Matt Ortega

Another stalwart of the Republican Party is bowing out of political life in 2008. Senator Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) decided today that he will retire from the U.S. Senate. Domenici is embroiled in the Department of Justice politicization scandal, particularly the case of fired U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, David Iglesias.

Domenici’s retirement sparked discussion on the blogs about who will seek to replace him, and how things might shake out.

Republican prospects of retaining possession on this seek look bleak. Eric Kleefield noted that the departing senator’s top successor, Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-Albuquerque, N.M.) is marred in the same scandal that likely played into his decision not to seek re-election. The next step down is Congressman Steve Pearce (R-Hobbs, N.M.), described by Kleefield as “probably too much of a right-winger to succeed in the political environment this cycle.” After him, the Republicans got bupkis. Although, I would love to see Wilson battle fired U.S. Attorney Iglesias in the GOP primary. However, should Iglesias win, he could prove to be tougher than the two point margin he lost by for attorney general several years ago.

Displaced New Mexican native Adam Conner is encouraging the netroots to draft Congressman Tom Udall (D-Santa Fe, N.M.) for the open Senate seat. Conner also laid out the possibility of a complete Democratic takeover of the state at the federal level in 2008.

TPMmuckraker, the site that rang the alarm long before the traditional press caught on, said goodbye to Domenici.

Domenici joins Senators Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) and John Warner (R-Virginia) on the sidelines — both potential Democratic pick-ups. It looks like Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) has reversed his decision to retire and willing to stay and fight, despite the sex-sting arrest and ensuing scandal.

After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Dept. … It’s sad. (pause) That we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeding from doing important because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.

–President George W. Bush
(Crooks & Liars, 08/27/07)

President Bush’s statement is beyond laughable. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was opposite the truth on the U.S. attorneys at every turn. He contradicted himself under oath on numerous occasions. Gonzales damaged himself so bad politically that even Republicans were questioning the integrity of his statements and testimony.

These are the “accomplishments” that Bush felt he had to point out in order to defend Gonzales’ good name?

• Cracking down on online child sex predators: I believe Mark Foley is still on the streets and what happened to those slew of Department of Homeland Security officials that were nabbed on related charges?
• Enforcing civil rights protections? The Civil Rights Division was one of the most politicized offices in the entire Justice Department.
• Cracking down on corruption? Evidence suggests that the Justice Department, with Gonzales at the helm, was actually impeding corruption cases, such as with the firing of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, Carol Lam, who successfully prosecuted former Congressman Randall “Duke” Cunningham (R-San Diego, Calif.).

Dragging names through the mud for political reasons? This administration has made that an art form.

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller says that the March 2004 emergency meeting did in fact involve the domestic surveillance program disclosed in the December 2005 New York Times article. Director Mueller’s statements contradict sworn testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week.

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said Thursday the government’s terrorist surveillance program was the topic of a 2004 hospital room dispute between top Bush administration officials, contradicting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ sworn Senate testimony.

Mueller was not in the hospital room at the time of the dramatic March 10, 2004, confrontation between then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and presidential advisers Andy Card and Gonzales, who was then serving as White House counsel. Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee he arrived shortly after they left, and spoke with the ailing Ashcroft.

“Did you have an understanding that that the conversation was on TSP?” asked Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. TSP stands for terrorist surveillance program.

“I had an understanding the discussion was on a NSA program, yes,” Mueller answered.

Jackson asked again: “We use ‘TSP,’ we use ‘warrantless wiretapping,’ so would I be comfortable in saying that those were the items that were part of the discussion?”

“The discussion was on a national NSA program that has been much discussed, yes,” Mueller responded. [original emphasis from Firedoglake]

The report comes on the heels of calls from Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee for a special prosecutor to investigate whether Gonzales committed perjury and subpoenaed Karl Rove, the top political adviser in the Bush White House alongside Brick Tamland.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-San Francisco, Calif.) blog, The Gavel, has video from the House Judiciary Committee.

(Hat tip: Swopa, Firedoglake)