DAVID IGLESIAS….Slate’s Emily Bazelon comments on the Gonzales hearing at a Q&A hosted by the Washington Post:
I learned two new things, so far. The first is that Gonzales said that the idea of firing some US attorneys was his. His words “I believe it was my plan.” That’s the first time I remember him saying that.
The second thing, I think, is that the reasons behind David Iglesias’ firing look more fishy, not less. Gonzales acknowledged talking to Sen. Pete Domenici and to President Bush about the voter fraud investigation that preceded Iglesias’ firing. He claimed there was nothing “improper” about the firing, and made vague references to Iglesias’ lack of aggressiveness. But I haven’t heard him offer anything of real substance to counter the allegation that the voter fraud investigation was the real rationale. Since this accusation involves both the core of prosecutorial discretion AND the franchise, all of this should matter.
Yes, exactly. With the other prosecutors, Gonzales has at least made a half-hearted effort to suggest legitimate reasons for their firing. With Iglesias, even after weeks of preparation, he still can’t come up with anything. Why? Probably because there isn’t anything. Iglesias was fired for not being sufficiently tough on Democrats, but Gonzales can’t say that. So he’s left with nothing.
