Another One Bites the Dust

The U.S. Attorney's scandal is taking it's toll on the Republican Party. First it was Karl Rove. Then Alberto Gonzales. Now Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) will not seek reelection.

Domenici called Alberto Gonzales and asked that U.S. Attorney David Iglesias be fired. Domenici pressed Iglesias as to if any Democrats were named in corruption cases in sealed indictments. The contents of sealed indictments are not to be discussed with officials not involved in pending cases. Domenici was attempting to obtain information he had no legal right to. The fact that he called Iglesias at his home is unheard of.

Domenici wanted Democratic corruption cases announced before the election. He wanted a scandal to affect the outcome of congressional races in New Mexico.

He made a call to Karl Rove to have Iglesias removed.

At some point after the election last Nov. 6, Domenici called Bush's senior political adviser, Karl Rove, and told him he wanted Iglesias out and asked Rove to take his request directly to the president.

Domenici and Bush subsequently had a telephone conversation about the issue.

The conversation between Bush and Domenici occurred sometime after the election but before the firings of Iglesias and six other U.S. attorneys were announced on Dec. 7.

The stench of this scandal goes as far as Bush. The players involved are going to need good legal council. This could go on well after the next presidential election.

The issue isn't that U.S. Attorneys serve as the President's pleasure (which is true.) It's that the White House was using the power of the Justice Department to help rig elections in the Republican Party's favor. The witch-hunting of Democrats and bogus voter fraud cases thrown out of court were about keeping a political party in power. The people in the White House were sworn to uphold the law. Not use it to club opponents to death.