by Damozel | Think Progress has the story. The attorney, who hired Monica Goodling, says she doesn't think it "serves the cause of justice" for all the Bush-era attorneys to tender their resignations. I am not sure that this Mary Beth Buchanan is really the best judge of what does and does not serve the cause of justice.
In fact, this woman is, as Faiz Shakir notes, "the quintessential loyal Bushie" and, as Avedon
Carol says, her history at the Department of Just-Us shows that she is "one of Bush's more repulsive minions."
During her tenure, Buchanan has been criticized for bringing politically-motivated investigations and charges against politicians in Western Pennsylvania, none more famous than the public corruption case against a local high-profile Democrat Dr. Cyril H. Wecht. Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh told Congress that the Wecht prosecution is “not the type of case normally constituting a federal ‘corruption’ case brought against a local official.”
Buchanan hired Monica Goodling, and she hand-picked a Pittsburgh attorney to serve as the U.S. prosecutor in Alaska, going over the heads of Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. She also had a peripheral role in the U.S. attorney scandal.
Digby points out that she predicted some time ago: "[T]he Republicans will howl like she-wolves if a new Democratic administration tries to fire the GOP whores they've installed throughout the department..."
Three....two....one:
A lot of people got very worked up when George Bush fired some US Attorneys for political reasons. Now some of those same people are exercised over the refusal of a Bush-appointed US Attorney to resign so that Obama can replace her.
I don’t think you can have it both ways. Either the US Attorney job is a political one or not. (StephenBainbridge.com)
When the US Attorney scandal broke, you'll recall that there was a lot of wingnut chatter saying that because Bill Clinton had asked for the resignations of all US Attorney's at the beginning of his term, Bush had a perfect right to fire US Attorneys who refused to do political dirty work. They set the stage for this at the time. It was entirely predictable that the new administration would be held to a completely new standard --- he would not be allowed to fire any US Attorney who had been appointed by Bush for any reason at all or risk being accused of using the Justice department for partisan gain. It's how they roll.
US Attorneys should be apolitical as much as possible. They most certainly should NOT be hyper political actors as this person was, working closely with a disgraced Attorney General and involved in the scandals. It's outrageous that anyone like her would even still be in the Justice Department today under Mukasey.
She further predicts: "If she stays, she will be working against the Obama administration from within." Really? I think she and the other progressive bloggers are concerned about this are taking too gloomy a view.
I say---in the words of Buchanan's favorite President---bring it on. Let her stick around and try to play her political games under the new regime. It's probably the only way she'll ever be held accountable. I would enjoy that.
Of course, she may just be a modern day Vicar of Bray. That would be funny.
In good King Charles's golden days,
When Loyalty no harm meant;
A Furious High-Church man I was,
And so I gain'd Preferment.
Unto my Flock I daily Preach'd,
Kings are by God appointed,
And Damn'd are those who dare resist,
Or touch the Lord's Anointed.
And this is law, I will maintain
Unto my Dying Day, Sir.
That whatsoever King may reign,
I will be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!
When Royal James possest the crown,
And popery grew in fashion;
The Penal Law I shouted down,
And read the Declaration:
The Church of Rome I found would fit
Full well my Constitution,
And I had been a Jesuit,
But for the Revolution.
Unto my Dying Day, Sir.
That whatsoever King may reign,
I will be the Vicar of Bray, Sir!...
When Royal Ann became our Queen,
Then Church of England's Glory,
Another face of things was seen,
And I became a Tory:
Occasional Conformists base
I Damn'd, and Moderation,
And thought the Church in danger was,
From such Prevarication.
Etc. So I see it as win-win: either she'll be booted out right from the get-go based on a review of her history or she'll keep the job and have to relinquish her partisan political goals. Anyone who thinks Obama is going to put up with any crap is gravely misremembering---as W. would no doubt put it---the speed with which he detached himself and his campaign from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (Quite right, too).
Either way is going to involve a certain level of humiliation and capitulation for Ms. Buchanan and her ilk. (Jazz Shaw: "Despite Ms. Buchanan’s civic minded attitude, it may be worth pointing out that the tradition of turning in your resignation at shift change is to avoid having to be fired. It looks a lot better on the resume.") See what I mean? Win-win.
[Wikipedia: A satirical 18th century song, "The Vicar of Bray", recounts the career of a vicar of Bray, Berkshire, towards the end of this period and his contortions of principle in order to retain his ecclesiastic office despite the changes through the course of several monarchs from Charles II to George I.]
Memeorandum has more on this new and somewhat risible development.
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