Et tu, Brute? (actually, Sununu)
The AP reports on the latest action by MY Senator, John E. Sununu as he continues to work hard to NOT earn my vote in the upcoming election:
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire on Wednesday became the first Republican in Congress to call for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' dismissal, hours after President Bush expressed confidence in his embattled Cabinet officer..Gonzales has been fending off Democratic demands for his firing in the wake of disclosures surrounding the ousters of eight U.S. attorneys — dismissals Democrats have characterized as a politically motivated purge..Support from many Republicans had been muted, but there was no outright GOP call for his dismissal until now.."I think the president should replace him," Sununu said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I think the attorney general should be fired.".Bush, at a news conference in Mexico, told reporters when asked about the controversy: "Mistakes were made. And I'm frankly not happy about them.".But the president expressed confidence in Gonzales, a longtime friend, and defended the firings. "What Al did and what the Justice Department did was appropriate," he said. What was "mishandled," Bush said, was the Justice Department's release of some but not all details of how the firings were carried out.
Why is it that "our guys" can never hang tough and support each other, and, more especially the president? As we get closer to the election, I am getting more PO'd at Senator Sununu with his every move. Former NH Senator Bob Smith did the same thing in his last term. He pandered to the people who, no matter what, would ALWAYS vote Democrat on election day, and lost the support of people like me.
That's why I supported YOU, back then, Senator Sununu!
I agree with John H, who originally forwarded the story to me, who says,
"I have no use for Gonzo, but this is despicable by Sununu."
I would expect Senator Hagel to join the Dems in sticking the long knives in President Bush. But you, Senator Sununu?
(DCE at WeekendPundit has more background here.)
[UPDATE: Again, DCE at WeekendPundit has detail]
Comments
Why is it that "our guys" can never hang tough and support each other, and, more especially the president?
Because this president no longer deserves support on any topic besides the war on terrorism. On every other matter of policy, he's failed. He's failed on tax policy, judges, immigration, spending, disaster response, education... Even when he has done the right thing, Republicans have gotten no credit at all for any of those successes.
If I had to guess, I'd guess that Sununu did what he did for one of two reasons:
1) total disgust with the administration's incompetence and political tone-deafness. This matter of the eight fired prosecutors should never have been an issue at all. It became a scandal only because of inept handling. The incompetence has gotten so bad that it's threatening the Republican plan for next year's elections. Under this interpretation, Sununu is sending a message that stalwart Republicans won't stand by and let the President take them down with him.
2) a craven attempt to curry favor with anti-Bush independents. Sununu is vulnerable next year, and knows it. Under this interpretation, he'll do anything, including sacrifice party and principle, to win re-election. If he picks up 1.1 votes from those people for every one purist-R vote that he loses, it's worth it.
Posted by: wolfwalker | March 16, 2007 6:50 AM