Letters to the Editor
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Alberto, the Latino Scooter
In talking about Alberto Gonzales, your mention of Nick Bromel's Salon piece recalling the writer's memories of Jewish kid Scooter trying to fit into the snooty New England prep schools of the 60s goes beyond thier mutual "fall guy" simularity. As a Mexican American growing up in Texas guys like Alberto were familiar. And while it's easy for fellow progressive Latinos to dismiss people like Alberto as sell-outs, their desire to fit into the white power structure is actually sort of tragic and complex. Much to complicated to get into in a blog comment. Click my name for a link to an essay that fully explores this phenomenon.
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A brain, a heart, the nerve
Every president hires some friends he (so far he) likes and trusts, but this president's practice of cronyism fits the word's definition to a fare-thee-well. Alberto Gonzalez is a prime example--insufficient experience for his position, poor judgement, dishonest. Loyalty to the president who (along with Daddy Bush) has pulled him along and "made" his career does not qualify Gonzales to be attorney general. I guess that's now obvious to everyone.
It seems, though, that there also is a pile-up of what I'd call faith-based cronyism under Gonzales. Ashcroft got that ball rolling by kicking out many long-term, experienced lawyers to serve in the attorney general's office and replacing them with very young lawyers with one thing in common. They graduated from law universities such as Pat Robertson's. Graduating from a university that was founded to produce lawyers with certain religious beliefs and empower them to be "Christian soldier[s] marching as to war" (as the old hymn says) into our political and governmental institutions to "reform" them also does not qualify one to work as an attorney in our justice department.
Our justice department is a disgrace. It's just a political cluster you-know-what. This administration's got no brain and no heart, but it sure has a lot of nerve.
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Re you rude ...
First I would say relax Michael, Joan has had a rough week. Second I would suggest you walk a mile in Ms.Walsh's shoes before you are so quick to spew such harsh words.
Third I agree with what Joan that little to nothing can help Gonzo, the one competent thing he has done is show us how incompetent he is. He's going down but he did it to himself.
Fourth I don't think Joan should be castigated for feeling a bit sorry for Scooter, I do as well but then I remember that Libby is not naive and knew who he worked for and what he was doing and that feeling goes away. I assume it is the same for Ms. Walsh.
Finally I'd keep reading her blog if I like it, (I do) and stop if I don't, but either way there is no reason to be hateful and mean , can't we all lighten up, the world needs more smiles and less attacks.