# 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:** 23
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/441 "2007-05-31T04:03:18Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham. [/QUOTE] Also Dana Perino. I also would not agree with Mrs. Coulter being hot but, well, she has a reputation as you say. And I’m sure they’re not all _evil_, per se… I can’t think of many good looking, prominent blonde Dems. That’s OK, I prefer brunettes, but I’m sure they exist. The only one I’m aware of is Mary Landrieu, especially when she has her glasses on. Yum. > [@elucidator](#): > > Hell, its been conclusively proven that no one was involved! Its a kind of political parthogenesis. Shit happens, it just happens! Mistakes were made. We all just sorta sat around as things fall apart. Damn you, England! Why did you invent the passive voice? It has wreaked so much havoc on the innocent, naive waifs which are our elected leaders. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/442 "2007-05-31T05:02:28Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] To that I say “eww!” Especially regarding the former. [/QUOTE] Perhaps Katherine Harris’s [brobdingnagian bosoms](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/345829742_8e1a3d2181_o.jpg) would be more your speed. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/443 "2007-05-31T12:05:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] Perhaps Katherine Harris’s [brobdingnagian bosoms](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/345829742_8e1a3d2181_o.jpg) would be more your speed. [/QUOTE] Double Ewww! ---
**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:** [May 31, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/444 "2007-05-31T12:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth] Double Ewww! [/QUOTE] No, Double Ewww is in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/445 "2007-05-31T12:56:38Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Hell, its been conclusively proven that _no one_ was involved! Its a kind of political parthogenesis. Shit happens, it just _happens!_ [/QUOTE] Pretty much the point of my post. There are obviously people lying, which I think leads to Perjury. Unless Karl Rove is totally magical, and he wished as hard as he could and _poof_ it just happened. No paper trail, no email, nobody with a recollection of anything. -Joe ---
**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:** [May 31, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/446 "2007-05-31T13:56:39Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] Unless Karl Rove is totally magical, and he wished as hard as he could and _poof_ it just happened. [/QUOTE] Sort of a “will no one rid me of these troublesome U.S. attorneys” scenario, then? ---
**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:** [May 31, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/447 "2007-05-31T14:02:25Z")
When someone goes to this much trouble to cover their tracks, the probability of it being a simple misunderstanding of the scope and reach of presidential power becomes practically nil. If they had just said “Oops! We didn’t realize we couldn’t do that! Sorry!” then it becomes easier to believe that it wasn’t something planned at the highest levels of the administration with the full knowledge that it was at least borderline illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/448 "2007-05-31T14:30:22Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] Sort of a “will no one rid me of these troublesome U.S. attorneys” scenario, then? [/QUOTE] Can you prove otherwise, counselor? -Joe ---
**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:** [May 31, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/449 "2007-05-31T17:52:50Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] If they had just said “Oops! We didn’t realize we couldn’t do that! Sorry!” then it becomes easier to believe that it wasn’t something planned at the highest levels of the administration with the full knowledge that it was at least borderline illegal. [/QUOTE] Which in a nutshell has been the most confounding element of this controversy, for me. Essentially, the Administration’s defenders are saying, “They’re not evil, they’re incompetent!” Which is supposed to be reassuring how exactly? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/450 "2007-05-31T18:09:06Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] Which in a nutshell has been the most confounding element of this controversy, for me. Essentially, the Administration’s defenders are saying, “They’re not evil, they’re incompetent!” Which is supposed to be reassuring how exactly? [/QUOTE] In [not being impeachable.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States#History) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/451 "2007-06-01T22:54:02Z")
Update: Now Rove has been [personally linked](http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1627427,00.html?xid=rss-nation) to the DoJ’s (successful) prosecution of former Alabama Democratic Governor [Don Siegelman.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Siegelman) > [@](#): > > The allegation was made by Dana Jill Simpson, a lifelong Republican and lawyer who practices in Alabama. She made the charges in a May 21 affidavit, obtained by TIME, in which she describes a conference call on November 18, 2002, which involved a group of senior aides to Bob Riley, who had just narrowly defeated Siegelman in a bitterly contested election for governor. Though Republican Riley, a former Congressman, initially found himself behind by several thousand votes, he had pulled ahead at the last minute when disputed ballots were tallied in his favor. After the abrupt vote turnaround, Siegelman sought a recount. The Simpson affidavit says the conference call focused on how the Riley campaign could get Siegelman to withdraw his challenge. > > According to Simpson’s statement, William Canary, a senior G.O.P. political operative and Riley adviser who was on the conference call, said “not to worry about Don Siegelman” because “‘his girls’ would take care of” the governor. Canary then made clear that “his girls” was a reference to his wife, Leura Canary, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, and Alice Martin, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. > > Canary reassured others on the conference call — who also included Riley’s son, Rob, and Terry Butts, another Riley lawyer and former justice of the Alabama supreme court — that he had the help of a powerful pal in Washington. Canary said “not to worry — that he had already gotten it worked out with Karl and Karl had spoken with the Department of Justice and the Department of Justice was already pursuing Don Siegelman,” the Simpson affidavit says. Both U.S. attorney offices subsequently indicted Siegelman on a variety of charges, although Leura Canary recused herself from dealing with the case in May 2002. A federal judge dismissed the Northern District case before it could be tried, but Siegelman was convicted in the Middle District on bribery and conspiracy charges last June. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/452 "2007-06-01T23:36:49Z")
