Bush's bizarre comments regarding Patrick Fitzgerald today

[DoYouEverWonder]

Can someone help me out with Bush's statement today in regards to Fitzgerald and the Plame Investigation? What the hell is he talking about? First, he seems to speak in the past tense has if the investigation is over. He then implies that Fitzgerald's job has Special Prosecutor is up for reappointment? I understand his job in Chicago is an appointed position, separate from his position has SP. It seems Bush doesn't understand the difference? I thought Fitzgerald's job has SP was open ended and that he only answered to the President, not Gonzalez?

Press Conference by the President
Museum of Science and Industry
Chicago, Illinois

July 7, 2006

<snip>


Q Thank you very much. Mr. President, the work of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in prosecuting alleged corruption is well-known here in Chicago, as well as nationally. It's my understanding that technically, he hasn't been reappointed to his position, and serves at your pleasure. Do you have any plans to formally reappoint him to the post, or any position at Department of Justice?

THE PRESIDENT: As a special prosecutor?

Q And would you give us your assessment of the job that he's doing?

THE PRESIDENT: I don't have any plans to reappoint him because I haven't thought about it. I will now think about it, now that you brought it up.

The only -- I can give you an assessment of how I thought he handled the case in Washington. I haven't been following the cases here. I thought in Washington he handled the case with professionalism, he was very professional about it. You didn't see a lot leaks, you didn't see a lot of speculation, you didn't see a lot of people kind of dropping a little crumb here for the press to chew on. And I really thought he handled himself well.

But as far as reappointing him as a special prosecutor, I don't know whether the Attorney General is going to do that, or not. That's his choice to make.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060707-1.html

[Cocoa]

1. he's saying he's not going to reappoint him

[pinto]

2. Idiot. I may be way off base, but there is no "Special Prosecutor"

position anymore, iirc. Fitzgerald is working as a Federal Prosecutor, under the Attorney General or his designate. The Special Prosecutor position was dissolved...

[Cocoa]

12. no, his work on Plame is separate from his U.S. Atty job

he was appointed by Bush in 2001 as U.S. Attorney.

He was appointed in 2004 as some sort of special prosecutor by James Comey after Ashcroft recused himself. He is flying back and forth between D.C. and Chicago to handle his separate jobs.

[BuddyYoung]

3. Many people feel Fitzgerald fell on his sword. Watch for a PROMOTION

for him. He's a Republican, and he did an outstanding job (from their perspective). Did anyone "really" expect him to go any further up the chain than nailing someone with past links to the CLINTONS? Remember, "Scooter" represented international criminal Marc Rich in his (successful) pardon by Clinton. So, Fitzgerald nailed a Clinton guy (who was working for Cheney), and stopped right there.

I never thought he would do much, and he didn't. Did YOU think he'd do something that would jeopardize his career as a REPUBLICAN?

[DemReadingDU]

5. Fitz has no party affiliation

Fitzgerald is careful to be apolitical in his targets and his public life alike. He registered to vote as an Independent in New York, only to discover, when he began receiving fundraising calls, that Independent was a political party. He re-registered with no affiliation, as he did later in Chicago

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55560-2005Feb1

[BuddyYoung]

7. Okay, but he WILL have one soon, I'll betcha! Three lettered one.

Even if he claims he has no "affiliation" with any particular political party.

[H2O Man]

8. Way wrong.

The fact that you say he is a republican indicates you do not know much about the man. No one of any significance thinks he fell on the sword.

[Missy Vixen]

9. Patrick Fitzgerald isn't a Republican

He doesn't belong to a political party. There are literally hundreds of articles, easily searchable on Google, over the past two years explaining that Mr. Fitzgerald registered to vote with no party affiliation.

>Did YOU think he'd do something that would jeopardize his career as a REPUBLICAN?<

He's intent on finding the truth. He's proven repeatedly that he is nonpartisan. He's also proven that his future career is the last thing on his mind. If it was, he would have gone to work for a large law firm at most likely a 500% raise a long time ago.

Julie
president for life of the PFEB

[Poppyseedman]

4. According to this link, he reports to Gonzalez.

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/28cfr600_03.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. But in the Plame Investigation

hasn't Gonzalez already recused himself, from what I understand, which would mean that Fitzgerald only reports to the President when he is acting in his role has Special Prosecutor.

It is his job has the US Attorney General for the Northern District of Illinois that is under Gonzalez's authority.

It seems Bush is deliberately trying to create confusion?

[H2O Man]

16. In the Plame case

he absolutely does not report to an Attorney General that has been questioned for his involvement.

I believe the question was specific to Mr. Fitzgerald's role in Chicago, and has nothing to do with the Plame case.

[BuddyYoung]

17. I agree with you about Bush trying to create confusion. I also think PF

has a future that is much brighter because he played his hand so well. Just as politicians know how to play the game so that they are considered "made", PF does too. Poppy Bush started playing that way back in the early 60's (intelligence contacts/covert assistance). Ford did (Warren Commission).
The power game in this country is sophisticated in many respects, and in other ways it's easy to see understand. There are boundaries and interests to protect and promote, and PF knows it.

[savemefromdumbya]

6. Maybe he'll make him the Attorney General!

[H2O Man]

10. George Bush did not

make much sense on anything. Strange if he made an intelligent statement on Mr. Fitzgerald.

[Missy Vixen]

11. H2O Man, I got the general impression

that Bush does not know the difference between a US Attorney appointment and the Special Counsel appointment. Then again, I'm sure there are quite a number of things he is unable to grasp.

Julie

[H2O Man]

13. I agree.

I think the question may have had more to do with his position in Chicago, however.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. Yes, I think the reporter knew the difference

but Bush's responsed has if there wasn't any difference and that he didn't even pay attention to Fitzgerald's work in Chicago. Yeah, right.

[H2O Man]

18. I particularly liked the

question about Bush's high regard for the mayor .... did he feel the same after the high-ranking aide was indicted? Scooter was, of course, a high-ranking aide to Bush, as well as to Cheney.

[Kenergy]

19. "I haven't been following the cases here."

What a lying rat bastard !!!!
Every word that comes out of his mouth is a bald faced lie.
Hitler would be envious of his style!!!!!