I think its important to take a "big picture" view of the Attorney General Scandal now rocking Washington.
Yes, Attorney General Gonzales is unworthy of his position and getting him to step down will send a message but in the big scheme of things, his dismissal is not the biggest opportunity for change. His replacement will be more of the same until this administration is out of office.
Senator Domenici and Representative Wilson both used their offices to try to influence a U.S. Attorney. Period. Both are Republicans and both violated ethics rules regarding the Senate and House respectively.
With thank you's to Slate:
Domenici: Senate Rule 43, which is in Chapter 8 of the Senate Ethics Manual. Also the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 forbids senators to use "oral or written communications made without proper notice to all parties and which are not on the public record" with agency employees in a decision-making capacity in a pending matter. Domenici's call, during which he asked Iglesias about a case under investigation and then allegedly hung up on him, would likely fall under this definition
Wilson: Chapter 7 of the House Ethics Manual, which, like Rule 43, cites the Government in the Sunshine Act. Chapter 7, quoting a House report, notes that a "request for background information or a status report 'may in effect be an indirect or subtle effort to influence the substantive outcome of the proceedings' " and advises that members put all communications in writing and make them a part of the public record. Wilson does not appear to have made her call to Iglesias part of the public record. (The Senate's Rule 43 makes a similar note about status requests.)
Rep. Heather Wilson is giving out self-serving blurbs in her appearances in New Mexico with no one to challenge her. Senator Domenici is attending events in New Mexico but refusing to speak with the press on many occasions.
The New Mexico Democratic Party has been non-existent in truly working this opportunity. We have had a few commercials critical of Rep. Wilson's conduct but most of the time its silence.
However, we can wake people up and request that action be taken. To sit back and wait is to perhaps lose an opportunity to pick another seat in the House and hopefully influence Pete Domenici that another run for the Senate may not be in his best interest. These gains would represent true change.
I've listed contact information for the following:
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8000
www.democrats.org/page/s/contact
New Mexico Democrats
505-830-3650
mattf@nmdemocrats.org
www.nmdemocrats.org
Below are Democratic members of their respective committees:
Senate Select Committee on Ethics
Sen. Barbara Boxer, Chairwoman
(202)224-3553
Sen. Mark Pryor, Arkansas
(202) 224-2353
Sen. Ken Salazar, Colorado
(202) 224-5852
House of Representatives Ethics Committee
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 11th Dist., Ohio, Chairwoman
(202) 225-7032
Rep. Gene Green, 29th Dist., Texas
(202) 225-1688
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, 34th Dist., California
(202) 225-1766
Rep. Michael Doyle, 14th Dist., Pennsylvania
(202)-225-2135
Rep. William Delahunt, 10th Dist., Massachusetts
william.delahunt@mail.house.gov
(202) 225-3111
Do not let this opportunity pass due to apathy or misdirection of efforts. Rodriguez will NEVER vote on the House or Senate Floor. Sen. Domenici and Rep. Wilson will. Perhaps we can change that in the future.