Edwards is a superb VP candidate, but the fact that he has already been on a losing ticket is a major weakness. I think it rules him out on the level of raw politics, sadly.

But what about AG? Restoring the rule of law in America could well be the most important job of all for the next administration. The use of agencies created to protect Americans to instead abuse Americans (Justice, EPA, FEMA, OMB... the list of exceptions would be shorter.) I'm talking myself into really liking this idea.

Posted at May 16, 2008 10:23 PM in response to McCain Responds: Americans Have "Every Reason To Doubt" Whether Obama Can Keep Us Safe

If McCain's campaign is willing to call Obama "hysterical" without even a solid quote to hang it on, I sense the race to the gutter is on. Seriously it's an offensive word to use for a guy responding to an unprecedented lowball.

Posted at May 16, 2008 7:59 PM in response to McCain Responds: Americans Have "Every Reason To Doubt" Whether Obama Can Keep Us Safe

Some people are just too old, too tired and too attached to disastrous failed policies to keep America safe, and in fact are pretty much guaranteed to keep her in decline as best they can.

Only a hysterical person would see this attack on any particular candidate. No names are mentioned.

Posted at May 16, 2008 7:21 PM in response to McCain Responds: Americans Have "Every Reason To Doubt" Whether Obama Can Keep Us Safe

The loyalty President Bush inspires is, um, not exactly inspiring.

Posted at May 13, 2008 9:17 PM in response to Yoo: Impeach Bush? Why Not?

Sorry, cut taxes in wartime, not raise them, while putting the whole war on loan too.

Such a stupid idea my fingers wouldn't type it.

Posted at May 12, 2008 7:01 PM in response to DoJ Lawyers: Congress Ought to Play Hardball to Get White House Testimony

It's the usual argument. Bush can change the rules whenever he wants but everyone else has to follow them.
Bush has done tons of unprecedented things unseen in the history of th nation- endorsed torture, adopeted a policy of "preventive" agression toward the whole world, raised taxes in wartime, extended executive privilege to cover anyone who works for him, etc. ad nauseum.

These are the guys who said 9/11 changed everything. They simply have no shame.

Posted at May 12, 2008 6:59 PM in response to DoJ Lawyers: Congress Ought to Play Hardball to Get White House Testimony

You know it all seems toothless, but in court this paper record is important. It's clear from the history of correspondence that the committee's are reasonable and the executive responses are not.

I understand that even though these abuses of executive privilege or simply contempt for congress desperately need to be adjudicated, that may never happen. But if it does all these 'civil' letters show that respect for the law and the balance of powers has been a one-way street. It's got to be hard for a federal judge, even a Bush appointee, to side with the idea of secret off the record testimony as any kind of reasonable oversight.

Posted at May 2, 2008 10:12 AM in response to Conyers Threatens Rove with Subpoena for Testimony on Siegelman

The total abandonment of States rights and of respect for the Constitution and the rule of law by the Republicans is really astounding. In one breath the same people who demand "strict constructionalists" tell us the Constitution's not a suicide pact and the balance of powers is actually the pleasure of the president.

How do their souls not implode?

Posted at April 24, 2008 10:04 AM in response to Tricky, Tricky

And how did people come to the conclusion that Karl Rover could get prosecutors fired even to the level of US Attorneys? Luskin's saying that Rove didn't follow up, but is anyone denying that he could have?

Fitzgerald never got canned, but others did. The fact that multiple people approached Rove about firing one US Attorney makes it all the more credible that he was involved with some or all of the other firings.

If Congress has any sense of self-worth (or self preservation) they really need to track this down under the next administration, since they know in their bones it is elected representatives who are the target of the Rove-Gonzales DOJ. If both parties don't agree to expose DOJ's politicization to sunshine, they may the next target.

Posted at April 23, 2008 5:07 PM in response to Rove Attorney: Sure, People Wanted Fitzgerald Canned, But Rove Never Followed Up

He was remarkably non-responsive to simple direct questions. And when he did give what sounded like an answer, he was quick to insist that his answer was actually meaningless.

Sounds like the 4th amendment serves at the pleasure of the President, just like any other law the plenary executive wants to ignore.

Posted at April 10, 2008 1:42 PM in response to Mukasey Refuses to Say Yoo Fourth Amendment Memo Withdrawn