Adios, Alberto Gonzales

So, back in March I predicted that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales would soon lose his job (yeah, I really went out on a limb there, didn't I?). Well, it took longer than I thought it would, but finally Mr. Gonzales has resigned.

Part of me was smiling...then laughing...when I read the news of Mr. Gonzales' resignation. Alberto Gonzales has never seemed quite up to the job of Attorney General, and he kept making a fool of himself each time he appeared before Congress. From claiming that it was perfectly fine for a medically-sedated John Ashcroft to sign legal documents, to asserting that the American people are NOT granted the writ of habeas corpus, the Attorney General has made a mockery of his position, America's legal system, and himself. I have to say, I was pretty relieved to see him leave office.

But I was saddened by the reasons why Mr. Gonzales had to resign, for they were reasons he brought upon himself. The country has had a feckless and incompetent Attorney General for some time now. The country's Attorney General has lost most (if not all) respect in the eyes of his peers and Congress. The country's Attorney General has dragged the Justice Department through the mud. And with the American people currently questioning the readiness of FEMA, and the military competence of Department of Defense, the last thing the country needs is another part of the federal government to lose faith in. You see, while I may not agree with the political ideology of the current administration, I want those within the administration to be competent and truthful--Alberto Gonzales was neither.

I was further saddened when I realized that, with only 15 months left in the current administration, anyone President Bush nominates for AG will have little time to clean-up the tarnished name of the DOJ. Let me put it another way: President Bush will need to nominate someone to fill Gonzales' chair, that person will have to be approved by Congress, appointed and sworn in as Attorney General, and then spend probably the first month just learning the staffs' names. Only after all of that can the new AG actually start doing their job.

And I'm not sure how many people, who have the talent and experience necessary to be Attorney General, would want to take a job that will only last about a year. My hope is that serving at the pleasure of the President--and the pleasure of the American people--will be enough of a draw for any qualified candidates.

But no matter what happens, in the end I'm glad to see Mr. Gonzales go...the country is better off.

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Road-trip Ruminations

This past weekend, I spent 8 hours driving in the car by myself. I'm sure anyone who has done this can testify that a solo driving experience is a double-edged sword: you have the solitude to let your mind wander and think up great conversation starters, but there is no one around to talk to.

So, since none of you were there to enjoy my random thoughts--and see the random sights--I thought I'd share:

• Why is there a "China Grove, North Carolina"? Is it like China Town in NYC, where Chinese immigrants can have a bit of the home country right here in America? Is there a "China Grove Inn;" and if so, is it a motel or Chinese restaurant?

• Heaven better have a never-ending supply of Bojangles sweet tea and Chick-fil-a lemonade.

• Right after crossing the North Carolina-South Carolina border, there's a sudden spike in Clemson paraphernalia. There's also a spike in overweight rednecks wearing overalls. Those two facts are probably related. (In other words: Go Gamecocks!!)

• Due to recent events in Minneapolis, I am now consciously aware of each and every bridge I have to cross. And I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.

• Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" is far less impressive when not thumping out of some club's speakers. And I will pay someone to steal T-Pain's damn voice -modulator. Seriously, without the thing he'll fall off the face of the Earth, and we will all be better off.

• Big Pete brought this up back in the day, and it still holds true: why is there always that one lone shoe on the side of the highway? Where's the other shoe? And why are people going around losing shoes in the first place?

• Why did I never get into watching The Cosby Show? It seems that everyone else can rattle off the names of all the Huxtable kids, who the kids married, and in what episode kid X did insanely stupid stunt Y, resulting in the weekly Cliff Huxtable truism and/or punishment. But not me...nope, I can't even tell you where the heck Raven-Symoné's character came from. Seriously, there were like 28 kids running around in that house--how does anyone keep them straight? (But I do remember the episode where the men were pregnant, and gave birth to footballs and subway sandwiches...that was funny stuff.)

• How many tractor-trailer companies do we need? Seriously, you've got: J.B. Hunt, Old Dominion, Swift, Knight, Roadway, Maersk, Covenant Transport, Schneider and Celadon just to name a few. Don't they all do basically the same thing? Sure, maybe some of them specialize in hauling...I dunno...cold stuff versus not-cold stuff...but they all haul stuff. Do we really need all of them?