With the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales(1, 2) (effective 17 September 2007) several questions come to mind:
- Why resign?
- Why resign NOW?
- What’s Pres. Bush’s reaction to it?
- What led to the decision to resign?
- What led to the decision to accept the resignation?
- Was he (Gonzales) asked/forced to resign? If so, why?
While those are all valid and potentially “dangerous” questions to ask, I’m going to skirt past those and focus on:
- Who’s next?
Who will be chosen for the next AG? Presently, two names are at the top of a VERY short list:
- Incumbent Senior Senator Orrin Hatch (R, Utah), and
- Michael Chertoff (Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security).
Hatch was instrumental in the passage of the Pirate Act and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, both which serve to “clarify” previous law and make a whole group of previously legal activities illegal and provide mechanisms for law enforcement and other parties (read: MPAA, RIAA, etc.).
The Department of Homeland Security, with Chertoff at its helm, has been instrumental in removing, restricting, or otherwise whittling away Constitutionally guaranteed rights in the name of “improving National Security” and “in the National Interest.”
Out of the frying pan, into the fire?
