Dear President-Elect Obama,
I know we all have our little pet issues that we care about, this is mine:
An internal report issued this week by the Justice Department brought attention to the Bush Administration’s efforts to “burrow” partisan ideologues deep in career civil service positions at the department. But even a few of Bush’s political appointees at Justice are giving the new Obama administration trouble. Though their lease may technically run out on January 20, U.S. Attorneys Mary Beth Buchanan of Pittsburgh and Alice Martin of Birmingham are resolved to stay in their posts. The Daily Beast has learned that both are arguing to the Obama transition team that their efforts to convict Democrats should guarantee them an extended stay into the Obama presidency.
***The political appointees present Obama and his new attorney general, Eric Holder, with a different headache. By tradition, political appointees serve at the pleasure of the president, and when a new president comes to office those who held their commissions from his predecessor tender their resignations. This year, however, Buchanan and Martin appear girded to make a last stand like Japanese soldiers who never got word that the war was over.
Last month, Buchanan released a letter stating that she had no intention of submitting her resignation. An ideologically committed Federalist Society member, Buchanan is close to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who actively promoted her as U.S. attorney. Following her appointment in 2001, Buchanan quickly gained the favor and approval of the White House. In the key period of 2004-05, while groundwork was laid for what later became the U.S. attorney’s scandal, Buchanan served as director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the key position at Justice that oversaw all the 94 U.S. attorneys. A later internal Justice Department probe, in which Buchanan figures prominently, highlights the role played by that office in Karl Rove’s plan to sack U.S. attorneys.
I know you hate confrontation, and that is commendable. However, there needs to be a complete and total wingnut purge at Justice, and these two need to be thrown out on their asses. No questions.
XOXOXOXO,
John Cole
burnspbesq
Politics aside, Alice Martin should go because she’s incompetent.
Politics not aside, Alice Martin should be fucking drawn and quartered for the Siegelman thing, and bastinadoed for the community college board fiasco.
dbrown
Since NASA has found a lot of gas (methane) on Mars, we should just send these two AG’s there one a one way trip along with Bushwhack and the puppet master, cheney – this way, these gas bags can vent all they want and help warm Mars with their emissions rather then our poor AGW plagued world.
Genine
Well, John, with all those hugs and kisses; how can he refuse your request?
Comrade Darkness
Go through their emails. I’m sure you’ll find dancing moors or something on a Christmas card or two.
Better yet, start wiretapping now. They insist the president be able to do this for any reason at any time, so they should not complain.
br
Buchanan is the asshole who landed Tommy Chong in prison for selling bongs. She is a fucking awful human being and the epitome of what’s fucked with our justice system. She must be demoted back down to town clerk in buttfuck Pennsylvania. The worst of the Worst
DougJ
What part of "look forwards, not backwards", don’t you understand, John?
Incertus
@DougJ: In this case, looking forward ought to be part of the longer phrase "looking forward to have someone else in that fucking job."
KCinDC
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this is being portrayed as "trouble for Obama" rather than "insane, unprecedented attempt by Bush appointees to keep their jobs past their expiration date".
Chuck
It’s more like begging, really. They’re not saying anything like how they can’t be let go, they’re appealing to the transition team to not be dismissed because yunno, they’re so darn busy.
It’s really quite unseemly, and it’s really more pathetic than arrogant. Martin especially is probably petrified of having to defend against the lawsuits coming her way.
br
KCinDC makes a good point. Horton doesn’t provide any evidence that these two won’t be canned on Wednesday morning and sent back to caves.
Comrade Stuck
That may be why she’s holding on, to keep the lid on the pot of malfeasance she’s been brewing. doing the BlagoTango.
Johnny Pez
Fixed.
Mary
This is where you pull out all the Republican congressional quotes about Carol Lam and the ability of career prosecutors to handle the investigation (and maybe even promise to staff them the way Gonzales and Mukasey staffed that investigation after she left).
