John Ashcroft resigns.

Hobbes

Before everyone starts celebrating, it still leaves the questions.

- Who is replacing him?

- What is he going to do now? (rumours are he is going for the supreme court).

bonkey

I really do think that Bush would see Ashcroft as a good candidate for a SCOTUS seat.....which is worrying.

Having said that, maybe the man is past it all and off to retire gracefully. I mean...in his letter of resignation he wrote :

"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved."

I mean...seriously...thank whatever-you-like that this man is resigning, as he is clearly either demented or senile, coming out with a statement like that.

jc

Nuttzz

OT but funny none the less me thinks

mycroft

Hobbes wrote:

(rumours are he is going for the supreme court).

I read the headline and then so this....

And after that great episode of the west wing when they make glenn close a supreme court judge.

For those of you who aren't terrified of this decision here are three facts.

-He's very young (he'll be around for a while)

-that bit in Farenheit 911 when he sings.

-He spent 7 grand covering up the bare breast of statute of justice in his office.

And those are the nicest things I can think to say about him

p.pete

By the sounds of it there may be several other people leaving from Bushs staff. I find this positive but god knows who'll replace them, fingers crossed. Also rumours are that some of the people tipped to leave (Powell & Rice) will take cushy jobs in the private sector - I'd be equally frightened of these guys at the heads of large multinationals

Redleslie2

mycroft wrote:

And those are the nicest things I can think to say about him

What about the 'having himself anointed with cooking oil every time he gets a new job' bit.

Manach

Mycroft, that West Wing episode was very good. But did they not also install a 2nd supreme, with a very conservative viewpoint akin to Ashcroft to balance out Glen's character? Unlikely to happen in real life.
Powell may bow out of office, in that he does not seem to be in tune with the current US government on a number of issues but Rice seems to be in her element advising Bush, who I believe she refered to as "My Husband", in a sort of off the cuff remark.

mycroft

Manach wrote:

Mycroft, that West Wing episode was very good. But did they not also install a 2nd supreme, with a very conservative viewpoint akin to Ashcroft to balance out Glen's character? Unlikely to happen in real life.
Powell may bow out of office, in that he does not seem to be in tune with the current US government on a number of issues but Rice seems to be in her element advising Bush, who I believe she refered to as "My Husband", in a sort of off the cuff remark.

Never going to happen. in fact the dialogue wit and humanity of the west wing means increasingly I think its set in "the magical world of la la land with gumdrop houses and sugar plum fairys"

I think Powell will quit simply because he's been humilated time and time again by the Neo Cons.

Redles what about him annointed in cooking oil first I heard of it. I'd check google but I'm scared what kind of links typing "Ashcroft" and "oil" will throw up :eek:

Redleslie2

mycroft wrote:

Redles what about him annointed in cooking oil first I heard of it. I'd check google but I'm scared what kind of links typing "Ashcroft" and "oil" will throw up :eek:

I didn't believe it when I heard about it but there's plenty of references to it around. He goes on about it in his autobiography apparently. An unputdownable read I'm sure. And people thought poor old David Koresh was a nutter.

mycroft

An unputdownable read I'm sure. And people thought poor old David Koresh was a nutter.

[Hicks] over sexed, failed musican with a gun festish who wants to hump everything he sees, and thinks he's jesus. Yeah I don't want to alarm folks but sounds like all my friends from Austin. I don't think this will be an isolated incident. [/Hicks]

sovtek

p.pete wrote:

By the sounds of it there may be several other people leaving from Bushs staff. I find this positive but god knows who'll replace them, fingers crossed. Also rumours are that some of the people tipped to leave (Powell & Rice) will take cushy jobs in the private sector - I'd be equally frightened of these guys at the heads of large multinationals

Powell resigned earlier this year...it's just matter of when he's going to leave. If you want a prelude to what he might do in the private sector...he was on the board of AOL when they merged with Time/Warner. His son Michael Powell oversaw the merger as he's the head of the FCC. Of course there was no conflict of interest there.
But I'm not sure that any major player in Bush regime doesnt have some kind of defered salary coming from some company.
Not to hijack the thread but it just makes me laugh (it's mostly nervous) when I hear on CNN this morning how corrupt Arafat is and how much money he has.

claidheamh

Hobbes wrote:

- Who is replacing him?

I've heard they have narrowed the interviews to: Jesus, the Tooth Fairy, or, the Boogey Man.

- What is he going to do now? (rumours are he is going for the supreme court).

Sounds plausible. Probably one of the most fascist, er...conservative folks Bush has the likelyhood of appointing.

chill

Let them be free !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hobbes

chill wrote:

Let them be free !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Forget the total jist of the news story in question. But that wasn't the picture that caused the problem, it was one where he signed in some anti-porn bill and was shaking hands with some guy who he did it for and they had this clear as day naked statue between the two of them at the photo op.

Hobbes

You would think there wouldn't be anyone worse then Ashcroft.

Bush picks Alberto Gonzales
http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm1292_20041110.htm

Gonzales publicly defended the administration's policy .... of detaining certain terrorism suspects for extended periods without access to lawyers or courts.

He also wrote a controversial February 2002 memo in which Bush claimed the right to waive anti-torture law and international treaties providing protections to prisoners of war.

...
Some conservatives also have quietly questioned Gonzales' credentials on core social issues. And he once was a partner in a Houston law firm which represented the scandal-ridden energy giant Enron.

OfflerCrocGod

Hobbes wrote:

You would think there wouldn't be anyone worse then Ashcroft.

Did Gonzales lose an election to a dead man? Just curious.

Victor

Hobbes wrote:

- Who is replacing him?

Rumsfeld. His first proposal is for a constitutional ban on divorce and pre-marital sex.

bonkey

Hobbes wrote:

You would think there wouldn't be anyone worse then Ashcroft.

Bush picks Alberto Gonzales

From the article:

Gonzales has been at the center of developing Bush's positions on balancing civil liberties with waging the war on terrorism

Paraphrased :

Return of the Sith.

jc

sovtek

Hobbes wrote:

You would think there wouldn't be anyone worse then Ashcroft.

Bush picks Alberto Gonzales
http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm1292_20041110.htm

Honestly I don't think Gonzales is worse...but then it's a sad day when the bar has been set that low.
Just thank your lucky stars it isn't Priscilla Owen

claidheamh

bonkey wrote:

From the article: Gonzales has been at the center of developing Bush's positions on balancing civil liberties with waging the war on terrorismjc

Insert, desecrating...not only civil liberties, but basic human rights in general.