US Attorneys and integrity

Gene Lyons offers a reality-based view of the importance of integrity in the justice system in Where loyalty is a one-way street Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 03/28/07:

For Republicans, here’s the clearest lesson from the U. S. attorney purge: To the Bush administration, loyalty is a one-way street. All successful politicians shed embarrassing associates, but with George W. Bush it’s not necessary to be a liability to get trashed. Being inconvenient to one of Karl Rove’s power plays will suffice. Rove’s machinations are wrecking the GOP. Fully 68 percent in a USA Today / Gallup poll think White House officials should testify to Congress under oath; the 24 percent who don’t represent Bush dead-enders. Rigging the Patriot Act to evade the Senate’s advice and consent in choosing federal prosecutors was sure to backfire. Senators of both parties are jealous of their prerogatives. Not coming clean was bone stupid. When the attorney general’s aides start pleading the Fifth Amendment, things can only get worse. Treating U. S. attorneys like fry cooks at a fast-food joint was idiotic. Tell all the lawyer jokes you want. The ethical code that governs the legal profession guards fundamental American rights and freedoms. Here in Arkansas, two recent Republican U. S. attorneys have dealt with politically loaded situations demanding integrity and courage. Both did exactly the right thing under extreme pressure. Although I’ve voted against both men and may do so again, I have nothing but respect for their honor. (my emphasis)

It's a sad, sad commentary on the state of the American media landscape that a sensible, careful journalist and commentator like Gene Lyons appears in a small local Arkansas paper. While frivolous clowns like David Broder (aka, the Dean of All The Pundits) and David Brooks are considered very serious Big Pundits. Very, very sad. Gene Lyons puts more sensible commentary in one column than Dean Broder cranks out in an entire year - and that's probably giving the Dean too much credit.

Tags: attorney purge, establishment press, gene lyons, mainstream press, us attorney purge