Zifnab
@DougJ:
We look forward to seeing that pair of loyal Bushies with heads on pikes. They’re the fucking definition of corrupt DoJ scum and if they both get thrown ass up into a Middle Eastern Bush-administered secret prison, they’ll have gotten off easy by half.
MattF
I agree that firing these girls isn’t optional. A good deal of the power of the Federal Government is wielded by the US Attorneys– there’s just no excuse for allowing ideologues and wingnuts to continue to exercise that power.
Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist
…political appointees serve at the pleasure of the president…
Gee, I do seem to remember hearing this about TEN HOJILLION FUCKING TIMES.
Do these goofbuckets have any fraction of a leg to stand on?
MikeL
"I know you hate confrontation, and that is commendable. However, there needs to be a complete and total wingnut purge at Justice, and these two need to be thrown out on their asses. No questions."
Quoted for truth.
AnneLaurie
From your keyboard to the FSM’s — or Martin’s replacement’s — ears.
Chum
Dear Mr President:
donnah
It.Never. Ends.
The Bush administration is like some vengeful apartment renter who has been evicted and is now shitting in the closet corners, punching holes in the walls, and sewing tuna into the hems of the drapes to rot. They’ll do anything to soil the White House as badly as possible. There will be a stench there that will be damn near impossible to erase.
Zuzu's Petals
Since these two don’t seem to think US Attys appointed by a Dem will investigate a Dem, I guess they are admitting that they wouldn’t investigate a Repub.
Ugh
Then you are fucking fired. These nice U.S. marshals will be escorting you from the building.
Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist
@donnah: sewing tuna into the hems of the drapes to rot.
Ugh – this is a very specific image. Do people actually do this?
There will be a stench there that will be damn near impossible to erase.
I do expect them to conclude their stay with zero social grace and in the worst possible faith, just like they’ve done everything else.
Zuzu's Petals
‘Twould appear not.
Brian J
I’ve often thought about this and how it could be done. So, if I may, I’m going to ask:
1. Is it is as easy as simply finding these people and figuring out a way to get rid of them?
2. If so, what will the fall out be? Will it really make a huge difference anywhere besides Washington?
3. If not, what else can be done? There was a suggestion from Jonathon Zasloff over at the RBC that the Attorney General be a Republican (albeit one with moderate credentials so civil and environmental rights wouldn’t be brushed aside), so as to further the image of the position as non-partisan. With a similar spirit in mind, perhaps some of these conservative hacks can be replaced with genuine conservative intellectuals who may not be with the administration in every single way but wouldn’t oppose it for partisan reasons and who would offer a lively intellectual atmosphere. In other words, perhaps Obama could turn the department into more of a college faculty.
4. Also, to what extent is the problem hackdom and corruption versus legitimate disagreement? I can understand the desire to replace some staff with other staff because our side won, but there’s obviously more of a reason to do it if these people are all similar to Monica Goodling and Alberto Gonzales and less if they just have ideological disagreements with the administration but are still qualified.
Krista
Those kisses and hugs were sweet, John. There’s nothing like a little Cole/Obama HoYay! to brighten my Friday.
Trollhattan
If by some technicality they weren’t "fireable," could their caseloads just be reassigned to somebody else? Then they can just sit there, collecting a meager federal salary when wingnut law firms are ready and able to pay them tens of times more?
That, and a yearly audit to make sure they’re not pulling down outside cash in violation of federal guidelines.
Jess axin’
Krista
Yep. I’ve also heard of people putting small bits of stinky cheese into the air vents of an ex-lover’s prized car.
former capitalist
These two are just the tip of the iceberg. These cashews are just two of what must be hundreds of Philistene thugs embedded in every facet of DC bureaucracy. It’ll take a TARP sized search and destroy mission to ferret them all out.
It is surprising, however, that neither graduated from one of the illustrious fundie diploma mills that Bushco has so frequently tapped to further its takeover.
Jim
God, and I thought weeding my yard was a pain in the ass. Getting rid of the Clusterfuck Residue is going to be a long, hard arduous process that is only made worse by the fact that there happens to be a few other things in the world, like, oh say, a burgeoning depression, Middle East strife and two on-going wars that need tending to. Even if Obama were the Messiah he’d be in a shitload of trouble.
