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Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappointed

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Mon Aug 08, 2005 at 08:32:46 PM EST
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Patrick Fitzgerald's four year term as U.S. attorney in Illinois is set to expire in October. Some have wondered whether Bush would replace him. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, speaking at the American Bar Association Meeting in Chicago today, tried to lay such doubts to rest.

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald got a vote of confidence from his boss Monday. There had been speculation Fitzgerald's aggressive investigations in Chicago and Washington might have angered important people and that Fitzgerald might not get reappointed.

The US attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez made it clear in Chicago Monday that a controversial and high-visibility justice department subordinate, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, will probably be reappointed by President Bush when his four-year term expires in October.

"You'll have to ask the president as to whether or not he intends to find a new US attorney for this district. I will say from my vantage point as the attorney general, I have great confidence in Pat Fitzgerald," said Alberto Gonzalez, attorney general.

One of Patrick Fitzgerald's predecessors in the US attorney's office, Chicago lawyer Tom Sullivan, says the Gonzalez message is pretty clear. "If Mr. Gonzalez is being frank and open with you, then the president will allow Patrick Fitzgerald to continue to serve for another term," said Tom Sullivan, former US attorney.

[Via BlondeSense]

Background here.

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    Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappointed | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:05 PM EST
    President Bush who does not need to worry about being reelected, reappoints a man who may bring him, or key figures in his administration down, when he can simply choose to not reappoint him, as he has done before. Hmmm.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#2)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:05 PM EST
    Inquiry Into Lobbyist Sputters After Demotion
    The unusual financial deal between Jack Abramoff and officials in Guam drew scrutiny.

    WASHINGTON — A U.S. grand jury in Guam opened an investigation of controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff more than two years ago, but President Bush removed the supervising federal prosecutor and the inquiry ended soon after.
    Oh, well that could never happen again. BTW, anybody heard 'kenny boy' lay recently!?

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#3)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:05 PM EST
    That's why the Gonzales' statements are so odd, especially if they are true.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:05 PM EST
    Maybe Gonzales has decided to give a vote of confidence to Fitzgerald just in case the doodoo hits the fan.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#5)
    by chupetin on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:05 PM EST
    Coming from this administration, you can only believe that he will not get reappointed.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#6)
    by jackl2400 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:06 PM EST
    Maybe the fix is already in about Plamegate and Bush knows there's nothing to fear from Sullivan's reappointment. Maybe Bush thinks Sullivan is doing a great job, keeping everything in a great state of mystery as his interminable "investigation" proceeds, while no officials have (yet) been indicted or charged for anything. Maybe Bush just wants Sullivan's "investigation" to just drag on four more years without reaching any conclusions.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:06 PM EST
    Politically, I think it would serve the republicans well for Bush to replace Fitzgerald with someone less likely to bring serious charges (conspiracy, etc.) against administration officials. Here's why: there would be a brief, intense flap, during which even the MSM would claim that Bush was behaving unethically to save the necks of Libby, Rove, ??, but it wouldn't stick to the next republicans running for office like indictments and convictions would. RoveGate would be a whole lot stickier for Bush if this was his first term.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#8)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:07 PM EST
    ...US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, will probably be reappointed by President Bush...
    Probably? Or not.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:07 PM EST
    link a link to an msnbc story about how fitzgerald's boss is being replaced. I know this is oh so "conspiracy theory" but it's interesting that Gonzales reassures us that fitz ain't going nowhere...but his boss is, and, if you believe the story, WHO is boss might be.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:07 PM EST
    I tend to agree with the observer above that the net is so wide cast now there has emerged a dilution factor. Besides, Roberts is more important to Bush now than the faithful working group many of whom might be named as pushing the legal limit with regard to secrecy safeguards. My estimate would be Bush's advisors know fairly completely whose names now are on Fitzgerald's list, as well as the projected timeline for prosecutions, if any. If it is true as some are suggesting, that Roberts was part of the crew that helped Bush senior devise a pardon strategy to lessen likelihood of embarrassing revelations regarding who was in charge during Iran Contra; and if Roberts was closely involved in the Bork nomination; and given Roberts' vast promise in the area of paring back social entitlement programs, as well as his longstanding support of lessing personal freedoms incrementally and implacably, Roberts' value to the Bush administration is greater than a little taint of scandal. A paramount concern for tyrannical leadership, however, traditionally arrives in the prelude to answering the question of succession; that is where Bush's greatest pitfall lies, and, because of the dynamic of political power, continuity of control by the Republican Party is far from guaranteed. What's more, and conversely, if the Republicans lose the next presidential contest, the Republicans will be hampered in any pardon plan should Rove and Libby actually face the secrecy transgression charges alone rather than having a vast network of planners being called onto Fitzgerald's carpet. Gonzales is one of the bright strategists, as well; consider the fact he got his appointment despite his views on international law. Garnering the votes in congressional elections will be a fundamental issue for the Republicans these next two cycles, 2006 and finally 2008. However, with Roberts on Supreme Court, and, possibly, even more Bush nominees as Justices there, Gonzales likely has taken a fairly secure and relaxed sounding stance, adding to public trust of his 'moderation'; keep in mind Gonzales himself is on the short list for a nomination. Given the huge impetus to regressive interpretation of the law that would emanate from the four, Rehnquist, Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, who is to give them riposte, as the rhetorical question goes. Add Gonzales to that mix and much freedom is squelched, although he has a personal problem with the most tunnelvisioned like Priscilla Owen. One can only imagine what some of the other hyperconservative female nominee candidates being discussed very recently would do to complicate the road rightward if at that time Gonzales were a Justice as well, easing up the reins on women's privacy. In fact, I would expect even Roberts moderating some of the stridency on women's issues in some of those disputes, should Bush have three nominees seated as Justices. Time to hope for a healthy Supreme Court and election tides returning to Democratic Party leadership. We will need the boost.

    Re: Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappoin (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:07 PM EST
    While I share the trepidation that comes with tyranny, Waas says that it would be hard to remove Fitzgerald because he is deeply involved in several high-profile investigations, including into Daley, and into a governor (I don't know which). However, will they protect themselves by whatever means? Yup, unless it involves actual acts of courage, because these guys don't have a clue what that is.

    Gonzales Says Fitzgerald Likely to Be Reappointed | 11 comments (11 topical)