Sending a shout out to the AG for my killer abs....

Today our U.S. Attorney in Western Washington, widely reputed to be the best ever seen in this district, resigned his post. Given the timing it is largely speculated, both in Congress and in our home district, that he was asked to leave. A little know provision of the Patriot Act allows the Attorney General to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney indefinitely and without Congressional oversight once an appointed U.S. Attorney has resigned. This is a strict departure from the way interim U.S. Attorney's have been appointed for the past 150 years. So far 11 U.S. Attorneys have been asked to resign or have left their posts in the months since the new Patriot Act provision came into effect. We still do not know who will replace our U.S. Attorney, but given appointments made in other districts, we can reasonably expect a questionably qualified crony. In Arkansas, a U.S. Attorney was recently replaced by someone with virtually no federal legal or managerial experience. His only claim to fame seems to be that he was an opposition researcher for Karl Rove and served as a JAG attorney for a year. Excuse me, but I thought I worked for the Department of Justice? Where is the justice in removing dynamic, motivating, highly competent, well respected, experienced leaders with those whose only qualification seems to be "well connected." I guess I should expect this kind of justice from an Attorney General who considers the tenants of the Geneva Convention "quaint."

The whole situation puts me in mind of Dorothy Parker:

"There's little in taking or giving,
There's little in water or wine;
This living, this living, this living
Was never a project of mine.
Oh, hard is the struggle, and sparse is
The gain of the one at the top,
For art is a form of catharsis,
And love is a permanent flop,
And work is the province of cattle,
And rest's for a clam in a shell,
So I'm thinking of throwing the battle --
Would you kindly direct me to hell?"

At any rate, I want to thank the Attorney General for causing the immense frustration that led me to do about 200 sit ups tonight. My abs are healthy but my stomache is a little sick.