Two thoughts inspired by the dustup between the Democrats and the Bushinistas over the firing of U.S. attorneys:
1) Today's New York Times has a story detailing the exasperation the Democrats are feeling regarding the White House's stonewalling and refusing to release requested documents. According to authors Eric Lipton and David Johnston, Democratic lawmakers are "privately" asking reporters to press the White House to explain why the emails and assorted documents that have been turned over include virtually nothing from the week leading up to the actual firings.
A very good question. Too bad no reporter has ever bothered asking it until now.
2) Mad props to the Democrats for actually pressing this matter, but I can't help but wonder--why this?
Yeah, it's a pretty blatant abuse of power, but by the standards of this administration, it's pretty small potatoes. Democrats green-lit the invasion of Iraq, and even now are doing little to scale it back. Tax breaks for the richest of the rich, paid for on the backs of the poor? Unfortunate, but eh, what're you gonna do? Warrentless spying on U.S. citizens? Hey, we don't approve, but our hands are tied. Suicides in Gitmo, dismantling the Constitution, Abu Ghraib, signing statements, the naked consolidation of power to only one branch of government, the emergence of a true imperial presidency--were none of these things worth going to the mat for?
Democrats, Republicans, it ultimately doesn't matter--either way, we're hosed.
