Presidential candidates kiss babies, don't they? It's that whole "charisma" thing, where you show yourself as this person the people can love and trust. Even though we are a nation of laws and not men, the President is supposed to represent us to the world. And also, as was pointed out, you should be able to take the President to task about anything and everything, regardless of what you are.

Bush always shows disdain towards those who question him. He is the Decider, dammit, and any questioning (let alone criticism) is tantamount to treason. But this also shows his disconnect with the audience and, by proxie, his people. If the girl cried because she was nervous, then her nervousness was obvious and he should've been paying attention. Whatever happened to being nice to kids? Especially kids who are brave enough to ask the President a tough, maybe even adversarial question. Instead, he acts like a dickwad.

Yes, he's done worse things. Yes, it may seem as a minor incident: after all, nobody died. But this is like Mr. Burns taking candy from a baby after he's nearly destroyed Springfield. It is the last straw. Face it, Nation, we hate this guy. He's an asshole. Unfortunately, when assholes are elected President, they destroy their nation. This is a symptom of the worse things.

2008 can't come fast enough.

Interesting how he says that "this whole affair was essentially a bad plan executed poorly (or a series of bad plans executed poorly)", as if DOJ were merely trying to execute a normal and legal change of personnel, but did it in a clumsy manner. How about the part where it looks like the firing of the attorneys was a result of the system-wide effort to pressure these attorneys into launching bogus "investigations" of Democrats vying for office with Republicans? Or to distract these attorneys from the investigations of Republicans who were running for office (but who may have been breaking the law)? Or to terminate the ongoing investigation into a scandal involving Duke Cunningham, which was getting too close to certain powerful individuals?

Of course, I suppose Cummins is avoiding this sort of alarmist rhetoric due to the lack of substantial, overpowering proof of wrongdoing... but on the other hand, he's handing the people who "slandered his career" a graceful exit out of the situation. "We're sorry," they might say. "This was a bad plan executed badly. Here, to placate Congress, we're going to fire a couple of inconsequential underlings (to be quietly re-hired later in some RNC-connected capacity, or maybe as "consultants" to something or other) and then we'll shrug and call it a botched job. But with good intentions!"

Well, all right. They don't need Cummins to give them this exit strategy, and their disdain for Congress, the American People and such quaint ideas as "rule of law" and "due process" will probably ensure that they simply continue to stonewall the investigation and taunt the flaccid Reps and Senators who try to ask them simple yes-or-no questions. But Cummins is publicly buying into their innocence. I think it's a disservice to us all.

Oh, all right, then. That little fragment doesn't change the length significantly, but now Cummins' protest does appear stiffer than it did initially.

But come on. Do you really think that Alberto Gonzales, a man perfectly capable of admitting complete, humiliating incompetence rather than admit to illegal activity would be in any way affected by some USA's hurt feelings? Give me a break.

And George W., who is most likely barely aware of the whole thing, being so damn busy figuring out what sort of font they wil use in history books about him? Please.

So, Mr. Koppelman, your addition of the excised fragment is an example of solid blogging and adherence to facts. However, it only underscores my point: this administration is walking all over us. And we are totally, completely helpless, because nobody can muster anything more than furrowed brows and disapproving noises.

I sure hope that due process is taking some time, but that in the end, to the satisfaction of all, justice will be served. Does anybody here feel confident enough to reassure me on this point? Anyone?

This administration began as "somewhat embarrassing", went through a brief "we've got no one else, so you'd have to do" phase, quickly turned "kinda freaky", then became "very freaky", then was revealed to be "terrifyingly criminal", and now, finally and with great fanfare, entered the real of the "absurd".

Yeah. Complete with a Homeland Security chief that looks like a mechanized zombie from outer space. Not that ugliness of face has anything to do with competence (I don't consider Eisenhower, for example to be much of a looker either) but, damn. Ugly AND incompetent. And an asshole. But in tune with his GI tract, apparently.

Seriously, an invasion IS on the way! But it's localized to Mr. Chertoff's "gut" and it's likely just E. coli. From that spinach. Last time HE joins W. and Dick at one of their lunches.

Witnessing this administration's descent into bizarre day-dreams is terrifying. This is what stands between us and an invasion of Man-Eating Tomatoes, or whoever wants to take over this place. Seriously, classify that last comment: I've just emboldened the terrorists!

(In all seriousness, if 50% of CIA's classified records were packed up and sent to bin Laden, it would have a much smaller value to World Terror than this "gut feeling" of Mr. Chertoff's. If I were an al Qaida lieutenant, I'd be rubbing my hands and planning the next attack in confidence. These morons would never catch me. Ever. They'd be too busy listening to their stomachs.)