Comrade Stuck
@Krista:
The guy was likely a rat
Xenos
Martin is pulling a Coleman. Making an ass of herself so that the Mighty Wurlitzer gets a nice false comparison to the US Attorney firings scandal. In return she will get a cozy spot with a think-tank, will publish ghost-written articles, publish unreadable and unread books for Regnery, and will try to set herself up for life doing Coulter’s shtick.
So getting her prosecuted and disbarred for corruption will an immediate priority. It can be a special project for Holder, for the lulz.
Zifnab
@Brian J:
Or he replace them with Leprechauns, Pixies, and Zombie Kittens. I don’t see any genuine conservatives left that wouldn’t jam a railroad spike through Obama’s backside given half a chance just on principle.
burnspbesq
@Krista:
There are many common household fixtures that can be taken apart, filled with stuff that will stink to high heaven when it decays, and reassembled. Shower curtain rods, toilet paper rolls, heating/air conditioning ducts, etc. Shellfish are especially good "fillings" for this sort of thing.
gnomedad
Anything Obama does will be called a purge, so he may as well get his money’s worth.
Zuzu's Petals
@Krista:
I thought this one was especially perverse, if not actually stinky: going through his closet and putting just the tiniest dab of baby oil on all his shirts. Invisible at first, then a stain that doesn’t come out.
BDeevDad
I believe a complete and thorough investigation of Buchanan’s and Martin’s government email accounts and phone records is all it would take to get them to quietly leave. I am sure they are no better than Lurita Alexis Doan
SDM
With a fucking firehose.
Then a sandblaster, followed by another round with the firehose, then a bucket of bleach and a mop, then fucking toothbrushes and q-tips in the corners and crannies to make sure you got it all.
TenguPhule
I look forward to having them both dragged out and shot.
Does that count?
Laura W
@Zuzu’s Petals: (O/T but fab idea nevertheless re. flickr.
lauraw217 at gmail.com)
demimondian
I think that the Alabama USA (Martin) is covering her ass; she knows that the Siegelman affair is going to end her legal career if it ever gets investigated. I have no *clue* what the idiot from Pittsburgh is doing; maybe she’s protecting the Steelers for their abuse of HGH in 2006?
Just Some Fuckhead
I can haz furry pix naow?
Hob
@br: "town clerk in Buttfuck, Pennsylvania"
Buttfuck, Pennsylvania is not a real town, and can’t employ a clerk.
Blue Ball, Pennsylvania is a real town. And it’s more appropriate, because these people shouldn’t be getting any kind of satisfaction at all.
Svensker
@burnspbesq:
Chicken livers also work really well. Combined with a large "spilled" bottle of Musk for Men, it is a remarkable odor. Quite penetrating. Not that I would know first hand…
TenguPhule
If we could get all of the Bush appointees in your yard, one MOAB would solve both problems at once.
ppcli
I must admit I’m a little worried about this. If those two aren’t thrown out on their asses promptly, and harshly (fifteen minutes after the inauguration if not sooner) then it might be a long four years indeed for Obama and the rest of us. It’s always a mistake to try to play nice with people who have no interest in anything but cutting you and drawing blood. If you don’t come down hard on such people, you’ll die a death of a thousand cuts. I trust that Obama realizes this, but all the same I’ll be reassured if/when I see him crush them.
BDeevDad
OT: Rick Sanchez is my new favorite reporter.
Comrade Stuck
@Svensker:
That ruined my dinner, so cruel.
Brian J
\
That’s why I asked my fourth question above. There’s a pretty big difference between an educated person who happens to be extreme and a hack that also happens to be extreme.
Still, the idea of someone refusing to do what is traditionally accepted is pretty remarkable, even if it’s not illegal. Perhaps some presidential historian can come forward to tell us if there’s any precedent for this and, if so, how it could possibly be dealt with.
demimondian
@Svensker: I have also…umm…heard that Vegemite smeared under the kitchen cabinets has remarkable olfactory impact.
