Following up on the last item for a moment, top White House aide Dan Bartlett was asked by the Washington Post why the president continues to stand up Alberto Gonzales, even in light of bipartisan disgust for his tenure. The response was unusually inane, even by the standards of the Bush gang.
“This has been a strategy by the Democrats in the Congress, particularly the United States Senate, Judiciary, to, through, a strategy of hearings and different leakings and drippings documents out, trying to build a case against the Attorney General — with mostly innuendo and allegations that have not been proven true….
“[T]he suggestion that he has done something fundamentally wrong, or something that would require him to be removed from office, is not accurate either. And I think the way [Democrats are] trying to advance this, as if they were in a parliamentary system of government, calling for a no-confidence vote, is the type of, as the president said, political theater, which actually loses confidence in Washington that the American people have. So, the president’s not going to play that game….
“[Democrats] have demonstrated, time and time again, to be opposed to the type of law enforcement and anti-terrorism policies this president has pursued. They’re trying to take that out of the Attorney General.”
I wish I could say I had made this up, but I’m afraid I’m not nearly creative enough to even imagine such a spectacularly dumb assessment.
Let’s unfold Bartlett’s comments a bit:
1. Democrats are orchestrating a conspiracy to get Gonzales.
2. Gonzales is as pure as the driven snow. All of the ironclad evidence against him is wrong.
3. Americans are losing faith in Washington, not because of Gonzales’ dishonesty and malfeasance, but because Democrats are pointing to Gonzales’ dishonesty and malfeasance.
4. The White House that orchestrated the “Mission Accomplished” speech feels justified in accusing others of “political theater.”
5. The real reason Dems are challenging Gonzales is because they’re weak on terror.
Congratulations to Dan Bartlett for officially becoming a parody of himself.