Comey and the Rule of Law Versus the Cult of Cheney

[cal04]

For anyone who has doubted that there is, indeed, still some integrity left in the world, look no further. Newsweek has a story out today on James Comey and a band of conservative appointees in the DoJ and elsewhere throughout the intelligence legal community in the Bush Administration who stood up to what I'm going to call the "Cult of Cheney" -- the VP, David Addington, John Yoo and others, who continuously pushed the envelope and the rule of law to get what they wanted in terms of overreach of Presidential power. Comey is a boyscout, in the best of ways: straight shooter, dedicated to justice and truth, pal of Fitz, the whole package.

And he respects the rule of law. Jane talked about Comey's mindset in taking a job with lousy hours and lousy pay at the DoJ, compared to what his peers were making in their cushy big firm corner offices -- and that Comey stayed on at the DoJ as long as he could to fight the good fight. When Comey took the job of number two at the Justice Department, he no doubt thought he was opting for a life where he would have a great deal of discretion in choosing to pursue cases he felt passionately about, and was willing to make the financial sacrifice on behalf of himself and his family to do so. That most certainly did not happen as part of the Bush Junta and it is to his credit that he stuck around and fought them as agressively as he did.

This Cult of Cheney believed in one main thing -- presidential power was the guiding force, and the Nixon Administration's level of power and secrecy was their polestar. What stood in their way? A group of folks at all levels of government who took their oath to serve the Constitution more seriously than their need to kiss Cheney's butt to climb the political power ladder. If the Senate Judiciary Committee wants an all-star witness list of patriots who were there at the time that all of these end-run around the Constitution and the law decisions were being made at the DoJ, at the White House and in the VP's offices, look no further than James Comey.

And add to that list Jack Goldsmith, now a professor at Harvard Law, but former head of the OLC. And apparently a long list of Republican appointees who were willing to risk the wrath of Cheney to defend the Constitution -- the majority of whom have been cashiered out of the Administration. (Big freaking surprise, eh? Heaven forbid criticism be allowed in the hallowed halls of Bushworld.) If Democrats are smart, they'll be adding all these folks to the witness list for the Committee. In triplicate. And the Pool Boy and his pals in the steno pool can take their "this criticism is a political ploy" schtick and shove it. Here's a clue: Republicans who respect the rule of law aren't happy either. A lot of them. Just ask Bruce Fein. Or James Comey. Or any true conservatives whose lips aren't glued to Karl Rove's pasty ass.

more
http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/

[Wilms]

1. Thanks for posting.

Here's the permalink for that.
http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2006_01_29_firedoglake_archive.html#113857504602284173


And the Newsweek article>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11079547/site/newsweek

[Missy Vixen]

2. Uh, Senate Judiciary Committee?

>If the Senate Judiciary Committee wants an all-star witness list of patriots who were there at the time that all of these end-run around the Constitution and the law decisions were being made at the DoJ, at the White House and in the VP's offices, look no further than James Comey.<

I believe you've just been called out.

I said it on an earlier thread; I'll say it again. James Comey is a hero.

Julie