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April 3, 2007

Steve Chapman wonders whether George Bush could hack it on the Chicago police force.

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|4.3.07 @ 7:56AM|#

well, at least Chicago Police Chief Phil Cline had the good sense to resign last night...one might think their is a lesson there for Mr. Gonzalez.

|4.3.07 @ 8:21AM|#

Why is it the lamest Bush scandals that get all the blood flowing? This is just like the Clinton pardon "scandal". Clinton can pardon anyone he wants for any damn reason he wants; he's the president. Likewise, the president can fire any attorney(s) he wants just because he doesn't like their after shave. We'll let people continue to rot in Gitmo, but let's get all huffy about some lawyers who are now condemned to make more in private practice than they would have working for the government anyway.

Note: I'm not talking about reason here, just the mainstream press and Congress. I expect reason to cover it, because it is newsworthy when the goddamned liberal media (ha!) actually hits hard against King George the Dunce.

|4.3.07 @ 8:59AM|#

I think that Mr. Chapman has the cart before the horse in this case. Specifically, being a cop (and other power positions) typically attract a certain kind of person. We're seeing that brought out in Chicago right now. It never occurs to these cops that the job is a public trust because that's not why they joined in the first place. They're just power-hungry bullies. If you accept that cops are power-hungry bullies (who get the latest toys from the government), then the militarization of the police makes sense, along with all of these gung-ho no-knock raids where innocent people get killed or arrested for defending themselves.

|4.3.07 @ 9:49AM|#

well, at least Chicago Police Chief Phil Cline had the good sense to resign last night...one might think their is a lesson there for Mr. Gonzalez.

I'm not sure what good that will do. From what I've seen, when a person resigns from a position as Cline did, there are two usual outcomes. He's either replaced by an insider who does things the same way or by an outsider wants to changes things but is resented by the department who'll hamstring him at every turn.

With the existing culture still in place, no reform will be possible.

|4.3.07 @ 10:29AM|#

Why is it the lamest Bush scandals that get all the blood flowing?

jf,

Nothing special about this one, it's just the first one to pop since the Dems got subpoena power.

|4.3.07 @ 10:30AM|#

Dude's picture (on front page) is awesome! He's got Paulie Walnuts hair!

welfare queen|4.3.07 @ 12:20PM|#

"In feudal times, the people were at the mercy of their rulers. But the American Revolution upended that presumption."

Also? In caveman times, the people were at the mercy of the elements. But the American Revolution introduced clothing, and also fire.