Zuzu's Petals
@Laura W:
Thanks. On the way.
Krista
Nasty. Can’t say as I’ve ever pulled any of these stunts myself, but it’s fascinating reading about them. I guess I’m not a very vengeful person.
I’ve also heard that shrimp are effective, especially when inserted into metal bedposts.
Amazing what people think of, isn’t it?
jvill
Yeah, but remember, it was Bill Clinton that "trashed the place," right Mr. Broder?
And am I reading the original post correctly? These wingnuts are arguing that it would be partisan to remove them from their partisan witchhunts? Is that accurate?
binzinerator
@Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist:
Very few people know how to sew a simple straight stitch let alone do a hem anymore so I doubt there are many fish curtains. They would empty the cat’s litter box down the floor registers beneath the windows, though. Or just piss in all of them themselves.
Just Some Fuckhead
@jvill: Nevermind, I got confused.
Zifnab
@demimondian:
Putting Vegemite down under is definitely ironic.
The Grand Panjandrum
All US Attorney’s are political appointee’s and serve at the president’s pleasure. He can replace them as he see’s fit. They all, by tradition, tender resignation at the end of the president’s term and the Deputy (a career prosecutor) in that jurisdiction holds down the fort until the new USA comes aboard.
This is a stunt because the career prosecutors in the respective offices are more than capable of handling the cases and may in fact be better trial lawyers because it is what they do routinely. This is political theater, plain and simple.
I have no idea what they think they will accomplish but they really have little recourse. It’s the president’s call. Period.
Atanarjuat
Let’s see if I understand the liberal outrage of the day:
Mary Beth Buchanan and Alice Martin are both U.S. Attorneys who’ve exposed corruption and upheld the rule of law in their respective districts.
And this is supposed to be a problem? Perhaps it’s because they’re Republican AND women who speak truth to power?
After the ceaseless, misogynist attacks against another "uppity" Republican woman, Governor Sarah Palin, I can’t say I’m surprised at the predictable leftist reaction. The fear of strong conservative women in power seems to make most of you liberals nervous.
How laughable. How exceedingly pathetic.
Zuzu's Petals
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Well that, and it looks like they serve a four year term. When their terms expire, they may only hold over until their successors are appointed and qualify. If I’m reading the law correctly.
28 USC Sec. 541
So in this case, assuming they’ve both completed four year terms, Obama doesn’t even have to remove them. He just appoints their successors.
Unless there’s some other rule out there?
kay
Personally, I don’t think the US Attorney scandal is over.
Conservative lawyers imprisoned a US governor for political crimes. I think that one is coming back to bite them.
Downpuppy
Well, there’s C, of course:
( c) Each United States attorney is subject to removal by the President
which seems pretty simple, although once you start lying about why you did it can lead to some problems, as Fredo is finding outl
Comrade Stuck
@Atanarjuat:
LOL, ATAN. You played about every card left in the wingnut deck on this one. Thankfully, it’s a deck of Jokers.
Comrade Kevin
@Zuzu’s Petals: Both of them were appointed in 2001, so they have been in office for more than four years. Obama can just appoint replacements.
Bill Arnold
Sardines are also traditional.
Ash Can
Hey, anybody else here notice how Atanarjuat zeroes in on the worst of the worst female fuck-ups on the national political stage and makes it a point to remind us all that, ya know, they’re female? It occurs to me that there’s definitely a misogynist in our midst, but it ain’t any of the people he’s accusing…
Just Some Fuckhead
@Ash Can: Who?
Feebog
Don’t see a problem here. After hearing ad infintum from countless wingnut politicans that Attorney Generals "serve at the pleasure of the President", I think a little tit for tat is in order.
KRK
Sexist!
gex
This accomplishes the only thing the GOP has been interested in accomplishing in the last 8 years – give the rabid base a talking point to froth over. Make it look like Obama’s on a partisan witch hunt instead of doing what presidents have always done, including their beloved W. Riling up the base is all they have, even though it isn’t a winning proposition anymore.
