Another day, another Bush abuse of authority, another reason to impeach Bush and Cheney. Add another count to the Articles of Impeachment... and be sure to include Torturer General Gonzales.

Last week David Swanson posted on ADS, "Prosecute Republicans, Lose Your Job", a San Diego Times-Union piece about Smirk canning the Duke Cunningham prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Carol Lam.

Now it it's grown to the Bush cabal dumping five to ten US Attorneys, replacing them with Repugnant cronies and bypassing the Senate confirmation process by taking advantage of a little known provision of the Patriot Act likely inserted last minute by none other than former Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter... (more)

Thursday January 18, 2007 -
White House boots federal prosecutors, replaces them with cronies
On Tuesday of this week Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) went to the Senate floor to sound the alarm about a series of suspicious de facto firings of U.S. attorneys (USAs) across the country in recent weeks and months. USAs, of course, serve at the president’s will. Legally and constitutionally, he can fire them whenever he chooses. In practice, however, a sitting president seldom, if ever, without cause, cashiers serving USAs whom he himself has appointed. I’ve counted as many as seven USAs who appear to have been forced out. And Feinstein said that the administration has told her that between five and 10 USAs have been asked to tender their resignations.

And there’s another wrinkle to the story. Using a little-noticed provision dropped into last year’s renewal of the Patriot Act, the attorney general can appoint new USAs to serve for the duration of the president’s term without the need for Senate approval.

So what’s going on here? For folks like myself, there’s too much water under the bridge to grant this White House too many benefits of the doubt. But the evidence on the table suggests pretty strongly that the White House is up to no good — both in the choice of USAs who are getting the boot and those they’re choosing to appoint outside the confirmation process... (full article)

The story's also gotten the attention of the NYT's David Johnston -

Justice Dept. Names New Prosecutors, Forcing Some Out
The Justice Department is removing several United States attorneys from their jobs, among them Carol C. Lam, the top federal prosecutor in San Diego, who led the corruption prosecution of former Representative Randy Cunningham.

Justice Department officials said Tuesday that Ms. Lam’s dismissal had nothing to do with the prosecution of Mr. Cunningham, Republican of California, but was based on her overall record in prosecuting firearms violations and crimes along the California border with Mexico.

But Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said that Ms. Lam and Kevin V. Ryan, the United States attorney from San Francisco, among others, were being pushed out “without cause.” Mr. Ryan’s office has been investigating the backdating of stock options granted to corporate executives....

.... “We in no way politicize these decisions,” Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told The Associated Press on Tuesday....

...Those the Justice Department officials said had been asked to leave were Ms. Lam, Mr. Ryan, Daniel G. Bogden of Nevada, David C. Iglesias of New Mexico and H. E. Cummins III of Arkansas. Others who are said to be stepping down are Paul K. Charlton of Arizona and John McKay of Washington State. All were appointed by President Bush.... (full article)

Now, the Senate Democrats want to take back Torturer General Gonzalez's power to appoint US Attorney by bypassing the confirmation process..

Senate Democrats want to take back attorney general's power to replace U.S. attorneys - 2:36 p.m. January 16, 2007

WASHINGTON – (AP) Senate Democrats want to take away Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' power to replace U.S. attorneys who fall out of favor and return that authority to federal district judges.

Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Mark Pryor of Arkansas complained Tuesday that the White House is using an obscure provision in the newly reauthorized USA Patriot Act to reward Republican political allies with jobs as federal prosecutors.

“The Bush administration is pushing out U.S. attorneys from across the country under the cloak of secrecy and then appointing indefinite replacements,” Feinstein said.
“It appears that the administration has chosen to use this provision, which was intended to help protect our nation, to circumvent the transparent constitutional Senate confirmation process to reward political allies,” Pryor said in the joint Democratic statement.... (full article)