Updates on the AG Mess

From ThinkProgress.org:

During yesterday's hearing, Gonzales claimed that he has since learned most of the firings were due to poor management issues of the former prosecutors. Yet US attorney Rachel Paulose saw four of her top staffers step down in protest oh her "dictatorial management style" with the intention of sending a message to Washington that she is in over her head and managed to retain her position. Instead, the AG's office issued a statement reaffirming their support of Paulose while the eight prosecutors have lost their jobs based on manufactured evidence. Given Paulose's background it is easy to see why she got to stay: she is a former special assistant to AG Gonzales and is good friends with Monica Goodling. The message this sends is it is okay to do a terrible job as long as you know the right people.

The Attorney General

Those who caught the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday (or at least the Daily Show recap) got another great example of the forgetfulness of this administration. Like Scooter Libby, Alberto Gonzales while being grilled over the highly political Federal prosecutor firings used the "I can't be asked to remember what I do at work" defense. Over sixty times during the hearing, the Attorney General evaded questions citing his inability to recall details of meetings he had regarding the firings. While this may potentially absolve him of responsibility, it raises serious questions about his competency and ability to do one of the most important jobs in the world. Further, it highlights Bush's poor personnel decisions, which includes Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice (who has turned the State Department into a mess).