Resign, Resign, Resign!!

The Vice President needs to go. Karl Rove — pack up. Attorney General Gonzales — hit the exit, please. What in the world is going on at the Capitol end of Pennsylvania Avenue? To listen to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) these days, you’d think the entire White House and executive branch has let the American people down in one way or another. Somebody, please change the skipping needle on the record player.

Today’s episode finds the senior senator from New York asking for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign. His alleged crime? The dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys from around the country. Now mind you, all 94 U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president of the United States. Having served at the pleasure myself while at the White House, that means that the president can decide to let you go for any reason or no reason at all. Period, end of story.

I’m wondering where Mr. Schumer’s outrage was when President Clinton fired all of the U.S. attorneys (carried over from President Bush 41) shortly after assuming office. Every last one was sent packing, and I don’t remember any news conferences or press releases coming from Mr. Schumer’s office. But I digress.

To suggest that the Congress should investigate whether these attorneys were fired properly or not is a colossal waste of time and taxpayers’ dollars. After much hand-wringing and several ominous pronouncements before the television cameras, the congressional majority will conclude that the president is able to dismiss those who serve at his pleasure for any reason, just as previous Democrat presidents have done.

Give me a break. For claiming the American people sent them to Congress in the majority to accomplish much, many Democrats on the Hill today seem focused on little more that trying to stick it to the president in any way they can. The time has far since come and gone for these folks to govern, rather than trying to take down the administration at every opportunity.