalez for the job. This should be interesting......

After a little google searching I came up with this...

http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?o...order=0&thold=0 (http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39490&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)

Alberto Gonzales popping up on short lists for Supreme Court

Sunday, November 07, 2004 - 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON -- White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, a Texan and confidant of President Bush, is suddenly the focus of intense speculation that he will be Bush's choice to fill a Supreme Court vacancy when it arises.

Although there is no immediate opening, Bush's election victory and the illness of Chief Justice William Rehnquist have focused observers' attention on the near certainty of one or more openings in the next four years.

And Gonzales, 49, makes everyone's short list of Supreme Court prospects.

"We certainly think that he would be a wonderful pick for the president to make," said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "We would love to see a Hispanic on the Supreme Court."

Hispanic organizations are already mobilizing in support of what would be the first Latino appointment to the court.

"We hear his name first," said Jim Backlin, vice president of legislative affairs for the Christian Coalition. "We think he's probably going to be the one President Bush nominates."

Bush, asked at a news conference Thursday about filling Supreme Court slots, noted there's no vacancy, but added, "When I told the people on the campaign trail that I'll pick somebody who knows the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law ... I meant what I said."

Gonzales, a San Antonio native, has been at Bush's side for years, as his general counsel when Bush was governor of Texas, then as Texas secretary of state and now as Bush's White House counsel. Gonzales also served on the Texas Supreme Court from 1999 to 2000.

"He would be welcomed warmly in the Senate," said Don Stewart, spokesman for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "He is an outstanding jurist. The president thinks enough of him to make him his own lawyer."

Gonzales may face opposition, but it's uncertain how much.

He has written controversial memos, including one that surfaced during the Abu Ghraib prison scandal that had said foreign detainees were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions. Human rights groups said that legal interpretation contributed to the climate of abuse.

"There are definitely serious questions and troubling concerns that would be raised," said Elliot Mincberg, vice president and legal director of People for the American Way. "We and others would look at the memos. They raise serious questions about his views on constitutional liberties and human rights."

Gonzales also has connections to scandal-ridden energy giant Enron. He is a former partner in the Houston law firm Vinson and Elkins, which represented Enron.

He also received $6,500 in campaign contributions from the company when he ran for re-election to the Texas Supreme Court.

Gonzales did not respond to a request for an interview. It's unclear what effect such criticism might have on his nomination.

The son of migrant farm workers, Gonzales used to toil alongside his family, picking cotton. After a few years in the Air Force, he graduated from Rice University and went on to Harvard University Law School, getting his law degree in 1982.

"Judge Gonzalez would do an excellent job in any capacity," political consultant Ray Sullivan of Austin said.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A9.

[BROWNer]

it ain't hard to tell this gonzales dude is shady, but
i love how this appointment is touted as some really
benign thing.

[ledzep]

there goes another mexican taking the job of a hard workin' American.

[KaBar2]

I never cared for Ashcroft, he reminded me of Al Haig. Good riddance. This new guy, Gonzales-whatever-his-name-is is a longtime political ally of President Bush. NO DOUBT, he's going to be a lot like Ashcroft in political viewpoint, but probably a lot more personable. So now it's "service with a smile," I guess.

[porque]

...does this mean lady justice gets to start showin' off them tits again?...

[trackstand]

Originally posted by Armenhammer@Nov 11 2004, 12:39 AM
there goes another mexican taking the job of a hard workin' American.
Quoted post


If I met you I'd spit in your face. But I better quit, I'm just giving you the reaction you are looking for.

[imported_El Mamerro]

He'd better start polishing up the mariachi version of "Let the Eagle Soar".

[villain]

I thought he was joking.

[villain]

I thought he was joking.


Whoops double post.

[seeking]

trackstand,
hush, grown folks is talkin.

[fermentor666]

From the Daily Kos, on Gonzales, the dirty lazy Mexican:

Oh, and in case you're wondering about Gonzales on the issues -- he thinks it's okay to ignore US law and our international treaties against torture (Abu Ghraib can be laid to rest at his feet). And, he is the architect of the Guantanamo policies that have been systematically repudiated by mutiple federal judges.

