From: "Rich Gauszka" 

120 days became indefinite under the Bush Imperium. I wonder when he'll
nominate a horse as Senator?

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/16844790.htm

The Bush administration slipped a provision into the USA Patriot Act that
Congress renewed last year allowing the attorney general to appoint interim
U.S. attorneys for indefinite periods without congressional approval.
Previously, such appointments could last for only 120 days. Lawmakers may
have figured that the extra leeway might help in rare emergencies.

Well, surprise, surprise. The Justice Department has so far used this
provision eight times - and not for emergencies. In a move unprecedented
for its scope, the agency has fired eight U.S. attorneys. And indications
are that the dismissed prosecutors were too independent, even though
President Bush had appointed them. The administration appears to be
replacing them with those more pliable.

Congress must stop the purge and reimpose the time limit. Commendably, a
House judiciary subcommittee is issuing subpoenas to four of the dismissed
prosecutors to appear before it on Tuesday, and the Senate Judiciary
Committee is poised to follow suit. Sworn testimony should shed some light
on what may be an administration effort to get prosecutors to toe the party
line.

Among those called on to testify are prosecutors with stellar records.

Carol Lam, dismissed as U.S. attorney in San Diego, nailed Rep. Randy
Cunningham, a California Republican, for accepting bribes from defense
contractors. H.E. "Bud" Cummins III was removed as U.S. attorney
in Little Rock, Ark., only to make room for an aide to presidential adviser
Karl Rove, a Justice Department official has admitted. And New Mexico's
David Iglesias charged that he was let go because he refused a request from
two Republican congressmen to speed up a probe of possible Democratic
wrongdoing to improve GOP election chances - an allegation the Justice
Department vigorously denies.

"Gary Britt"  wrote in
message news:45ee0955$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> Nope they will need Senate approval.  The law only applies for interim
> appointments under certain conditions until the next presidential
> election.
>
> Gary
>
> Geo. wrote:
>> "Mark"  wrote in message
news:45edff97{at}w3.nls.net...
>>> Eh, a bunch of nothing. He can fire them at will and probably should
>>> have sooner. If the congress didn't want whatever clause you're
>>> referring to in the PA, they shouldn't have passed it that way.
>>>
>>> Hillary or Barack will be firing all of them in less than 2 years
>>> anyway.
>>
>> And appointing new ones without senate approval apparently (how
>> comfortable will you be with that?).
>>
>> Geo.

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