**BrainGlutton** , very nice link. That is some serious shit. Surely it’s long past time for Congress to subpoena Karl Rove, and hopefully shortly after, impeach Bush for ordering Rove to ignore the subpoena. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/453 "2007-06-01T23:45:16Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] **BrainGlutton** , very nice link. That is some serious shit. Surely it’s long past time for Congress to subpoena Karl Rove, and hopefully shortly after, impeach Bush for ordering Rove to ignore the subpoena. [/QUOTE] Thing is – even if Simpson is telling the truth, I’m not sure Rove or anyone in the DoJ actually did anything **illegal** in deciding to prosecute Siegelman, suspicious though the circumstances are. I’ve started a [separate thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=423240) to debate this. Of course, Congress can still lawfully investigate the matter and subpoena Rove. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/454 "2007-06-01T23:59:30Z")
It just keeps getting better and better. I heard this [NPR story](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10634336) this afternoon. The DOJ has two investigative departments, the Inspector General(who is the guy with the power and takes no shit) and the _Office of Professional Responsibility_ (read _the political arm of the department_). Gonzales originally referred the whole US Attorney thing to the political side, probably so he could keep track of what what happening and hopefully have the whole thing dismissed. But, in steps the Inspector General’s office. Which means we’ll get a truer picture of what actually happened. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2007, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/455 "2007-06-02T09:13:35Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Which means we’ll get a truer picture of what actually happened. [/QUOTE] Truer, of course, being a relative concept. I mean, there’s more fact in the Hitler Diaries than the average Bush Administration testimonial. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/456 "2007-06-02T22:16:17Z")
[Congess is calling Ashcroft to testify about the hospital-room confrontation.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18990233/site/newsweek/?from=rss) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/457 "2007-06-07T19:25:01Z")
Update: [Cheney blocked the promotion of a DoJ official who objected to the wiretapping program.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070607/ap_on_go_co/fired_prosecutors) Yesterday NPR [covered the expose (and the unexplained disappearance) of Thor Hearne and the American Center for Voting Rights](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10758134) (a Republican front group). (More on that at [BradBlog](http://www.bradblog.com/?page_id=4418) and [SourceWatch.](http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Center_for_Voting_Rights_Legislative_Fund)) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/458 "2007-06-07T20:59:36Z")
Meanwhile, DailyKos claims to have found [“Rove’s Playbook for Attorney Scandal”](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/6/182434/8934) (a plan aide Fred Malek wrote for Nixon in 1970 on how to use “the powers of incumbency” to hold on to the White House). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/459 "2007-06-07T21:10:03Z")
And now there’s evidence that the DoJ [refused to enforce the National Voter Registration Act in 2004, despite evidence three groups provided that it was being systematically violated.](http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17333144.htm) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON - Representatives of three liberal-leaning groups came to the Justice Department in 2004, armed with evidence that hundreds of public-assistance agencies had illegally failed to offer voter registration to their mostly poor and minority clients. > > Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act, which imposed the requirement, in 1993. But after these agencies registered 2.6 million people to vote in 1995-1996, the total registered plunged to about 1 million in 2003-2004. > > \ > > The Bush Justice Department, they said, has largely ignored the voter registration sections of the law while aggressively using a narrower provision to sue or threaten to sue states that have failed to purge the names of allegedly ineligible people from voter rolls. > > Such selective enforcement, in effect, benefits Republican candidates at election time. > > Joseph Rich, a former chief of the Justice Department’s voting rights section, said that without enforcement of the registration requirement of the 1993 law, which a Democratic Congress passed, fewer Democrats are signed up to vote. Similarly, he said, purges aimed at ineligible voters hurt Democrats by knocking poor voters off the rolls even though they’re legitimately registered because they frequently change addresses. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824/460 "2007-06-14T16:39:57Z")
[Update:](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/13/AR2007061300733.html?hpid=topnews) The House and Senate Judiciary Committees just issued subpoenas for Harriet Miers (former WH counsel) and Sara Taylor (former WH political director). “The White House gave no indication that it intends to comply with the demands.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-craaaaaaaazy-conspiracy-theory-the-mass-firings-of-us-attorneys/394824.md?page=24)