From http://corner.nationalreview.com/Gonzales Resignation [Andy McCarthy]
We're on vacation this week so I'll just weigh in briefly.
Resignation was overdue, and it's unfortunate that it is being tied so publicly to the U.S. attorneys firings since they were the least of the problem.
No matter what you think of AG Gonzales, there are crucial enforcement matters that have to be taken up in the next six months, in particular FISA reform and enemy combatants — which the Supreme Court is scheduled to take up soon, so some legislative action will be necessary unless we are ready for the Court to impose its own subjective notions of due process for the enemy. These are issues on which the Justice Department has to lead, and Gonzales was too wounded and, in any event, too lacking in vision to lead. Co-sponsoring a conference with the Islamic Society of North America at the very moment when ISNA has been cited as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism promotion trial in Texas is not leadership, and must be terribly demoralizing for prosecutors and agents in the field.
If the president is going to try to replace Gonzales from within, I think Paul Clement or Mike Chertoff would be fine selections — Paul, as opposed to Mike, would give the Left less opportunity to relive Katrina, I suppose.
If President Bush turns outside, I hope he considers Judge Michael Mukasey (who is now retired from the bench and in private practice in New York) or former Deputy Attorney General George Terwilliger. Either one of them would instantly restore a sense of the Justice Department's highest traditions of vision, competence and rectitude.
Paul Clement is on the list of possible replacements, according to Fox (and my understanding is he will at least be interim acting AG). I am a huge Clement fan. I can't imagine the president would be putting him to best use making him attorney general — dealing with the heated politics and the bureaucracy and silly senators. I'm counting on him being the next Catholic dude on the Court.
Can you imagine the reaction at the PFAW etc? I'd forgive and forget everything and anything and love George W. Bush forever just to be able to see the reaction. Seriously though: Clement must be an attractive choice for the president. Especially given putting Chertoff there would be replacing incompetence (Gonzales) with at the very least perceived incompetence (Chertoff).
No comments:
Post a Comment