Some of the most encouraging words coming out of Congress lately are those from GOP Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who is predicting my favorite (emphasis on the sarcasm) U.S. Attorney General will resign. Yes, that would be the Weasel of the West himself, Alberto “VO 5” Gonzales.
Under congressional fire for a scandal involving the firings of some U.S. attorneys for what were allegedly political reasons, Gonzales is now up to his sleazy neck in the warrantless eavesdropping controversy.
The latest twist in the sorry eavesdropping saga are revelations from former deputy attorney general James Comey who said that then-White House counsel Gonzales tried to pressure his predecessor, John Ashcroft, into recertifying the wiretapping program. Ashcroft was in intensive care at a hospital for gallbladder surgery and Comey was in fact the acting attorney general. Ashcroft reportedly deferred to his deputy who had reservations about signing onto the program.
Although Ashcroft was sick and probably under the influence of some heavy drugs, I have to say that was one good moment he had in an otherwise crappy tenure as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
An involvement in a can of freedom-limiting worms should not be surprising since Gonzales was involved in other matters which may have chipped away at civil liberties and human rights. Who can forget the oldies but goodies such as the “Torture Memo” or his championing of the Patriot Act and pooh-poohing the rights of Americans to habeas corpus?
These are among the reasons I call Gonzales a weasel, that and the fact his appearances before Congress with his cleverly, smirking non-answers could make the most patient among us want to hurl their televisions into the street, or perhaps, just hurl.
To paraphrase the Dixie Chicks Natalie Maines: “Just so you know…I’m ashamed the attorney general of the United States is from Texas.” I think many of you might guess how I feel about Gee Dubya.
My hope is that the door won’t hit Gonzales in the ass on his way out of office. On second thought, I hope it does hit him in the ass. He deserves it.