http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_6730469


So now it's basically just Bush, Cheney, and Rice running the executive branch. What a joke these people have become.

one down.... 11 million to go

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/ ... index.html

Attorney General Gonzales resigns, officials say

* Story Highlights
* NEW: Top Gonzales officials knew nothing about move in advance, sources say
* NEW: Bush to make a statement at 11:30 a.m. ET from Texas
* Homeland Security chief Chertoff likely replacement, officials say
* Office of Management and Budget's Clay Johnson may replace Chertoff

WASHINGTON (CNN)-- Embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned, senior administration officials told CNN Monday.

President Bush is expected to make a statement about Gonzales at 11:30 a.m. from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he has been vacationing.

Gonzales' aides at the highest level and other top level officials knew nothing about the announcement in advance, Justice Department sources indicated to CNN.

They were not informed until a meeting this morning, sources said, when Gonzales acknowledged he would be reading a statement at 10:30 a.m. ET.VideoWatch how critics said Gonzales had become a distraction »

Bush will likely nominate Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to the position, senior administration officials said. Clay Johnson, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, would replace Chertoff, the officials said.

Johnson, a longtime friend of Bush, served as the president's chief of staff and appointments secretary when Bush was governor of Texas and was executive director of the Bush-Cheney transition team.

Many lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have long called for his ouster after the firing of several U.S. attorneys in 2006. Bush had long stood by Gonzales.

One of Gonzales' chief critics, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, hailed the move by Gonzales.

"Well I think that clearly this was the right thing to do," the New York Democrat told CNN. "It took a long time but there is no question about it that the Justice Department is virtually non-functional."

Schumer added that, "no one thought Alberto Gonzales was up to the job" saying that "we need someone who will put rule of law first."

Gonzales' move comes after Bush's chief political strategist Karl Rove announced his resignation earlier this month. Senior administration officials said White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten had told senior aides that if they intended to stay after Labor Day, plan to remain for the rest of Bush's term through January 2009.

Throughout Gonzales' time as attorney general, controversies surrounded his positions on issues such as U.S. interrogation techniques and the wiretapping of conversations between Americans and suspected terrorists overseas.

This year, after Congress began an investigation into the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Gonzales faced a great deal of scrutiny -- and the calls for his dismissal began.

The Senate Judiciary Committee looked into whether the administration may have fired some or all of them for political reasons. In his testimony before the committee on multiple occasions, Gonzales repeatedly seemed to contradict himself, other members of his department, or Justice Department documents.

The attorney general also testified that he could not answer dozens of questions because he could not "recall" certain incidents or meetings.

A longtime friend and legal adviser to the president, Gonzales was nominated by Bush in November, 2004, and confirmed by the Senate in February, 2005.

Other White House officials who have left in the wake of the 2006 election include White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

OK, Bush haters, here's something I thought of when I heard about this waking up today. How many members of the Bush crew have resigned, and how does that compare to other two-term presidents?

Here's what I can think of:

John Ashcroft
Alberto Gonzales
Donald Rumsfeld
Colin Powell
Paul O'Neill
John Snow
Tony Snow
Christine Todd Whitman
Gale Norton
Ari Fleischer
Scott McClellan
Andrew Card
Karl Rove

Did I miss anyone?

Sweet. Best kind of news on a Monday morning.

you forgot habeas corpus, separation of powers and and and


i miss the constitution, and hence , america

Brown

Karen Hughes. By all accounts, she was the brains behind every move that W made starting when they first hooked up in '94. She got him the Texas governership, and was highly influential in his race to the Presidency in '00. She only lasted about a year after W's 1st term in Washington started.

She works in the State Department.

"Gonzales go find yourself another country to be a part of"

I know that this wasn't directed at me (instead, to Bush haters), but I'm willing to bet any money that it measures favorably to the number of resignations for other two-term presidents (particularly Clinton).

The question isn't really how many have resigned but WHY they resigned.


OK, so that's done. Now the issue is who is going to REPLACE Gonzalez. This is where the Senate MUST stand their ground like the future of the free world is at stake. I'm kind of surprised that Bush would even allow Abu G to resign, being that he is the only thing standing in the way of criminal investigatons of the remaining members of the administration, but maybe they've had enough time to destroy all of the evidence by now. In any case, the Senate won't confirm a "loyal Bushie" again. The new nominee has to be beyond reproach, and EXPLICITLY willing to investigate the executive branch, otherwise we can live without an AG until January 2009. We've been without on for the past two and a half years...

So is the Senate still going to investigate the attorney firings?

They better. Gonzo wasn't the goal. He was the impediment to finding the truth. Now that he's gone, maybe they can get somewhere.

lol people...there's still a 50-50 shot at the next president being republican.

More like 46-53 by the polls I've been seeing.

Besides, maybe the next Republican president won't be the head of criminal syndicate, unless you beleive all Republicans are as crooked as the current administration...

Well the current list isn't exactly...inspiring...

Just speaking, merely, as a societal observer, it will be...humorous...to see the reaction of the Eddie Vedders of the world if (when?) we elect a republican.

trustworthitude

Clinton resignations.

Secretary of State: Warren Christopher

Secretary of the Treasury: Lloyd Bentsen, Robert Rubin

Secretary of Defense: Les Aspin, William Perry

Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Espy

Secretary of Commerce: Ronald H. Brown, Mickey Kantor, William M. Daley

Secretary of Labor: Robert Reich

Secretary of Housing and urban Development: Henry G. Cisneros

Secretary of Transportation: Federico F. Pena

Secretary of Energy: Hazel R. O’Leary, Frederico F. Pena

Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs: Jesse Brown

Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena reportedly is also set to leave, and sources tell CNN Federal Aviation Administration chief David Hinson -- a key Clinton appointee -- plans to resign as well.

Other top level administration officials expected to depart as President Clinton prepares for a second term are:

Defense Secretary William Perry. "I plan to meet with the president tomorrow to discuss the transition," Perry told reporters on a speaking trip in Denver. He said he had recently reaffirmed to Clinton his intention to serve for just one presidential term.

Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor, who is expected to return to the private sector.

Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary, who confirmed Wednesday she is planning to step down.

White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, who is considering a campaign for California governor in 1998.


Many of Clintons resignations were under scandal as well.

Thanks, LW. Although I must admit the only one of those I know was involved in a scandal off the top of my head was Cisneros.