Scandals and Rats

In the last three years political appointees have fled the White House at an increasingly quickening pace. After the August one-two punch of Rove and Gonzales it seems appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane. These departures fall into two categories. The former being those who left under political pressure and disgrace, and the latter being those who, to use an overused simile, fled like rats from a sinking ship.

2004, Colin Powell: The former Secretary of State was disgraced in the international community by using false intelligence that connected Iraq to nuclear weapons and to Al Qaeda. His testimony was one of the main reasons Congress and the American public allowed the Iraq War to begin. Since then he has become increasingly critical of the Bush administration, especially concerning conduct of troops and the horrific treatment of detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo.

2004, John Ashcroft: Bush's first Attorney General, Ashcroft was a religious zealot and dangerously anti-abortion. His appointment was a reward to the religious right for their support in his 2000 victory. In addition, Ashcroft was a key supporter of the controversial Patriot Act, and the horrific treatment of detainees in American prisons such as Abu Ghraib. A highly controversial figure, Ashcroft would have likely faced Congressional hearings if he had remained in office.

2005, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby: The Chief of Staff to Vice-President Dick Cheney, and former Bush aide, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice. Libby lied about his involvement in the 2003 leak of information about CIA agent Valerie Plame to a New York Times journalist. Plame's husband, Joe Wilson, was a critic of the Iraq war and the move was seen as retaliation for his critique. Bush later pardoned Libby, angering the majority of Americans.

2006, Andrew Card: Card had served Bush for over a decade when he resigned. He was the aide seen informing a bewildered and puzzled President about the 9/11 attacks during a visit to an elementary school. Card resigned his position as White House Chief of Staff after becoming disillusioned with the Iraq war, fearing it would become another Vietnam, which, coincidentally enough, Bush just compared it to.

2006, Donald Rumsfeld: The former Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld was the mastermind behind the "shock and awe" strategy in the Iraq War. He was also Bush's most prominent ally in his war on terror. Following the Democratic victory in both houses of Congress and the failing Iraq War Rumsfeld felt it was a good time for him to resign.

2006, John Bolton: Bush used political trickery to appoint Bolton as the US envoy to the UN by doing so during a Congressional recess. He did this because Bolton was such a controversial figure that Democrats swore they would not allow his confirmation. Prior to his nomination, Bolton said there was "no such thing" as the UN and called the US the world's "only real power." Accused on numerous occasions of bullying his subordinates and abusing power, he stepped down once Democrats regained control of Congress, dashing any hopes of making his temporary appointment permanent.

2007, Harriet Miers: Bush's failed appointment to the US Supreme Court, Miers was viewed as widely unqualified for the position. She has served as Bush's senior legal counsel and was likely involved in the firing of nine US attorneys that Congress is currently investigating. She has failed to show up in Congress to answer questions regarding these firings, even under subpoena orders, and has resigned in disgrace.

2007, Paul Wolfowitz: A key architect of neoconservatism, Wolfowitz was one of the key supporters of the invasion of Iraq. He was appointed as President of the World Bank in 2005. In June he was forced to step down over awarding a huge pay-raise and promotion to his girlfriend, who just happened to be a former World Bank employee.

2007, Dan Bartlett: Bartlett first worked for Bush on his 1994 gubernatorial campaign. Rising through the ranks to become President Bush's communications director, Bartlett, resigned to spend more time with his family, or, in other words, to distance himself from a failing presidency. Bartlett is only 36 and has a long career ahead of him that he does not want to jeopardize by tarnishing his image by staying loyal to Bush until the end.

2007, Karl Rove: “Bush's brain,” or “Turd blossom,” Rove has been one of the most controversial people in Bush's long list of controversial appointments. As Deputy Chief of Staff he has been involved in many political scandals including, but not limited to, the outing of Valerie Plame, firing of the US attorneys, and using federal money, time, and resources to campaign. The totality of the scandals he is involved with in conjunction with his massive failure in the 2006 Congressional campaign left him with little choice but to retire, disgraced.

2007, Alberto Gonzales: Gonzales has been the Attorney General since 2005 and is the most recent appointee to leave in disgrace. A controversial figure for many reasons, including his authorization to use torture to interrogate prisoners, Gonzales has most recently become involved in a Congressional showdown over the firing of nine US attorneys. Calls for his resignation have been echoing through Congress for months and he has finally given in.

To sum up: in the last three years 11 major Bush appointees have resigned. Those that left in disgrace were Powell, Ashcroft, Libby, Rumsfeld, Bolton, Miers, Wolfowitz, Rove, and Gonzales. All nine of these people were involved in controversial decisions, or directly involved in a major scandal. The rats fleeing the sinking ship were Card, Bartlett, and it is too good an opportunity to pass on comparing Karl Rove to a rat as well, so let's include him.