Where’s Fredo?
By on Nov 14th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Where’s Fredo?
This morning, Michael Mukasey was officially sworn in as the 81st Attorney General of the United States. At the beginning of his remarks, President Bush thanked officials for joining him, including former Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Dick Thornburgh. Missing from the ceremony? Alberto Gonzales:
BUSH: Thank you all for coming. And thank you for making sure this good man not only made it to the floor of the Senate, but was confirmed.
I want to thank former Attorney General John Ashcroft, and welcome John, as well as former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.
Thank you all for coming.
Watch it:
[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2007/11/nogonza.320.240.flv]
No word on whether Gonzales declined Bush’s invitation or was never invited.
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Gonzo is now an embarrassment, and thus is officially persona non grata in the eyes of the Chimperor.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:19 am“I particularly want to thank the chief justice of the United States, John Roberts, who is here to swear in the general”
November 14th, 2007 at 11:20 am———————
Is that the right term? “the general”? I’ve never heard the AG referred to as a general before, so I’m guessing is just a Bushism?
The former AG was undoubtedly lawyering up in light of the renewed interest in investigating the DOJ politicization…
November 14th, 2007 at 11:22 amVet, at least he didn’t call him the AGGIE!
November 14th, 2007 at 11:23 amVet
Bushism sounds about right.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:23 am‘Fredo’s under the Bus, lamenting with Scooter.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:24 amVet sez:
Absolutely not. The word “General” in “Attorney General” is an adjective, and is not at all equivalent to the military rank.
In other words, Chimpy just demonstrated his stunning ignorance and managed to insult the military in one fell swoop. A Chimp-double play.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:25 amIn other words, Chimpy just demonstrated his stunning ignorance and managed to insult the military in one fell swoop. A Chimp-double play.
-Comment by TripMaster Monkey
Enough of this Monkey business…Mukasey, can you spell NSA?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:26 amFreddo is working on the fence…
November 14th, 2007 at 11:27 amToday they’re swearing in Mukasey.
Tomorrow, we’ll be swearing at Mukasey.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:28 amGonzalez couldn’t make it because he was on a job interview at the local McDonald’s. Sometimes you just have to prioritize your commitments.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:31 amFredo is on house arrest at the crawford ranch..He and bin lauden are in charge of fixing the turkey dinner…Blessings
November 14th, 2007 at 11:31 amFredo’s not the prettiest girl at the ball anymore. :D
November 14th, 2007 at 11:32 amBet rove and gannon are incharge of intertainment….
November 14th, 2007 at 11:35 amPending indictment.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:37 amTPM,
You are incorrect. The use of the word ‘general’ when addressing the U.S. Attorney General is appropriate.
Indeed, there is an old clip of Robert Kennedy when he was running for the U.S. Senate in 1964 responding to a question saying that he was not running for the title since he could be called ‘general’ for the rest of his life.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:37 amDid anyone really expect the disgraced, amnesia-ridden crony to be at the ceremony for his replacement?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:40 amGonzales is busy prepping his new venture at Fox News:
The Gonzales Factor
November 14th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Just because you took one for Team Bush doesn’t mean that you’re of any use to them once you’re gone….
For a man who is supposedly so loyal to his people… he sure does cut ties with them awfully quick.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:43 amwe’re supposed to pretend he never existed.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:45 amBUSHâ„¢ just wiped our “realities” clean.
Exley sez:
I am not incorrect, Exley. The “General” in “Attorney General” is an adjective. Referring to the Attorney General as “general” is as incorrect as referring to a court-martial as a “martial”.
But don’t take my word for it…
November 14th, 2007 at 11:45 amMaybe for the same reason that the woman who got dumped is seldom invited to the wedding of her ex-husband and his new wife.
Did Ashcroft attend Gonzo’s swearing in?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:45 amI don’t blame Fredo. Sitting through one of those swearing in ceremonies is torture.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:47 amWould you go to the swearing in of someone who could very well bring charges against you?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:48 amExley sez: You are incorrect. The use of the word ‘general’ when addressing the U.S. Attorney General is appropriate.
I am not incorrect, Exley. The “General†in “Attorney General†is an adjective. Referring to the Attorney General as “general†is as incorrect as referring to a court-martial as a “martialâ€.
But don’t take my word for it…
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — November 14, 2007 @ 11:45 am
Eh — Bush displays ignorance in this case that’s shared by too many other Americans, and that is recognizing adjectives as nouns. It’s particularly glaring when plurals are employed — does one say that two former attorneys general attended the ceremony, or that two former attorney generals attended the ceremony? The former is correct, yet many people opt for the latter.
