Er…I think people were mainly pissed that the Bush administration outed Valerie Plame, not their position on the Plames lawsuit, which I doubt anyone knows anything about.
Given that the case has already been thrown out by two courts, I suspect both administration’s Justice Departments are correct.
Well, that’s the thing. I have considerable sympathy for Wilson/Plame, but I don’t know anythng about the case. I could read up on it, I suppose, and form a half-assed opinion, but I’m lazy and easily…oooh! shiny!
But if there is a solid legal basis for their loss, then the question becomes do I want my President (which is to say, any President) interfering with the processes of another branch of government. Given recent examples, I would say no.
My understanding of Obama’s approach to the Presidency is that he intends to reverse the imperial and unilateral philosophy most recently advanced by the Forces of Darkness. More on the line of consensus-based governance, “first amongst equals”, sort of the thing. I very strongly favor that approach.
Given the grisly horror we’ve endured loathe, these many years…I got a whole lot of slack yet to cut for this man. He’s set the task of the Augean Stables in Martha Stewart order, and he is going to fuck up. Washington would fuck up, Lincoln would shake his head and order theater tickets!
At any event, I’m assuming as others have that there is some real legal basis for the decisions so far, and they don’t represent an excercise in spite. In which case I would be very reluctant to see Obama throw his weight around in order to reverse the established procedure.
What I’d most like to see is the two of them re-employed in some capacity, as they both have considerable expertise to offer. Present circumstances preclude, no doubt…
Frankly, at this point, as long as he doesn’t make anything worse I’ll call it a win.