Fighting With One Arm Tied
Bush May Fight for New Attorney General
President Seeks Agreement With Policies
By Dan Eggen and Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writers Wednesday, August 29, 2007; Page A09
A half-dozen or so lawyers are being discussed among administration officials as possible candidates to replace Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, but no clear favorite has emerged, and President Bush is willing to fight for the right candidate, administration officials and Republican advisers said yesterday.
Democratic Senate leaders have called on the White House to consult them closely during the selection process, but administration officials warned yesterday that the president intends to nominate an attorney general who agrees with his policies. "It is the president's prerogative to appoint someone who shares his views," a senior administration official said.
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That is the right of an untainted president, as is the right to hire and fire (without cause) various attorneys within the Attorney General's office.
Unfortunately for Mr. Bush and relevant to this drama, he is a tainted president, sullied by the cloud of corruption and lies that emanate from his vice-president's office and filter down from there through the entire administration.
It's going to be very hard for him to get his preferred nomination approved in the Senate while he has a perfectly competent 'acting' Attorney General in place and no political capital left in the bank.
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