Update: Steve Soto adds:
"You can also be sure that hooking Gonzales up as AG in a second term to serve alongside Rummy will be the final straw in pushing Colin Powell out the door. Given how shocked various GOP senators were in seeing what transpired at Abu Ghraib, and knowing how upset even John Warner is at being stonewalled by the Pentagon and the White House over his requests for information on Abu Ghraib, it's easy to see how the Democrats can form alliances with GOP moderates to strongly fight any Gonzales nomination to the highest law enforcement post in the land.

If John Warner and Lindsey Graham are that concerned about the Abu Ghraib debacle, and if John McCain shares Colin Powell's revulsion at the trashing of the Geneva Convention protocols and what it means for American POWs from here on out, how can any of these three vote for the architect of that legal doctrine to be our AG? Sure, the White House will replay the Miguel Estrada red herring that any vote against Gonzales is a vote against Hispanics, but that is garbage, and the Democrats need to immediately begin drumming the message that a vote for Gonzales is a vote for Abu Ghraib.

It also doesn't help Bush's cause that Gonzales was counsel for Enron as well. My, my, what moral values are on display now?"

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten that Gonzales was general counsel for Enron.

[seeking]

about the only thing this dude seems to have going for him is that he isn't puerto rican. perpetually dressing like a 12 year old and the lack of a dad would probably be the final straw. americans want to feel like they're open for diversity, but a puerto rican flag on the rear view mirror of airforce one? no way jose! that's just too much.

we need a another grant fuhr up in the white house so powell doesnt feel so alone.

[ledzep]

Originally posted by trackstand@Nov 11 2004, 07:47 AM

If I met you I'd spit in your face. But I better quit, I'm just giving you the reaction you are looking for.
Quoted post


:haha: just with that you gave me more than I could have ever asked for.

[LaCosaNostra]

The worst thing about Bush having a second term is that whoever is elected in 2008 will have to clean up his mess. He doesn't acutally have to worry about doing anything to bring us back to a steady economy, Iraq etc.etc.

[23578]

grant fuhr, hah.

[seeking]

thank god someone finally got that.

[Cracked Ass]

GFR.

[villain]

I just looked up who Grant Fuhr is.... funny funny

[BROWNer]

ALBERTO GONZALEZ
Some General Questions

On Wednesday, President Bush nominated his long-time friend and current White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to be attorney general. Gonzales "has been a Bush confidant for nearly a decade." But it's not enough for President Bush to have confidence in Gonzales. As Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) said during Ashcroft's nomination hearings, "not only must the president trust his attorney general, the nation must also trust him, for, after all, the attorney general is America's lawyer." The nation can't trust Gonzales if they don't know where he stands on important issues. To find out his positions, the Senate Judiciary Committee must ask him some tough questions. Here are our suggestions:

DO YOU THINK THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH TORTURE IS LEGAL?: Gonzales was involved in drafting and approved an August 2002 memo to the president which included the opinion that laws prohibiting torture do "not apply to the President's detention and interrogation of enemy combatants." The memo also said that an interrogation tactic only constituted torture if it resulted in "death, organ failure, or serious impairment of body functions." In light of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, it would be irresponsible to have an attorney general who believes torture is legal.

WOULD YOU INSIST ON STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS?: In a 1/25/02 memo to the president, Gonzales wrote, "the war against terrorism is a new kind of war" and "this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions." The Constitution says that when the United States signs an international treaty it is "the supreme law of the land." The attorney general, our nation's chief law enforcement officer, should understand that.