Another example of gross misuse is to employ “reverend” as a noun when refering to a Protestant pastor. “Reverend” is an adjective — as in “the Reverend Billy Graham.” Yet, how many times do you hear “wait a minute, honey, I just want to go shake the Reverend’s hand.” Although that has gotten so much use that, even though it’s incorrect, some dictionaries recognize its use as an informal or slang term.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:55 amWow, seriously thrown under the Bus…
Or Maybe GW’s recollection just sucks?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:55 amExley is defending Bush’s GRAMMAR? Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is really a new low. Is there a new refinery for the neocon kool-aid that’s producing really high octane stuff?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:55 amMaybe he was invited but couldn’t recall the date.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:55 am“General”? I thought he was a Judge.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:57 amI am wondering how long it will take BushCo to figure out that they may have just put the coyote in the henhouse. If McKasay has any stones, he will rip this bunch a HUGE new one.
But maybe it is just wishful thinking.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:58 amjb….LOL..Yep! that’s it..
November 14th, 2007 at 11:58 amIndeed, there is an old clip of Robert Kennedy when he was running for the U.S. Senate in 1964 responding to a question saying that he was not running for the title since he could be called ‘general’ for the rest of his life.
Comment by Exley — November 14, 2007 @ 11:37 am
I have a feeling that Bobby meant that as a joke, but I suppose it’s possible that he was confused on the correct use of the term as well. Bush isn’t the only American afflicted with poor grammar skills.
November 14th, 2007 at 11:59 amf McKasay has any stones, he will rip this bunch a HUGE new one.
But maybe it is just wishful thinking.
Comment by upside99 — November 14, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Somebody certainly needs too. These jerks are begging for a beat down.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:01 pmThink Progress is just manufacturing an issue, once again.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 11:54 am
I don’t take this as a huge issue — it doesn’t impact my life at all, and it neither elates me nor enrages me as real issues do. I suspect TP just threw it here for our entertainment, as they sometimes do.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:01 pmMukasey….stones? Puh-lease.
Nah. Tiny little peanuts maybe, but Chimpy already had them removed as a precondition of his nomination.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:02 pmupside99, I have a hope that you are right. That Bush may have pulled another colossal FU, this time one that will bite him personally in the ass. Maybe Mukasey is a man of honor and a Trojan Horse into this illegal administration.
Probably not, but hope springs eternal.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:06 pmProper use of language is extremely important. It is one of the few things that separates us from the Chimps.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:06 pmWhere’s Jefe Gonzo! It can be a new game… Find Jefe!
November 14th, 2007 at 12:07 pm#22 TripMaster Monkey,
You are corrent. I defer to Bill Safire. The use of ‘general’ is the context of addressing an attorney general is common but is also grammatically incorrect. As we see, it is not an error that has been limited to President Bush. It has been going on a while.
Here is a partial transcript of a 2000 CNN program:
“BARR: Well, what I think the problem here is, Larry, between — the dialogue between General Thornburgh and the professor is what is due process? The professor throws around this notion very glibly that under new laws and proposals there is no due process. That’s nonsense. There’s plenty of due process and neither General Thornburgh nor I nor anybody on this program would want to see due process taken away”
And here is part of an article written by a Cardozo Law School professor addressing the use of ‘general’ when referring to an AG:
Generals, Generals Everywhere
If you attend a Supreme Court argument of sufficient moment to be presented by Solicitor General (SG) Theodore B. Olson himself, you may hear something like this:
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Dellinger. General Olson, we’ll hear from you.
Then, if you cross the street to attend, say, a congressional hearing on security issues at which Attorney General (AG) John Ashcroft is testifying, you may hear something like this:
SENator BYRD: “General Ashcroft, we welcome you to the Senate Appropriations Committee as we conduct our hearings on homeland security…”2
And so your day would go. While at the Department of Justice (DOJ) you would sense that neither attorneys nor solicitors are in charge; generals are.
The tendency to call the AG and the SG “General” is not new or pervasive. As far as I know, it is not officially endorsed by DOJ; the Department’s own publications and Web site do not use that formulation. Reportedly, Janet Reno disliked being called “General” and discouraged use of the title. When John Ashcroft became AG, he told reporters he did not care if he was called “John, General, Mr. Ashcroft, or ‘Hey, you.’” Nonetheless, it is not at all uncommon to call the AG and SG “General.” I respectfully suggest that doing so is altogether incorrect.’
