Will Alberto Gonzales Be Awarded Medal of Freedom?

If past behavior is any indicator of how performance is viewed by the Bush Gang, it looks like Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should be getting an award any day now.

Perhaps the most telling things about the unfolding story is the view it gives us into the current machinations of those at the top of the Republican party.

1. The utter disdain for checks and balances built into our republic.
2. The politicizing of any aspect of government for the purpose of holding and attaining power.
3. Disregard for the rule of law where it conflicts with the first two points.

At first there seemed to be a general stupefied reaction to Bush's continued support for Gonzales. How could Bush see his performance before Congress as evidence of a strong and capable leader of the Justice Department? After all, he appeared to have delegated serious personnel issues, new little to nothing or couldn't recall the details of the firings. And yet, there was Bush praising him, even going so far as to say he thought even more highly of him.

O.K. Bush is famously disconnected from reality. Maybe he didn't actually hear what was said. Or worse had it filtered through advisors only telling him what he wanted to hear.

Which brings me to Thursdays' repeat performance. More obfuscation and faulty memory, but with a slight difference. This time Gonzales didn't sound defensive or combative. What was I missing? So it clicked. This was exactly the kind of performance Bush had wanted all along. Say nothing. Lie if you have to, since nothing can be proven, and in the end Bush can fire any of the US attorneys he wants to. So all they really have to do is ride the storm out. Other than the obvious political calculations at play of wanting to avoid a confrontation with a Democratic Congress if he fired Gonzales and had to go through another confirmation, there is the lack of respect for our system of government or even a more basic concern of governing well. It simply comes down to protecting the unlimited power of this particular Executive.

But all this was exactly the point - the unabashed use of government to support an ideological agenda. And not the standard conservative one we might be led to believe of small government, or even limited government intrusion into our lives, but the use of government to give friends and contributors access to the levers of power.

More than any other lesson we can take away from their style of governing is this. The examples come in almost every initiative, law , and action. With 9/11 having become the ultimate stick for bludgeoning those who would oppose them.

From health care, to the environment, to FEMA, to the Justice Department, to the selling of this war. All have have for rewarding friends and punishing enemies. Does this show the hand of Rove or the personality of Bush, or a marriage of both? Perhaps it's all just a cynical ploy to destroy what faith the American people have left in the power of government for positive accomplishments.

Whatever it is, the damage will be a long time being undone. It took Clinton about six years to undo the damage from the previous twelve years of Republican governing. This ditch Bush has driven us into will not be nearly so easily extricated from.