Nominate Gonzales so we can have a Rovian Romp

Dear President Bush,

Please, pretty please (with a cherry on top) nominate your long-time friend and confidant to the Supreme Court. Coventional wisdom says he should be a shoo-in since he already passed through the ring of fire (OK, it was like an encore request with an non-smoking crowd where lighters were as rare as the only 3 or 4 smokers in the crowd) and was confirmed as the successor to John Ashcroft, passing with a politcally wide enough margin.

Forget about any litmus test, or his role in torture memos, or arguments about Executive Privilege in a time of war. That's ground already trod over and has been masticated and digested by the Democrats.

Just let him answer questions about his role in the "it's not a crime" and "it's not a cover up" outing of Valerie Plame, you know, the wife of the guy who made you eat crow over those 16 words in your State of the Union Speech awhile back.

Me and my friends, plus a lot of other Americans, deserve to know the part he played as White House Counsel in the recent unfolding drama of Karl Rove (and Skooter, too) with the Grand Jury investigation into a possible treasonous act.

For example:

Why did White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales asked for permission to delay transmitting the order to preserve evidence until morning?

Why did The White House lawyer need to review phone logs and other records supplied by presidential aides before turning the documents over to the Justice Department

Just as Needlenose wondered what role did he play in coordinating The White House response to the Plamemania?

Carptetbagger asks, Why did Gonzales recuse himself? Then he later notes

But now comes word that Gonzales plans to name Ted Ullyot to be his chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson as his deputy chief of staff, and Raul Yanes as counselor, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. All three have been lawyers in the White House counsel's office under Gonzales.

If the names sound familiar, it may be because Ullyot and Yanes were the coordinators of the White House's response to the investigation into the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. That investigation is being handled by, uh, the Justice Department.

Gonzales, who had been called before the grand jury in the case, has recused himself in the Plame probe, as promised during his confirmation and as predecessor John D. Ashcroft had done. It remains to be seen whether Gonzales will also have Ullyot, Sampson and Yanes recused, or whether he will take further steps to shield Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor in the case, from political influence.

I know the Democrats, well, maybe, the Gang of 14, said they wouldn't filibuster a nominee over ideology, but you said you'd nominate a person of integrity.

So please lcan we have a nomination battle over the integrity of one your prime advocates and facilitators and his relationship with the other apologist and handler?

I'm just asking, you know, in the interest of the country and all that...