Gonzo so gone

I'll have a few more posts on this when I can get to my notes, but it's pleasing that Alberto Gonzales finally quit as attorney general. Not that I have a high opinion of most people in government, but he really was out of his depth -- and was instinctively authoritarian, from domestic issues (affirmative action, environmental regulation) to executive power (he firmly endorsed the supremacy of the president in almost everything) to the almost unspeakable -- endorsing torture and calling the Geneva Convention "quaint." Plus he was a faithfuil toady to another out-of-his-depth mediocrity. The next appointee may be almost as bad and smarter (or less inept) to boot, but it's still a relief to have him outta there. I had some interesting chats today, about which more later.