November 14th, 2007 at 12:08 pmFredo, you’re nothing to me now. You’re not a brother, you’re not a friend. I don’t want to know you or what you do. I don’t want to see you at the hotels, I don’t want you near my house… you understand?
November 14th, 2007 at 12:08 pmLet’s see how this episode of “Bush Family Loyalty” plays out.
Is there any precedent for former AGs to be present for their replacement to be sworn in? Was Ashcroft present when Gonzales was sworn in?
Comment by DreamCrusher
Mr Bush does what he wants – precedent or not. Again we see Bush’s tendency to hide his failures by simply not acknowledging them. If it was in Bush’s favor, he would have Fredo there. Because Fredo is a pariah, Bush chose to leave him out of the picture. Bush does what he wants, always.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:09 pmI mean, come on, that’s just lame. Then again, it is Think Progress we’re talking about.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Obviously, you aren’t entertained by TPs choice of stories. I assume you will be leaving soon, then. You aren’t required to stay here.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:10 pmThe American Heritage dictionary recognizes “attorney generals†as proper usage… Although what Bush said, using “general†in such a way, is probably incorrect. Bush has average English skills for American, big whoop.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
My 1976 edition of the American Heritage dictionary does not recognize “attorney generals” as proper. Perhaps you have one of the “special” versions that were printed after 2000. “Big whoop”?? No wonder you are so enamored with Bush.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:11 pmI don’t care if the Supreme Potentate wants to call him General as long as he does his job and holds these criminals to account. Its way past time to open a new wing in the prison for these Neocon traitors.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:12 pmBush is counting on the short memories of the attention-deficit- affected portion of the population.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:13 pmOut of sight – out of mind.
As for his choice of terminology for the attorney general — we all know bush is an ignoramus. He has reduced the office to the casualness of the local tavern. He cannot speak well – he never has – and he thinks that by being a “regular” American people relate to him. His nicknames, his chewing with his mouth open, his grabbing the shoulders of visiting dignitaries, his disdain for formal dinners, his malaprops, his poor grammar, and his juvenile rhetoric combine to make the office of the president a laughing stock.
He only enjoys the power of the office.
Exley….do you have a single clue just how idiotic you look here…?
Arguing that Bush is a master of grammar and language is sort of like proclaiming that Nero was the greatest Roman emperor of all time – while completely ignoring the fact that Nero was an insane sociopath who was smothered in a pile of dirty laundry….!
November 14th, 2007 at 12:14 pmDid anyone notice that he didn’t thank one democrat by name?
November 14th, 2007 at 12:19 pmYeah, Bush has average English skills, that’s pretty funny. Is there anything these silly sycophants won’t do to defend their God Bush? Are his dingleberries really that sweet to them? Must be, they continue to chew on them.
Maybe they understand how hard it is to put food on your family. And it begs the question, “is our sycophants learning?”
November 14th, 2007 at 12:20 pmGonzales has been hounded irresponsibly for doing his job. I’m not surprised that he didn’t turn up.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:21 pmApparently Cheney swore in Gonzales, and I can’t find anything stating that Ashcroft was there. Think Progress is just manufacturing an issue, once again.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 11:54 am
When you find evidence that he WASN’T there, post a link. For now why don’t you go somewhere that has topics YOU find more agreeable.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:25 pmGonzales has been hounded irresponsibly for doing his job. I’m not surprised that he didn’t turn up.
Comment by hits — November 14, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
What job is that, mafia consiliere? He was supposed to be acting as the Attorney General for the people of the US, numbnutz.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:34 pmWell, since it’s 2007, you might want to get an updated copy…
And you say this because… I referenced the American Heritage dictionary on the word “attorney general(s)� Wow. You people are truly in a league of your own.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Nah, I like tradition. No, I say this because I’ve read the rest of your “Bush league” posts.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:35 pmWell Dreamflusher, you’re the guy presuming he wasn’t there by the lack of evidence to the contrary. I wouldn’t worry about my logic skippy.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pmShayne,
The august job of the Attorney General of the United States of America, which he has performed in a usual manner – not spectacular, and not blemishless either.
Hits
November 14th, 2007 at 12:40 pmGonzo was under the bus and he couldn’t remember to get in the bus.
Watchout the trolls have taken massive doses of Stupid pills today.
They’re doing everything they can to derail the topic and steer the tread into playground slurs – uh, TurdFlusher, (s)hits for brains, Exlax.
Don’t respond to the trolls, people, they make themselves appear stupid enough, they don’t need your help to prove it.
Buck Fush
November 14th, 2007 at 12:51 pmWhere’s Fredo?
sleeping with the fish?
