Iglesias pulled through dirt for being disloyal to Bush

Editor,

I find it disgusting seeing honorable public servants like David Iglesias swift-boated by hawks like columnist Scott Darnell.

U.S. attorneys are political appointees, but their oath requires them to preserve, protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. They don't serve at the dictate of the president. A personal phone call at home - rather than at the office, where all phone calls are recorded - by a senator or representative to a federal employee asking about sealed indictments before a close election constitutes pressure.

The only thing that separates the U.S. from any other third-rate banana republic is the rule of law.

The Republican National Committee's strategy in 2004 was to work with state parties to identify and challenge questionable voters at the polls, or as the GOP talking point went, prevent voter fraud. Darnell was the New Mexico chairman of the College Republicans and ran political field operations for the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2004. Sen. Pete Domenici was the New Mexico chairman for the campaign.

Even though Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he was not involved in any discussions about the impending dismissals of U.S. attorneys; he signed off on a five-step plan notifying Republican home-state senators of impending dismissals and preparing for potential political upheaval. On Jan. 8, Domenici's chief of staff wrote an e-mail to White House official Scott Jennings saying, "Thanks for everything." This e-mail was sent to Karl Rove's RNC BlackBerry e-mail, not his White House e-mail address. Just like the infamous 18-minute gap from Watergate, there is an 18-day gap in e-mails released by the Justice Department from mid-October to mid-November. According to the Presidential Records Act, e-mails sent to the White House are archived, whereas RNC e-mails can be destroyed.

Susan Ralston, a former aide to Rove, stepped down and resigned last year to avoid causing political damage to President Bush after she admitted to accepting gifts and passing information to her former employer, convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In 2002, Bush fired Fred Black, the U.S. attorney in Guam, because he was investigating Abramoff. A month before Black was fired, Abramoff wrote, "I don't care if they appoint Bozo the Clown: We need to get rid of Fred Black."

Last Friday it was reported that Bush received a secret memo about the friendly fire death of Pat Tillman and lied to the Tillman family and the American people about the incident. Tillman was critical of the president and the war in Iraq.

Valerie Plame was a covert CIA operative specializing in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in rogue states. Her cover was blown by the White House because her husband spoke the truth about forged documents alleging that Iraq was attempting to purchase yellowcake.

Iglesias, Tillman and Plame have been dragged through the dirt for not being loyal Bush followers. As for Darnell, he should support the troops and enlist. If this one-man band can add two plus two, why can't the news editors and reporters around the nation? Where are Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein?

Brian Fejer

UNM alumnus