Frank Dwyer: Rove's Pass: A Window on the Real World

[kpete]

Opinion
Frank Dwyer: Rove's Pass: A Window on the Real World
Wed Jun 14, 10:56 AM ET

Isn't it surprising how many people who believe the last two national elections were stolen; who do not believe in the integrity, honesty, or competence of the President and his cronies; who do not have any faith in either party in the Legislative branch, and who do not believe in the independence or integrity of the Supreme Court, nevertheless found themselves believing without reservation that Patrick Fitzgerald would save us and the Republic we were too feeble or confused or disheartened to try and save ourselves.

Fitzgerald may still be the incorruptible hero we thought he was. Maybe Rove is innocent. Maybe there is insufficient evidence to convict him of a crime. Maybe Fitzgerald turned Rove and will bring down Cheney, or even Bush. Oh happy day. Maybe.

But why did we believe so much that the earnest, hard-working, blue-collar, non-partisan, Republican Special Counsel would follow wherever the evidence led and hold even the highest malefactors accountable; that he would show the world all Americans must obey the law, even those who believe their high office, or superior values, or special pipeline to Jesus exempt them. Why did we believe all that? Did the press persuade us? But we don't trust the press, either. Did various liberal leaders give their imprimaturs? But we don't really trust them either, as they equivocate about the war and pander gravely about such crucial issues as flag-burning. I suspect if you put your faith in Fitzgerald, you did it for the same reasons I did: because you wanted to, because you needed to.

The point here (here and everywhere) is that no institutions in a democracy are safe if the party that holds power is ruthlessly determined to corrupt and subvert those institutions to keep that power, especially when the rest of us are too disorganized or demoralized or lazy or stupid or afraid to stop them.

much more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060614/cm_huffpost/022940

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Republican?

Fitzgerald's not a Republican. He's also not a Democrat. He's not anything. The writer fucked it up and didn't do his homework.

Also, he's overlooking the law Fitzgerald is charged with enforcing, and completely disregarding what it is, how impossible it is to enforce, how badly-drawn and drafted it is, and who wrote it. Again, bad researching - or a good demonstration of the writer's lack of research and a failure to understand the issues.

This is a very badly done article. His point is not at all valid.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. he is an equal opportunity indicter here in Illinois.

Dems, GOoPs, it matters not. If they commit a crime, he goes after them. He just convicted at GOP former Governor, fer xrist's sake. the fact that he is going after the Daley clan is not partisan, it only means that Chicago politics has been so corrupt for so long, that it needs a realy good shake-up.

fitz is the kind of Spec. Pros. we need - apolitical.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. Exactly!

Fitzgerald is the standard against which all attorneys should be measured. He's been brilliant, every step of his career. That's why it's been so much fun here in Washington, having this investigation going on, as we oldsters - some have been practicing for 50 years, others, like my group, a bit over 30 - shake our heads at the absolute purity of it all.

Never has there been a leakproof investigation. But, this one surely is, and it's a joy to behold.

The story about Fitzgerald is that when he finally got around to registering to vote - I'm not sure if it was in NY or IL - he registered as an Independent, believing that it meant he had no party affiliation.

When informed that "Independent" was a party, he had his name stricken from the voter rolls. That's how conscientious he is.

[emulatorloo]

4. WAPO - He spit fire: "I'm not part of a political party"

<snip>

Fitzgerald is careful to be apolitical in his targets and his public life alike. He registered to vote as an Independent in New York, only to discover, when he began receiving fundraising calls, that Independent was a political party. He re-registered with no affiliation, as he did later in Chicago.

He spit fire last year when reporters asked whether the racketeering indictment of Muhammad Hamid Khalil Salah, a fundraiser for the Islamic militant group Hamas, was timed to boost President Bush's reelection campaign. The case was trumpeted first by Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"I am not running for an election. I'm not part of a political party," Fitzgerald said at the time. "The election is irrelevant to this case. The reason we brought this case now is we're ready to proceed."

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55560-2005Feb1?language=printer