Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Pleasure of the President

Yes, I'm back! Yes the idiocy out of DC has driven me back to posting. Mark Twain, long dead as he is, would not be able to ignore the opportunities for lambaste, bombast, and general satire presented by this Congress.

Now, let's everyone, especially you Congress-critters, repeat after me. "U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President."

For those woefully unfamiliar with that wording, it simply means "The President brung ya into this job and he can takes ya right back out- and nominate another jest like ya!"

Anyone answering Congress' questions about this matter should have replied with that simple phrase and let it go at that. But, alas, nothing is ever logical or simple on the Hill. Now a House subcommittee wants to subpoena Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to testify about their political influence in the firing of, *GASP*, political appointees.

Perish the thought. The President sought political advice from political and legal advisors about the status of political appointees who worked for the Justice Department. We should all really be glad he didn't just flip a coin or call up Rumsfeld and ask his opinion. (Going out on a limb here and assuming the Rummy's regard for lawyers is similar to his high regard for reporters.)

If they do finally appear before a committee hearing, Rove and Miers should respond with "U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President. This committee has no jurisdiction over the matter."

And then, to keep with the atmosphere of schoolyard rivalries, stick out their tongues and flip the committee the bird.