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US Attorneys: William F. Buckley Weighs In
William F. Buckley wrote a good article for Townhall.com about the USA controversy. His conclusion: “Of one thing Mr. Bush is manifestly guilty. It is the criminal (in the metaphorical sense) mismanagement of the whole business of the U.S. attorneys. The fault is not personal; it was probably the attorney general and other advisers of the president who took so many clumsy steps. But Mr. Bush’s stress on his rights invites a coordinate stress on his responsibilities. “These attorneys,” he said, “serve at my pleasure.” Right. But presidential pleasures have to rest on defensible grounds.”
Read the entire article at Townhall.
Update: fixed link
13 Responses to “US Attorneys: William F. Buckley Weighs In”
How I miss Buckley. Though I often disagreed with him, it was a pleasure to hear him make his case, so clearly and with such command of the English language. No one can speak as well as he, today.
Here again, he makes a clear assessment. Agree or not, I love his presentation.
PS
Buckley has this sardonic wit that one appreciates, even when it works to your disadvantage.
Where have the political witty folk gone?
Doma- I fear that personal vindictive for shock value and media-circulated talking points has taken the place of witty rhetoric. But there was nothing like watching William F Buckley take on Gore Vidal. In a society that pays more attention to a playmate’s tawdry life and death than the most brilliant wits of our time, what else can we expect?
KR-
Yes, Buckley and Gore Vidal.
It makes the debates of today look like playground yelling matches. No brains, just noise.
I think he sums up the situation accurately. Yes any appointed official serves at the pleasure of the president, but the President should be able to defend the removal of his appointed officials before Congress. Congress does have the right and duty to investigate what has happened. If these attorneys had a history of disciplinary problems the President would have no difficulty in explaining his actions. The circumstances are different and Congress does have the power to ask why people [with one exception] with no negatives have been removed.
Grognard – yes, I agree as well.
Doma and Kim: it’s quite amazing isn’t it? This is what the debate should be like, sadly, not so. Men have surrendered their manhood, their independence in favor of partisanship.
mvdg and doma-We have cheapened our political discourse and cheapened our society. Where are the leaders and brilliant minds that will inspire our kids? I really had no words to describe the tactics that were used in campaign ads during the last election to my 14 year old, and hate that wit, honesty, integrity and good taste, now seem out of style. Is it due to the advent of the cable news cycle, and their endless search for ratings?
Dan Rather lost his job in Rathergate (and rightfully so because he used lower standards of journalism). Judy Miller lost her job at the NYT’s for her fallacious prewar stories about WMD’s. So, why did no one at FNC lose their jobs for erroneously reporting that Obama went to a Madrassa? Also, during the midterms, FNC misidentified several candidates dogged by charges of corruption. Why no accountability?
It’s not only in politics that discourse has been cheapened. This made me remember that a debate between authors, like Mailer vs Gore, could be and was the hit show of a TV evening.
Our whole US culture has been reduced to the equivalent of a mud wrestling match.
Domajot said:
> Our whole US culture has been
> reduced to the equivalent of a
> mud wrestling match.
That’s the real point. Who watches television any more? I stopped 20+ years ago. Who watches the junk movies that are churned out by Hollywood? I haven’t for 20+ years…
It’s the culture. Just ask the Bookie of Virtues, Bill Bennett.
I’m waiting for Billy Bennett to come out with a power slots book, who needs to here about virtue from the next PPT spokeman.
It’s ironic that this article wasn’t published in the National Review or the digital version NRO. His own magazine has become the Tass news agency for W.
Our whole US culture has been reduced to the equivalent of a mud wrestling match.
Agreed- and our cumulative literary knowlege is approaching the contents of “the National Enquirer”. It passed “People Magazine” a few years ago, lol. I must admit I remember when people would sneak a peak at tabloids while in the grocery store checkout line. Now we are a tabloid society. Have we begun, as a nation, a great decline? It seems that no one focusses on problem-solving or elevating the debate any more.
Is it ever George Bush’s fault?
Katrina, official sanction of torture, chaos in Iraq, the resurgence of the Taliban, politicization of all levels of government. Honestly, the man is either completely disconnected from his responsibilities as President, or it is his fault.