Buh Bye, Asscroft

[FormerLurker]

MSNBC says his resignation's been announced.

Don't let the door hit you in the ASH on the way out, please.

Of course, Bush could intend to nominate Falwell or Robertson to replace him, so this could still be a bad thing.

We'll see.

[shetline]

I keep hoping that moderate Republicans like McCain and Giuliani who were whoring for Bush during this election did so in exchange for some concessions to moderates.

It's only a hope.

[curiousuburb]

Here in Canada (and in a few other parliamentary democracies IIRC), it is traditional for the Cabinet to resign upon each new election, so that the leader has free reign to repopulate any and/or all of the positions as part of the 'new mandate'. Maybe they get the same posts (continuity of Finance Minister is good for stock market confidence, for example), but the presumption is that they all resign on principle to make way for potential new legislators or strategic personnel reshuffling as required.

I'd have laid good odds that Colin Powell would have been the first to resign, considering the hits to his personal credibility he took over the UN WMD 'evidence' fiasco. Maybe he thinks he's necessary as a moderating influence versus Rumsfeld and the NeoCon Chickenhawks, but I'd bet he's on the bubble otherwise.

No love lost for Ashcroft the closet fundamentalist. Buh Bye, indeed.

He's a better 'singer' than Ashlee Simpson (Michael Moore as his A&R rep ;) ),
so maybe he'll cut a "Christian" album and make an SNL appearance.
Without the sinful dancing, of course.

[superkarate monkeydeathcar]

Time magazine (Joe Klein's column) reports that Colin Powell's good soldier days are over. He'd already announced he was a one termer, but he is supposedly tired of being walked on by the the President's men. Will he stay mum after his departure?

President Bush is keen on LARRY THOMPSON (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/11/national/main567619.shtml) to replace Ashcroft. In Seymour Hersch's book, Ashcroft fell out of favor with administration muckity-mucks by screwing up the (20th hijacker) Zacarias Mousssaoui prosecution.

[Jubelum]

Later, Ashcroft. Oh, before you go, can we get our Constitution back, or are you talking it to decorate your bathroom?

:no: Good Riddance.

[Gilsch]

I hope he starts a singing career. "Eagle Soars" ROCKS!!!

[midwinter]

I posted this on my site shortly after I heard that JA had stepped down:

While I’m currently enjoying a brief hiatus from thinking about politics, a question has popped into my head today that I just can’t shake:

Given that the Bush administration is essentially half neo-conservative and half Reaganite supply-side economics, and

Given that the Bush administration from the get-go has marketed itself overwhelmingly to evangalical Christian voters and would-be voters, and

Given that Bush made some gestures in the direction of those evangelical voters (Ashcroft, faith-based initiatives, etc.), and

Given that Bush doesn’t seem to go to church, and

Given that Bush is firmly ensconced in office for a second term, and

Given that Ashcroft has just retired and everyone’s talking about Rudy for the new AG position…

Is it possible that this admin will now abandon the evangelical voters who put them in office? Is it possible that they’re simply that Machiavellian?

[Outsider]

Originally posted by midwinter
Is it possible that this admin will now abandon the evangelical voters who put them in office? Is it possible that they’re simply that Machiavellian? That woould be Suh-weeeeeet!

[curiousuburb]

CNN is confirming Ashcroft's resignation, and Commerce Secretary as well.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/09/cabinet.resignations/index.html

[Towel]

Originally posted by midwinter
Is it possible that this admin will now abandon the evangelical voters who put them in office? Is it possible that they’re simply that Machiavellian? I was thinking about that today, wrt abortion. Thinking, they have 55 votes in the Senate, firm control of the House, and were just re-elected to the WH with a values-based mandate. Why can't they deliver in a big way on abortion, like banning 2nd and 3rd trimester abortions (the limit permitted by Roe v. Wade)? But I was thinking, abortion is way better for them as a wedge issue than as a legislative accomplishment. It's in their interest to never deliver on the values issues, because if the Repubs ever delivered, they'd disappear as issues to motivate their base, and become issues to motivate the Dem base.

So I agree, it's entirely possible they'll string along, if not exactly abandon, the evangelicals.

[hardeeharhar]

Towel,
That is the case with everyone of the Repubs talking points... they will act on gay marriage but only enough to throw the CR a bone, ie they will kill it with some moderate repubs who just got elected in the senate. This has always been their MO...

They are always able to make the democrats an oppressive minority...

Think about it...

[Jubelum]

Originally posted by Outsider
That woould be Suh-weeeeeet!

Yea! Fuck religious people! They don't vote like we want them to!

:lol:

[Gene Clean]

Originally posted by Jubelum
Yea! Fuck religious people! They don't vote like we want them to!

:lol:


Fuck dead people! They don't lose in elections against Ashcroft! :lol:

[PBG4 Dude]

I was just logging on to start a thread about Asscroft, but you beat me to it. Glad to see I'm not the only one joyous about this occasion. :D

*does a jig*

[FormerLurker]

Gonzales (http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/10/bush.cabinet/index.html).... hmm....

[tonton]

Originally posted by FormerLurker
Gonzales (http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/10/bush.cabinet/index.html).... hmm....

While I don't have any idea where he stands on the Patriot Act, this is a promising sign:

In his opinion on the ruling, Gonzales wrote, "While the ramifications of such a law may be personally troubling to me as a parent, it is my obligation as a judge to impartially apply the laws of this state without imposing my moral view on the decisions of the legislature."

Echoing the wise words of John Kerry re: abortion. Too bad the Attorney General doesn't really have anything to do with abortion.