Korean Job Discussion Forums

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

I'm just curious what all the Americans on this board think and feel about the DOJ scandal. I'm watching the news, reading the papers and websites and if I was an American I would be outraged. I would be even more outrage at Bush's declaration that he will fight the swearing in of officials. To me, that is unacceptable.

If my prime minister and his party and staff were embroiled in a scandal and then refused to allow a proper investigation of it, I'm not sure what would happen in Canada, but the outrage, I think, would be FAR more than what I've been seeing in the American media.

Now, before anyone says this is my political bias, I just want to say that I resigned from my job with the liberals when I did because of what I saw in a scandal.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

I'm not asking about the coverage. I'm asking what people actually think. As in, are the americans on this board outraged? I haven't seen any poll numbers on Bush, whether Gonzales should get the ax, or any poll on public opinion on the scandal.

I know what the politicians are saying and doing, I know what the media is saying and doing, and what I want to know is what the 'people' are thinking and saying.

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

After seven years of far worse shenanigans by Bush, it is honestly difficult to get worked up about this, although in normal times it should inspire outrage and condemnation.

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

Not entirely related, but here are the 'important' votes from today's senate repealing of the provisions in the patriot act, which was 94-2:

NAYs ---2
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)

Not Voting - 4
Biden (D-DE)
Brownback (R-KS)
Johnson (D-SD)
McCain (R-AZ)

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Pligganease · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: The deep south...

I think that this might be the final straw for Bush. Seems like there's a scandal every week, and this one might be big enough to bring down the ship. We'll just have to wait and see if the House/Senate has the balls to go through with it.

If Bush goes through with his whole "blockade," it will look like he is guilty as sin.

Pligganease · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: The deep south...

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

jmbran11 · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.

With the exception of die-hard Bush supporters, I think most Americans now just except that it's par for the course with this administration. I admit that I was an adamant opponent of Bush all along, but the rest of the country wasn't - initially. I just returned from 3 weeks in the States. Now, people who originally supported sending our troops to war, will talk about how the president is a liar and there is no integrity in government.

Every day we are bombarded with images of death in Iraq, of our worsening relations with the rest of the world, of Bush's rich friends profitting from war-mongering, of presendential aides accused or convicted of breaking the law, etc. The truth is, the average person who may have been inclined to trust the president 8 years ago, now has no faith in the government to protect the people, save the world, or even tell the truth (about anything). I think a lot of people have basically just written off this presidency, since it will be over soon, and it would take something really atrocious to garner our outrage at this point (beyond the obliteration of international law, the suspension of civil liberties, and the destruction of the perception of American moral-superiority).

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

From my observation, there has been a lot of abuse of power during this administration and people on both the Right and Left have been saying the same thing. Frankly, people in the executive branch need to answer to the people and should get subpoenas. If Bush tries to block that, then frankly abuse of power violates the spirit of the constitution. The problem is there is a war in Iraq. It protects Bush from really answering for his failures. We have no evidence that Bush order this or that, or that he is guilty of ordering some kind of cover up or anything of that nature.
However, if he tries to stop people from answering subpoenas, then he is not trying to answer to the people and the elected officials of the United States. He will put himself in a confrontational stance with the the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. As time goes by, he is less and less popular.

EFLtrainer · Joined: 04 May 2005

The biased, the neo-con sort, like to say the president can do whatever he wants. They are incorrect. He can nominate whomever he wants. He can fire whomever he wants. But he cannot obstruct justice.

The reason Clinton and Bush 41 didn't catch any flack for their appointments was precisely because they were wholesale. They didn't cherry pick based on who was prosecuting Republicans or not prosecuting Democrats. In other words, while inherently a political appointment, the prosecutors were traditionally expected to follow the rule of law and did not have to worry about who they prosecuted.

The other bias (but how can fighting insanity be a bias? Razz

) shows up in.... nothing. Bush had people replaced for purely punitive reasons having to do with who they prosecuted, not how well. That is obstruction of justice. It is illegal, even for the president. In fact, not included in the current scandal, even though it is even more obvious, is the firing of the DA in Guam 2 years ago when he was launching an investigation into.... can you guess? Abramoff.

I am sick of these people and their effects on the US and the world.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

I keep saying this is Watergate revisited. Cheney wants a return of the imperial presidency of Richard Nixon and he is doing everything to try and bring back that kind of executive power.

Lets hope the result of the DOJ stuff is the same as the Saturday Night Massacre. A rebuff of the grab for more executive power and a return to checks and balances thats been sorely missing over the past 6 years

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

I think it is outrageous but par for the course by now. It is not something that anybody who has been paying attention the last few years should be shocked by.

Certainly I doubt the Democrats have the stones to do much about it except piss, moan, and ultimately shrink away or do something insignificant, which is what they are best at.