August 27th, 2007

Orrin’s Obliviousness


photo credit: icki

So, gonzo is finally out. This is an event I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, especially after his numerous memory lapses regarding key events within the administration.

The reactions have been typical, but it was Orrin Hatch’s statement (hat tip to Frank) that surprised me the most:

I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable service to his country, rather than for the absurd political theater to which some critics have subjected him. He has overseen the Department of Justice’s efforts to protect children from Internet predators, to combat human trafficking, and to prevent the spread of meth in our communities.

What Senator Hatch failed to include among Mr. Gonzales’ list of accomplishments were things like the fact that he “provided ample justification for torture”, “offered strong arguments showing the anachronism of the Constitution”, “aided in the advancement of broad surveillance powers for the executive branch”, as well as other liberty-destroying successes.

Senator Hatch either has not done his homework on what Mr. Gonzales has really done during his tenure, or he, like Mr. Gonzales, simply “couldn’t recall” at the appropriate time.

Perhaps it’s time to raise some money for those billboards

5 Responses to “Orrin’s Obliviousness”

  1. Scott
    August 27, 2007 at 4:40 pm #

    Perhaps you have not heard that the good Senator has been lobbying administration officials and senate colleagues for months now to slide into the AG slot. Badmouthing the outgoing AG would probably be counterproductive toward that end.

    Still, I doubt the President will bite. Like other administration officials, Gonzales has hung around so long because the President prizes loyalty above competence. Although Hatch would likely be an easy confirmation, would he pass the President’s loyalty test?

    It also seems weird that Senator Hatch would get himself elected to a sixth term, only to abandon it in its first session to accept a 16-month stint as AG. Perhaps the senate gig is getting old after all. Bear in mind that Governor Huntsman would have to appoint someone to fill Hatch’s vacated senate position. I worry about the Governor’s ability to select someone that would actually be good for Utah.

  2. Jeff
    August 27, 2007 at 5:53 pm #

    Perhaps you have not heard that the good Senator has been lobbying administration officials and senate colleagues for months now to slide into the AG slot.

    Is he giving up his goal of a SCOTUS nomination, or does he think that becoming AG would help him in that goal? I hadn’t heard of his desires to do that, but it would explain his obsequiousness to the Bush administration throughout this whole fiasco.

    Thanks for pointing out how useless our senior senator is, Connor (not that our junior senator is any better) :).

  3. John
    August 28, 2007 at 7:33 am #

    I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable service to his country…

    Excuse me Mr. Senator, but I don’t recall…

    🙂

  4. Josh Williams
    August 28, 2007 at 12:05 pm #

    In the spirit of Gonzales’ revisionist policy towards constitutional law, allow me to take the liberty of revising good senator Hatch’s comments about him.

    I hope this works

    “I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable (obedient) service to his country (president and party leaders), rather than for the absurd political theater (long overdue scrutiny) to which some critics (the Congress) have(sic.) subjected him. He has overseen the Department of Justice’s (Bush Administration’s) efforts to protect children (itself) from Internet predators (oversight), to combat Human trafficking (Rights), and to prevent the spread of meth (internal dissent) in our communities. (Justice Department)”

  5. JM Bell
    August 29, 2007 at 12:32 pm #

    Ah, kooky Uncle Orrin … I never knew that shame was the first thing to go with senility.

    When my lifelong, red-shirted Republican family members look at the floor in shame whenever his name is mentioned, it give me a ray of hope. Until election day when they keep sending him back to D.C.

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