Part IV: The Case for Attorney General Patrick Fitzgerald

If the first three parts of this series have made a reasonable if not airtight case for the resignation or firing of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, and with his legal and political failings becoming clearer by the day, it seems only fitting that this final part make the case for a particular successor.

Clearly, the next head of the Department of Justice must be many of the things that Gonzales is not. The new chief must be strong and independent — and with a long history of being a successful federal prosecutor. He or she must not be beholden to the White House or be an ideologue. He or she must possess the respect of the foot soldiers within the Department of Justice and thus be able to restore some of the lost credibility, confidence and morale that marks the current regime. And, of course, he or she must be a Republican (or at least an existing Republican-appointee, thanks commenters for pointing this out).

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The next attorney general, Fein said Thursday, should immediately “issue a memorandum to the Congress and to the White House” informing both “that any gripes about prosecutors they may have should be funneled through the Attorney General and not through the prosecutors themselves.” Another memo Fein would write, he told me, would be to remind U.S. Attorneys that they must immediately report any improper conduct or pressure–of the sort that occurred here with at least one federal prosecutor–brought by members of Congress or executive branch officials. And, for good measure, Fein would want the next Attorney General to get a public commitment from the President to abide by those rules.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/03/gonzopart_ivmeet_your_new_atto.html#more