Gonzalez Resigns

I was just saying at Volokh that I think Chertoff might be the one guy in the country who would be HARDER to confirm than Gonzales would be at this point. Now we get to relive Katrina for a few weeks, then "torture," both in the guise of Chertoff's role in same, followed by a reprise of all the problems at DOJ, in the guise of what Chertoff intends to do to fix same.

Good. Double-good. However, re replacements: More importantly than who is when and how. Bush needs to put in someone - Chertoff, Clement, Robert Bork, anyone competent who'll do the job - by recess appointment now. Because right now, the Senate Democratic leadership is racing to get the Senate back from recess a week early to ensure that doesn't happen. If Bush doesn't do this, we will have no AG in place for weeks while the dems draw out the hearings into a circus.

"When someone says their heart needs lifting, don't ask how come, ask how high."

Politico quotes a "senior administration official" as noting that Paul Clement, now acting AG, "can stay in that position for quite a while."

The same or another "administration official" describes the law: "An individual may serve in an acting capacity for 210 days. However, if there is a pending nominee, the 210-day "clock" is reset at Day One when the nominee is announced. The clock is reset again if the nomination is withdrawn or fails."

According to BackwardsBush, there are 511 days left in the Bush Administration. Perhaps it's time for a nice game of "run out the clock." Couple of rushing plays, then take a knee.

I'm not sure if getting "savaged" during the confirmation hearings is necessarily a bad thing as there is certainly a debate to be had over the direction of the DoJ and the relationship b/ween the Executive and the DoJ; although how interesting the discussion will be depends on the ratio of Biden-like political grandstanding to actual issues being discussed, (ok, we'll probably see way too much of the former, but I'd still like to see these issues hashed out).