Now, this scares me...

I love my country, but I fear my government.

No saying is more true today than that one.   There is a provision in the poorly named Patriot Act that allows the United States Attorney General to appoint Federal Prosecutors without Senate confirmation.

According to a CNN article (see article here), the Bush administration is forcing prosecutors out so that they can replace them with Republican allies.  Now, the article only offers speculation and no substantive proof, but it still worries me.

Eleven Federal Prosecutors have resigned since the Patriot Act went into effect.  That means 11 people have left their jobs and been replaced -- probably quietly -- by Alberto Gonzales.  Now, I can't imagine him appointing people as political favors or appointing people who really aren't qualified for the job, but shouldn't Federal Prosecutors have to go through the confirmation process?  Why would Congress leave themselves out of this process?

This gives the Attorney General the power to choose his own buddies as prosecutors.  Can this be a good thing?  Gonzales claims that the Administration has no pull or say in this matter, but we all know that the Bush administration doesn't keep it's nose out of any business -- they're reading our mail for Pete's sake!

God Help us all if the Patriot Act doesn't get repealed soon!

God Bless