# That CRAAAAAAAAZY conspiracy theory: the mass firings of US Attorneys **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 6, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824 "2007-03-06T17:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/281 "2007-04-18T19:35:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally written by **Emmet T. Flood, Special Counsel to the President** > _The Letter seeks information relating to communications authored by Executive Branch officials in which there exists a clear and indisputable Executive Branch interest._ (underlining mine) If these emails contain information “in which there exists a clear and indisputable Executive Branch interest”, then it is equally “clear and indisputable” that these emails are covered under the PRA, right? Why does the President even need to review them, then? LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/282 "2007-04-18T20:14:44Z")
By claiming executive privilege for the RNC emails, aren’t they admitting violating the Hatch Act? ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/283 "2007-04-18T20:24:23Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] By claiming executive privilege for the RNC emails, aren’t they admitting violating the Hatch Act? [/QUOTE] This is exactly what’s confusing me, too. (It goes hand-in-hand with my earlier post.) I’m assuming that they’re trying to come across as saying, “We need to review these emails to determine whether or not they actually dealt with the federal issue at hand.” But that part has already been implied, by the written request for the emails: > [@](#): > > From the written request, by **John Conyers, Jr.** and **Linda T. Sánchez** > _In light of these concerns, we are therefore formally requesting that you provide promptly to our Committee all e-mail communications (including all meta-data relating to those communications) by any Government employee stored on or in any way retrievable from the RNC servers or in the possession, custody or control of the RNC, including any of its affiliated entities, that relate in any way to the recent termination of U.S. Attorneys, as well as all e-mails that relate in any way to any of the following related subjects: the performance of any U.S. Attorney; any consideration of whether to retain, dismiss, or seek the resignation of any U.S. Attorney; any candidate for possible appointment as a U.S. Attorney to replace anyone considered for termination; and any process for considering any of these subjects._ (underlining mine) So, the WH is saying that they need to review _these particular emails_, before they are handed over to Congress. And I don’t see _any_ legitimate reason why this should be allowed. LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/284 "2007-04-18T21:29:30Z")
The RNC has [answered to the voice of its master](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041701984.html?nav=rss_politics): > [@Washington Post](#): > > The RNC deferred yesterday to White House requests that all documents from administration officials who used RNC e-mail accounts first be reviewed by Bush’s lawyers. Congress has requested several years’ worth of e-mails from top White House advisers, including Karl Rove, as part of its investigation of the prosecutor firings. In letters to the House and Senate Judiciary committees, an RNC lawyer said those documents belong to the White House. > > “Recognizing the unique and significant nature of the potential privilege issue raised by the committee’s requests, the RNC has agreed to the White House’s reasonable request,” Robert K. Kelner, an RNC lawyer, wrote to Conyers. Conyers responded that the action was “a clear attempt on the administration’s part to delay this process.” The RNC is determined to commit itself to future irrelevancy to protect this administration, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/285 "2007-04-19T01:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] The RNC has [answered to the voice of its master](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041701984.html?nav=rss_politics): The RNC is determined to commit itself to future irrelevancy to protect this administration, apparently. [/QUOTE] Time for Congress to turn that request into a subpoena. The RNC won’t be able to refuse to turn over the emails based just on a letter from the White House; the White House would presumably have to go to court to quash the Congressional subpoena. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/286 "2007-04-19T01:27:12Z")
The WH will simply fire Archibald Cox and stand on executive privilege. Ooops. Sorry. Flashback. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/287 "2007-04-19T01:48:54Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] The WH will simply fire Archibald Cox and stand on executive privilege. Ooops. Sorry. Flashback. [/QUOTE] I think it was speculated upthread that the only reason Bush has for keeping Gonzales around is so that he can be the fall guy for an upcoming Saturday Night Massacre. The longer this goes on, the truer that sounds. Of course, they have to realize that at that point, everybody realizes that they’re engaged in a huge coverup. Either way, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that this administration has been operating under the assumption that their actions would never be seriously scrutinized. As people say, the coverup has been more damaging than the original transgression. They just don’t seem to be able to lie well when the people they’re lying to aren’t willing to swallow up obvious bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/288 "2007-04-19T02:31:42Z")
I’m betting the reason the WH and the RNC are going to the wall on this one is that what’s in those is one or more emails linking Karl Rove to the DA firings, in a smoking-gun kinda way. Might even have been some indications that Rove has consulted with this with the Deciderer, who doesn’t use emails (that’s for consiglieres like Rove). Might even be some emails that directly point out the true motivation for the DA firings … to aid in the 2008 elections of course. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/289 "2007-04-19T03:05:43Z")
Am I the only one who interprets the WH asking for the RNC emails before Congress gets them as: “OK, so you caught us trying to sneak around the Presidential Records Act. Before we turn over all the stuff we tried to hide, can we go through it first so we can hide the stuff we really need to hide?” It sounds like the suspect asking for first crack at the evidence locker before the DA gets to it. Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/290 "2007-04-19T03:18:54Z")