November 14th, 2007 at 12:57 pmGonzales has been hounded irresponsibly for doing his job. I’m not surprised that he didn’t turn up.
Comment by hits — November 14, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
you mean he’d get feelings hurt at a no questions asked ceremony? lol!
he didn’t turn up ’cause he’s busy lawyering up…
eh?
November 14th, 2007 at 12:59 pmBetter yet, where’s Feinstein and Schumer?
Or are they not proud of what they have done?!?
November 14th, 2007 at 1:00 pmI know where my money is on that one.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 11:43 am
dc, you are not allowed to use your food stamps for gambling. you know that.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:01 pmOr at least take a class in logic so you don’t make a complete fool of yourself again.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
talk about the pot and kettle… you make a fool out of yourself here every day. god only knows what you’re up to when you’re on your own.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:03 pmI mean, come on, that’s just lame. Then again, it is Think Progress we’re talking about.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
Then why don’t you go over to Hotair, Redstate, townhall or some other web site where you can hang with other 24%ers whose policies are destroying this country?
November 14th, 2007 at 1:04 pmNow you can continue your brain-dead hatred of the president all you want, but the facts bear out him being of average intelligence and linguistic skills as far as being an American.
Comment by DreamCrusher
And what did that SAT score of 1200 do for America? Not so much, huh? Sounds to me that Bush peaked during the test and has gone downhill ever since. Your reverence for the little man is truly disturbing. Your need for a savior is delusional if you picked Bush to be that savior. How you can hang your star on him – in public – is truly something to witness.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:06 pmi’m surprised that none of the trolls noticed the mistake with flags in the background. decorum is important to those of who respect our government and it’s institutions. but to gw? well a flag is just a flag.
dc, hits, your thoughts?
November 14th, 2007 at 1:16 pmDreamCrusher,
I agree that Bush is pretty average and he mangles the English language about the same as the typical hod carrier. Is that the standard to be POTUS? You ok with that?
And I will continue my hatred for that sociopath, thanks. I come by that hatred honestly, after a review of the facts and actions of this sickfck administration.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:22 pmDreamCrusher sez:
I don’t care who makes the error…I will point it out as such. It’s called being intellectually honest.
It’s interesting, though, that you automatically assumed that my criticism would be influenced by the identity of the person committing the error…apparently, it’s true that people tend to judge others by their own standards (or lack thereof).
November 14th, 2007 at 1:29 pmWATERBOARDING IS TORTURE! IF THE AG REFUSES TO SAY SO, HE SHOULD BE WATERBOARDED AGAINST HES WILL AND TAHN ASKED WHAT HE THINKS… IF HE STILL HAVE ANY DOUBTS! USA=TORTURE; USA=FACISM, USA=OCUPATION, USA=HYPOCRISY, USA=RENDITION FLIGHTS, USA=LIES, USA=WAR CRIMES.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:32 pmIs there any precedent for former AGs to be present for their replacement to be sworn in? Was Ashcroft present when Gonzales was sworn in?
Or is Think Progress inventing a precedent to give the appearance that Gonzales has been snubbed?
I know where my money is on that one.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 14, 2007 @ 11:43 am
And my money is on you loving your republiscum party more than you love your country. Please tell us about all the accomplishments Alberto G. made during his tenure. Please tell us what exactly it is you’re proud of when it comes to Alberto G., other than the fact that he’s yet another republiscum crook who brown-nosed Bush and rubberstamped every single Bush criminal act to the detriment of the the people of the United States. You are a traitor to your country DreamCrusher. How proud you must be.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:52 pm“the facts bear out him being of average intelligence and linguistic skills as far as being an American.”
Yes, it is sad. I would expect a WORLD LEADER to be somewhat _above_ average.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:54 pmGonzo was seen at a nearby ATM machine collecting his severance pay.
November 14th, 2007 at 2:11 pmThat’s why he was not there to attend.
gonzo was invited. his ticket got lost in the mail, that’s all.
November 14th, 2007 at 2:21 pmWE ARE BATTING 100 % ON THE APPROVAL OF THE NEW AG AS HE IS A JEW AND WILL
November 15th, 2007 at 9:55 amJOIN THE TWO U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO ARE JEWISH, AS ARE 13 SENATORS
AND 30 HOUSE MEMBERS, THIS IS NOT BAD FOR A VOTING BLOCK THAT ACCOUNTS
FOR AROUND 2 PERCENT OF THE STATESIDE POPULATION. THIS GOES ALONG WITH
AIPAC (AMERICAN-ISRAELI POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE………