W's advice on picking an attorney general

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

The choice of Gonzalez indicates one of two, if not both, of the following:

1.) He's been W's primary choice for DOJ from the start, but he needed to placate the wingerfundies initially and chose Ashcroft. So Gonzo warmed the chief of counsel's seat for the first term.

2.) W is so cloistered that appointment advice is stovepiped from such a small circle of advisers -- in this case probably just Gonzalez and Rove -- that there's probably only one person on the list in the end. This reeks of Cheney anointing himself as VP. Bush can't pull the trigger on outside choices because he has no idea who might be better.

[ewagner]

1. This puzzles me too

Obviously Gonzalez took a big political hit in the Abu Gharib scandel. He's a virtual lightning rod in a Congressional Hearing....so why....why would Bush bring that down on himself?

It looks more and more like political inbreeding. They can't trust anybody outside of their own closed circle.

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

2. a bubbled White House

Gonzales, recall, is the one who had to tell Bush to hire private counsel in the Plame investigation. In other words, Bush was about to spill what he knew, and the counsel was swift enough to force the president to shut him up immediately: Don't tell me anymore! Get yourself a private lawyer! As the attorney to your office, not to you for your personal actions, attorney-client privilege does not apply to this case!

Gee, thinks W, Gonzo saved me from inadvertently airing the dirty laundry. He's so swell -- I think I'll go to him for ALL future legal matters.

[DireStrike]

3. "faith based appointment"

Who cares who he appoints? Rove et all will just lie him into a hero.

Shrub brought Gonzo up with him from Texas. He's not gonna sell out his pal.