“I don’t know,
Mr. Heffelfinger was reacting to the shocking news senior Justice Department officials had “concerns” about his tenure as U.S. Attorney. From the Star Tribune:
Senior Justice Department officials had raised concerns about Tom Heffelfinger, the former U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ one-time chief of staff told congressional investigators.
The ex-chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, made the remarks in an interview with the investigators last week, according to a senior congressional judiciary aide who was familiar with the interview. The aide spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
Sampson did not elaborate on what those concerns were, the aide said.
The revelation could add to speculation that Heffelfinger, who resigned his post in February of last year, was on a preliminary list of U.S. attorneys to be fired. Heffelfinger has said he left on his own accord.
Well, now we really need to know what those concerns were. Tom Heffelfinger is an extraordinarily well-respected attorney. It is difficult to understand what possibly could have been troubling top Republicans.
One thing is for certain: drip by drip, the truth is coming out.
What??? More on Paulose and nothing about the action over at the Hatch/Swanson party in the AG’s office. If it was GOP AG trying to bust a union, you guys would be all over it. Hypocrites.
“I’d say I was shocked by the recent revelations in the unfolding U.S. Attorneys scandal, but the truth is that I agree with former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Tom Heffelfinger when he says:”
“I don’t know, at this point in this story, nothing surprises me.”
I know what you mean Matt. As I witness the unfolding “Swansongate” scandal, I think to myself “It’s just another influence peddling double cross turned Democrat throat cutting spree.”
Heff was on the list?
Wow - they really want a clone in those positions.
I’ve noticed that the only reply wingers can make to a scandal of their own is to change the subject. It’s kind of like Presidnet Bush whining “9/11” whenever criticism cuts too closely.
AntonFigg — Do you call the folks over at MDE “hypocrites” for ignoring the misdeeds of Republicans, and focusing exclusively on Democrats?
Well, Randy, I’ll merely point out that, while MDE hasn’t had much to say about Paulose, he also doesn’t have an entire category called “Culture of Corruption” under which he only posts GOP misdeeds. And let’s face it - if you look at MDE and the non-partisan Minnesota Lawyers blog - it is becoming increasingly clear that the most elaborate and deepest culture of corruption in MN politics is over at the AG’s office, and has been for eight years.
What I find really interesting is the fact that DFLrs with damaging info about other DFLrs send it over to MDE. While, at the same time, this blog NEVER has anything new or interesting about GOP mis-deeds … except what’s been recycled from the MSM. There are many explanations for this - including GOP discipline - but it does seem to me that the most reasonable explanation is that DFL internal rot is just so much more prevalent and public than what happens in the GOP. Say what you will about Paulose - but nobody is seriously alleging violation of state and federal laws in her case. Whereas in Swanson’s case, we are on the verge of a full-fledged legislative investigation of violating labor laws … and, if the blogs are to believed (and they always should be right?), there has been a culture of inter-mixing politics and state business at the AG’s office since Hatch took it over.
Well and good. I still don’t see any connection between the two scandals. Are we to give the feds a pass on unethical behavior because the state Attorney General’s office may have engaged in illegal conduct? The two issues need to be discussed and aired, but we need to remember they are two different cases, and should be dealt with in two different fora.
The “your guy was just as bad, if not worse” defense is, at best, a way of confusing the issue. It is also the path to nihilism (“everyone sucks, so why bother?”). I’m not saying we should be blindly partisan and overlook “our” side’s misdeeds. I’m just saying that each scandal needs to be looked at individually, not according to how it ranks on the sleaze-o-meter.
Wow, its good to see that the Republicans have taken an interest in workers’ right to unionize. I expect that Republican support for the Employee Free Choice Act is just around the corner.
Sure, Dan. That support is in line right behind their support of gay rights.