Where did this story go?

Why didn’t this story get more traction? What the hell? In last Wednesday’s Washington Post, Dan Eggen had a blow-the-lid-off story on Alberto Gonzales lying to a Federal Judge about the legality of a US Attorney living outside the district served – in this case living in Washington D.C. and representing Montana – and then, later that very day, slipping a provision into…wait for it…you know it’s coming…drumroll please…The PATRIOT Act!!!

Eggen writes: ".... [T]he episode, which received little notice at the time, provides another example in which Gonzales's statements appear to conflict with simultaneous actions by his aides in connection with U.S. attorney policies.... The measure also provides the second example in which the Justice Department sought to use the renewal of the Patriot Act antiterrorism law to assert tighter control over U.S. attorneys. Another provision sought by the Justice Department allowed Gonzales to appoint U.S. attorneys indefinitely without Senate input. Since repealed, it was central to the uproar over the prosecutor dismissals."

The Attorney General of the United States lied to a Federal Judge. That is reprehensible. It’s despicable. It’s akin to treason to so undermine a coequal branch of government.

It is another deliberate abuse of the "Patriot Act." This slipping in of clauses looks as if it was becomign routine. Both clauses served to consolidate unprecedented, unchecked power in the hands of the Justice Department that Karl Rove might use it as a tool of the RNC.

We have long since passed the point where Mr. Gonzales has any hope of redeeming himself, and Justice can simply not be considered just so long as he retains his post.

Seriously – if he does not resign, and the President does not ask for his resignation, Congress needs to impeach him.

And the very next day, after he is dealt with and ousted from office, they need to start the process to repeal that apostasy known as the "Patriot Act" that hasn't made us safer, but has instead been a political tool used to abrogate the rule of law and allow a Republican partisan political operative, in the form of one Karl Rove to take control of the Department of Freakin' Justice.

Why the hell aren't we in the streets with pitchforks and torches over this?



[Cross-posted from Watching Those We Chose]