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I HATE to agree with any word that the cheap-shot artist, media hound, raving lefty Charles Schumer says, but his quote at the bottom of this article is, unfortunately, on target -- or, rather, it would have been on target if he had spoken of what Iraq was like in the past tense, circa last summer, before the surge. But the point is that President Bush, for all his good intentions, remains too concerned about not letting down his close advisors rather than being able to distinguish what's best for his advisors from what is best for the country. He stuck WAY WAY WAY too long with the obviously doomed "small footprint" strategy in Iraq, and he is sticking too long with Attorney General Gonzales. He keeps saying that Gonzales should stay on because he did nothing "improper," meaning improper as a matter of law or ethics. But that is a low standard indeed. The important question isn't whether he did anything improper, but if he is serving the country well. Frankly, I have yet to see a single exposition, much less a convincing one, of his accomplishments as attorney general. He just seems overwhelmed with the job. His appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday was an utter embarrassment, showing an AG who is completely out of touch with significant responsibilities. No, he should not resign for ethical improprieties, of which there are none, but he should be replaced, for the same reason given for the US Attorneys who were replaced, namely that the nation needs fresher, more competent, more hands=on management at the Department of Justice.

topics:
Law, Iraq