The GOP has the same attitude as this guy.
former capitalist
Uh, were we talking about smells? Try this: next time someone really and truly pisses you off, find a nice south-facing window and leave an opened jar of Sunny’s catfish bait there. I accidentally did that in the garage last summer. When my wife opened the door, she nearly passed out, and the cats ran like hell. The dog, on the other hand, was intrigued, as if there was something new and wonderful to roll in.
Truly great bait, though.
Brett
These are all so complicated. If you really wanted to fuck with the landlord, you should take the lid off of the toilet tank, shit in it, then put it back on and see if the new people can find the smell.
Atanarjuat
Ash Can giggled:
Hey, anybody else here notice that the one zeroing in on powerful, conservative women are the ones trashing them? You know, like your fellow libs, Ash Can.
A lame try, but you get a C+ for knee-jerk effort.
Zuzu's Petals
@Comrade Kevin:
Yep.
Interesting, I can’t figure out if they’re just considered technical holdovers from their first four year term (ending 2005) or what … I don’t see that they’re reappointed every four years. On the other hand … darn, now I have to go look this up.
Mike in NC
Not nearly as pathetic as the trolls this brain-dead sack of shit comes up with.
burnspbesq
@Atanarjuat:
Alice Martin exposed corruption and upheld the rule of law?
No, Moran, Alice Martin is corrupt and undermined the rule of law.
The factual record is unmistakably clear. Alice Martin suborned perjury in the Siegelman trial, and leaked grand jury information during every one of her investigations of high-ranking Democrats.
Alice Martin is going to jail for a very long time. No properly instructed jury can possibly fail to convict.
Back under the bridge with you!
Zuzu's Petals
Okay, it looks like US Attys whose four year terms have expired just stay on indefinitely as holdovers until the Pres appoints a successor and the successor qualifies. (see 28 USC Sec. 541)
Thus, it seems to me, they are only actually "removed" during their term.
Which makes me wonder why Kyle Sampson referred to "removal and replacement" of attys whose terms had expired along with those whose terms hadn’t expired. Maybe just the novelty of appointing a successor to your own appointment during your own administration? Hmm…
Marshall
I have heard that there is burrowing going on at NASA, at NASA HQ and at field centers. My guess is it is happening everywhere in the bureaucracy.
Atanarjuat
Sorry, burnspbesq, but Alice Martin has been cleared of any perjury charges by the Justice Department (which related to Deirdre Brown, I believe, not Siegelman).
Keep up the ankle-biting, though. It’ll take more than that to bring down a strong woman who speaks truth to power. I realize that Martin is a principled conservative, as well as a woman who refuses to stay silent, and this irks you. However, there’s no helping the impotent, misogynistic rage of the Liberal Hive Mind. Too bad.
burnspbesq
@Atanarjuat:
Cleared by whom?
You do know the difference between a real investigation and one political hack burying another political hack’s problems, don’t you?
Stay tuned. The statute of limitation on Martin’s crimes hasn’t run out yet.
demimondian
@Atanarjuat: Hey, Gottanewgat. You do remember that an investigation can’t clear someone, right? It can only fail to find evidence of wrong-doing.
Listen, dude. Your shtick is old and tired. Go away and find a new one, OK?
Ecks
So why not play the politics of this properly. Ed Towns is the new oversight chairman from congress (though why is the entire rest of the committee R’s??), get him to launch an investigation into the DOJ – which should happen anyway – and then appoint new prosecutors to replace all the tainted ones under investigation. It’s legal, the political optics are better, AND it’s the right thing to do.
flywheel
I keep having this dream where in the middle of Barack’s Inaugural Speech, he turns to Bush and Cheney and says, "Oh, and by the way you are both under arrest for high crimes, misdemeanors and malfeasance in office."
That is the point at which I do the Snoopy Dance and drink every drop of liquor in the house.