WOULD YOU RECUSE YOURSELF FROM THE VALERIE PLAME INVESTIGATION?: The Justice Department is currently investigating which senior administration official – in violation of federal law – told columnist Robert Novak that Valerie Plame was a covert CIA operative. Gonzales has appeared before the federal grand jury investigating the case. As White House counsel, Gonzales also advised White House staffers and the president about how to handle the inquiry. As someone who advised potential defendants (and someone who could potentially be called as a witness at trial) it would be highly inappropriate for Gonzales to oversee the investigation. ***

WOULD YOU RECUSE YOURSELF FROM ALL ENRON-RELATED MATTERS?: For more than a decade, Alberto Gonzales was an attorney for Vinson & Elkins, the firm that represented Enron. When Gonzales ran for reelection to the Texas Supreme Court, he "received $6,500 in campaign contributions from the company." The Justice Department is currently prosecuting top Enron executives – including former CEO Ken Lay. John Ashcroft recused himself from the Enron investigation "because of contributions he received from the company's executives during his campaign for the Senate." Nevertheless, Gonzales – who had a far more extensive relationship with Enron than Ashcroft – continued to be involved in Enron-related investigations as White House counsel.

WOULD YOU RECUSE YOURSELF FROM ALL HALLIBURTON-RELATED MATTERS?: The Justice Department has launched three investigations of Halliburton: for allegedly overcharging the military $61 million for fuel, for allegedly bribing Nigerian officials to win a contract, and for allegedly doing business with Iran through an off-shore subsidiary. Halliburton was a major client of Vinson & Elkins while Gonzales was a partner at the firm. In 1999, as a member of the Texas Supreme Court, Gonzales accepted a $3,000 contribution from Halliburton just before the court was to hear an appeal of a case where "a Halliburton employee had won a $2.6 million trial verdict" against the company. Gonzales did not recuse himself.

WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE GOV. BUSH ALL THE FACTS ABOUT DEATH PENALTY CASES?: As chief legal counsel for then Gov. Bush in Texas, Gonzales was responsible for writing a memo on the facts of each death penalty case – Bush decided whether a defendant should live or die based on the memos. An analysis of these memos by the Atlantic Monthly concluded that "Gonzales repeatedly failed to apprise the governor of crucial issues in the cases at hand: ineffective counsel, conflict of interest, mitigating evidence, even actual evidence of innocence." In the case of Terry Washington, a mentally retarded 33-year-old, Gonzales's memo "failed to mention that Washington's mental limitations, and the fact that he and his ten siblings were regularly beaten with whips, water hoses, extension cords, wire hangers, and fan belts, were never made known to the jury."

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site...cP7H&b=100480#1 (http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=100480#1)

[KaBar2]

You know, a lot of these death penalty cases boil down to something like this:

Three guys decide to do an armed robbery at a convenience store. They drive around, spot a convenience store, and decide to go in and take the place off. One stays in the car. The other two go in, rob the place, and when the clerk resists, they kill him. Each one of the two guys inside the store accuses the OTHER guy of being the triggerman. Since the video camera was turned off/ broken/ fake, etc., the jury has to decide. They could send both the inside guys to death row, and the driver gets fifty years.

Both of the death row guys claim "I didn't do it!" "It was an accident!" and "He's the REAL KILLER!" Liberals agonize over the whole deal. What if they are telling the truth? What if Robber A really is "innocent?" Maybe it's Robber B that isn't a killer?

The problem with "Life without Parole" is that it isn't actually "life." While they are in prison, they are still victimizing people and breathing in and out.

Now, the death penalty vs. pre-frontal lobotomy for all three, that sounds okay. I'd go for that. The Bad Ass Robbers go from being predators to being zoned-out vegetables. And they'd still be "alive," more or less.

[!@#$%]

no, a lot of them boil down to something like this:

white person gets killed
black people get rounded up
the one who looks the most guilty is tried and convicted because his legal counsel is crap and has a gazillion cases.

the guy rots in jail for decades until someone looks into the DNA evidence
he is exonerated after spending 30 years in prison, or executed before an overturn.

there is a gargantuous racial disparity in death penalty cases

but yeah. what the fuck would you know about the truth?
oh that's right.
nothing.

[!@#$%]

as brownie noted, gonzales is also the genius who came up with "enemy combatant" designation which will somehow make us exempt form following geneva convention laws.

seriously, no wonder westerners are getting beheaded.
the rules went out the window when the unlawful invasion of another country began.