We read with keen interest the great sorrow and lamentation about an NBA referee who was allegedly discovered to be betting on league games.
As the Chicago Tribune reported in its July 25 editorial entitled "A flagrant foul on the NBA":
Last month, the National Basketball Association was informed that the FBI and the Justice Department were investigating Tim Donaghy, a 13-year referee, on suspicion that he bet on NBA games and provided inside information to gamblers about players. On July 9, Donaghy sent a letter to the league tendering his resignation.
So, in less than time than you can say b-ball, the compromised ref was gone. Would we were so lucky with Alberto "Consigliere" Gonzales.
But there's potentially worse news for the league: Donaghy has reportedly told investigators that he will name other officials and players involved in gambling.
These charges could shatter the already fragile credibility of the NBA. Complaints about officiating were rampant during this year's NBA playoffs.
The analogy to the Bush Administration goes without saying, except that the reaction of so many poobahs, pundits and almost the entire Republican Congressional delegation is comparable to standing up for the referee and defending his right to stay on officiating games.
That certainly is how this group of D.C. insiders, and betrayers of the rule of law, are handling the brazen -- and even outlandishly bizarre -- ongoing perjury committed by Gonzales in his recent appearances before Congress.
Furthermore, in Gonzales’ July 25 testimony, it took just a few hours to nail him for perjuring himself as to the reasons he and Bush’s former Chief of Staff Andrew Card, "visited" John Ashcroft in the hospital, as he was sedated and recovering from a serious medical condition. Gonzales’ most recent explanation of the now historically infamous hospital bed attempt at bullying Ashcroft to sign off on Bush and Cheney’s illegal domestic spying activity is now indisputably proven to be an act of perjury before Congress.
"Tuesday morning," the Tribune writes, "a somber David Stern stood before a room of sports reporters to outline what he called 'the most serious situation that I have experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or commissioner of the NBA.'"
The Bush Administration’s assault on the rule of law, the Constitution, and democracy is certainly the most "serious" threat to the Republic in memory.
Ken Starr and the right-wing junta-in-waiting who backed him knew that they had to nail Clinton on a technical violation of the law. Bush, Cheney and Rove are relying on keeping Gonzales as head of the Justice Department to prevent any possible legal indictment that could be used to impeach or try them.
Given that Gonzales is essentially the chief "referee" of justice in the United States, as long as he is there, there will not be a legal indictment of any high-level Busheviks. (Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation was a fluke that occurred when Ashcroft, for still unknown reasons, recused himself from the Plame investigation.)
So, the Democrats don’t need to call for any more special counsels or probes as a political gesture to put Bush on the defensive.
It’s time to stop pussyfooting around. Bush and his crew don’t care about what anyone says or calls for. They only respond to direct action.
Impeach Gonzales for perjury, which is already proven in the public record. Anything less allows the White House to continue to stonewall.
Bush, Cheney and Rove have prevented more high-level crooks from breaking ranks and seeking immunity for two reasons: loyalty to the crew and the fear of swift retaliation if anyone were to squeal.
It’s time to remove this "foul" stain on America and restore integrity to our system of justice.
It is time for the power play, not for shouting from the bench.
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