Self-Interest At Its Worst

Rod Blagojevich is making the rounds of the television talk shows while the Illinois legislature begins his impeachment trial.

By trying to equate himself with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandi, Gov. Rod has revealed his true self: self interest. Now that isn't wrong in and of itself. But when it results in poor choices, choices that don't take into account his responsibility to the people of Illinois, then it's wrong. Plain and simple. And Blagojavich's appointment of Roland Burris, in order to play the race card instead of picking a candidate that would truly fill the shoes of Barack Obama in the US Senate, is why he is just a hack politician if not a corrupt one.

And turning to Governor David Paterson of New York. There was no reason to choose Carolyn Kennedy for the position after she revealed herself to be inarticulate and disengaged, and according to the New York Times, not willing to answer questions about her issue positions. I don't believe in dynasties, and certainly, although she might be fabulous in the private sector, Carolyn didn't show what we need for a tough, effective senator to plug for New York's interests in the Senate.

To pull Andrew Cuomo from the Attorney General's position at a time of financial crisis when New York is the heart of the financial crisis seems downright stupid, so I'm glad Gov. Paterson didn't go there.

But he could have gone for someone more inspired than Kirsten Gillibrand, whose efficacy in a conservative Republican district means one thing: Paterson might have more leverage in a re election campaign, his own.

That doesn't mean that Peter King has any moral or legal authority to demand access to Paterson's thinking process. The governor has the right to appoint a new Senator to run out Hillary's term, whether Peter King likes it or not.

But the worst of self interest came out in Alberto Gonzales' interview today about the possibility of the Obama administration prosecuting him and other Bush officials for authorizing torture of "war on terror" suspects. In an interview with NPR radio that was written up in the Chicago Tribune, Gonzales said: I don't think that there's going to be a prosecution, quite frankly. Because again, these activities.... They were authorized, they were supported by legal opinions at the Department of Justice.

Of course, those legal opinions at the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel were written under the instructions of David Addington, counsel to then Vice President Cheney. Not exactly the independent legal opinions that the Office of Legal Counsel are supposed to be giving. Gonzales' statement follows the talking points that Cheney started in the last days of the Bush administration. There is too much evidence to show that the independence of the office was breached.