Here we go again: There ought to be a hearing about hearings in capital

There seems to be an awful lot of time in Washington to sit around and call hearings.

The hoopla over Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his firings of some federal prosecutors has gone from a few questions to a full-blown investigation that is occupying hours and hours of Congress’s time — complete with plenty of grandstanding and chest beating.

And while wrong-doing should be investigated, this is beginning to seem more like a little bit of revenge politics. And, just in case they have forgotten, that is not what the American people elected any of those involved in the scuffle to do.

Partisan politics is not just tedious — it is damaging, especially when it seems to be based on a witch hunt that smells a lot like revenge.

President George W. Bush is right to put his foot down and say — enough. In fact, he is long past the point he should have put his foot down and said — enough.

This incessant bickering and finger-pointing is doing nothing to make this a better country. In fact, it is a bit hypocritical. Check for yourself to see how many prosecutors were let go when the previous Democratic administration took office — and see what cases they heard.

If there is something to prosecute, get on with it — and stop posing for television cameras. And, if there is something that has been held back, for goodness sake release it.

In the end, Washington lawmakers just might find that Americans are still not interested in watching politically motivated investigations — from anyone.

Perhaps the next “investigation” we need is who is spending the least time doing his or her job and the most time on TV.

Published in Editorials on March 22, 2007 11:45 AM