It’s roughly equivalent, actually, to the computer repair shop having a box they’re working on subpoenaed for kiddie porn, but giving it back to the owner to wipe before letting the police have it. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/291 "2007-04-19T06:33:00Z")
[QUOTE=waterj2] Am I missing something? [/QUOTE] I really hope so… but I doubt it. LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/292 "2007-04-19T12:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=waterj2] Either way, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that this administration has been operating under the assumption that their actions would never be seriously scrutinized. As people say, the coverup has been more damaging than the original transgression. They just don’t seem to be able to lie well when the people they’re lying to aren’t willing to swallow up obvious bullshit. [/QUOTE] The only conclusion to draw is that they actually believed that they would have a “permanent majority”. They actually believed it. I asked on here once why they seemed **SO** confident - after all, they were so determined to strip away any and all restrictions on Executive power. The best answer anyone came up with was ‘shortsightedness’, but I really think they had a lock on things - or at least **THEY** thought they had a lock on things. I wonder if Diebold fucked up? Oops. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/293 "2007-04-19T13:37:27Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] The only conclusion to draw is that they actually believed that they would have a “permanent majority”. They actually believed it. I asked on here once why they seemed **SO** confident - after all, they were so determined to strip away any and all restrictions on Executive power. The best answer anyone came up with was ‘shortsightedness’, but I really think they had a lock on things - or at least **THEY** thought they had a lock on things. I wonder if Diebold fucked up? Oops. -Joe [/QUOTE] I wonder if Diebold got nervous about all the scrutiny and closed a backdoor. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/294 "2007-04-19T13:41:13Z")
Why is the RNC even being asked which emails to submit? I think the committee should have said “RNC, we’re taking all your emails. Our geeks will get together with your geeks.” Asking them to review them all and having them submit those that might be incriminating doesn’t sound very effective. It would have been like the LAPD asking OJ to pretty please hand over any bloody knives he might have with his fingerprints on them. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/295 "2007-04-19T13:53:32Z")
What I find frustrating is that the last 2 weeks worth of national news has been devoted to grade-A sensationalism, and in the meantime, all of these shenanigans have been going on. When John Stewart is the only person covering this on TV, you know there’s something wrong with the media. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/296 "2007-04-19T14:00:43Z")
[QUOTE=you with the face] What I find frustrating is that the last 2 weeks worth of national news has been devoted to grade-A sensationalism, and in the meantime, all of these shenanigans have been going on. When John Stewart is the only person covering this on TV, you know there’s something wrong with the media. [/QUOTE] No foolin’! As much as we might feel bad about the Rutgers team or the VTU massacre, they aren’t as signifcant as the incompetence/corruption/criminal behavior in the White House. Bush missed two golden opportunities to cut Gonzales loose- if he had done so last week or this week it would have gotten buried in the back pages. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/297 "2007-04-19T14:28:25Z")
Is anybody listening to or watching Gonzalez’s hearing appearance right now? It’s gut-twistingly painful. He is _blatantly_ avoiding answering a single question directly. It could not possibly be more obvious that he’s engaging in a coverup. Of what, we don’t yet have the full picture. But the tap-dance is, I don’t know, _ludicrously_ clumsy. He’s like a bug pinned to a board, wriggling frantically, squealing, “What pin? There’s no pin!” I never thought I’d say this, but I actually feel a little bad for Gonzalez. Clearly he’s been instructed to shlep a huge bucket of shit into the Senate and attempt to convince the lawmakers to take a healthy bite. Okay, I’m done feeling bad. Crucify the fucker. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/298 "2007-04-19T14:30:56Z")
Here’s a link to the live hearing feed. [http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs\_cspan3\_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3](http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan3_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/299 "2007-04-19T14:50:55Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Here’s a link to the live hearing feed. [http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs\_cspan3\_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3](http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan3_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3) [/QUOTE] And why the hell is this the only place I can watch this? Why isn’t CSpan covering this? How many people get CSpan-3? Why isn’t this on every broadcast network? Why aren’t the cable news networks covering this? Faux News is talking about the friggin Branch Davidian standoff from years ago! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/300 "2007-04-19T14:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Why is the RNC even being asked which emails to submit? I think the committee should have said “RNC, we’re taking all your emails. Our geeks will get together with your geeks.” Asking them to review them all and having them submit those that might be incriminating doesn’t sound very effective. It would have been like the LAPD asking OJ to pretty please hand over any bloody knives he might have with his fingerprints on them. [/QUOTE] Exactly. The Congressional committee should send their geeks over to the RNC with a subpoena and a backup server, copy everything over from the original to the backup, replace the orignal with the backup, and bring the original server back to Congress. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824.md?page=16)