18 April 2007

I Think Dubyah Has Forgotten About *Us*

No, I’m not surprised…

From the Chicago Tribune this morning:
"Prosecutors owe loyalty to the public:

“When Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, it is important to keep in mind that what is really at stake goes far beyond Gonzales’ own fate as the country’s top law official. At root, this inquiry poses a fundamental question, one that every attorney general in every presidential administration must squarely confront: To whom, or to what interests, does a U.S. attorney -- or, for that matter, any prosecutor -- owe professional loyalty?

“This is a question that needs to be discussed openly throughout the hearing process, for all parties to the justice system -- be they subjects of investigations, victims, prosecutors or defense lawyers, and whether they reside in Chicago, New Mexico or Durham, N.C. -- are entitled to know exactly how the Department of Justice leadership would answer the question.

“The “loyalty” question is not some abstract concept about politics and ideology. Rather, it is a question with important practical consequences that are tied to the central role of prosecutors in our justice system. Prosecutors alone have the power to present an indictment to a grand jury, an awesome power that, once executed, typically changes the course of lives forever.…”

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