UPDATED:  JUN 13, 2007

                        DO WHAT? 

The reaction of some Democrats to the failure of Congressional Democrats to successfully mount a “no confidence” vote on Attorney General Gonzales is mystifying.  Democrats are calling for impeachment proceedings against Gonzales even though Senate Democrats were seven votes short of the number necessary to invoke cloture of the Republican filibuster that prevented the “no confidence” vote.  For example, BuzzFlash (a TPJ favorite) editorially commented: 

To convict on articles of impeachment requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate. With only fifty votes in the US Senate, Democrats do not have the votes to prevent filibuster or to convict on articles of impeachment.  The hard reality is that if sufficient Republican Senators will not provide the votes necessary for conviction on articles of impeachment, Attorney General Gonzales will remain in office.  

Senate Democrats advanced the symbolic “no confidence” vote to demonstrate to the American public that Republicans are protecting an Attorney General who politicized the Dept. of Justice, misled Congress and, most importantly, has brought disrepute to the very agency that is responsible for the administration of justice on behalf of all citizens.   

Republicans cannot have it both ways.  Having failed to support a vote that may have forced Gonzales from office, Republicans cannot complain as Democrats return to more hearings to expose Gonzales’ malignant leadership of the Dept. of Justice.  Rank and file Democrats should understand that an impeachment trial in the Senate that has no reasonable chance of leading to a conviction is not in the best interests of the United States or Democratic efforts to expose the Republican subversion of the Dept. of Justice.                       

                        BUSH POLLS 

As summer approaches, the number of publicly released polls declines.  Just one new poll has been released since last week; L.A. Times/Bloomberg (“LAT/B”).  TPJ’s average approval rating remains essentially unchanged; 32.67%, and disapproval holds above 61%; 61.67%. 

The LAT/B poll is consistent with most other polling; Bush’s approval rating is falling.  Even though the LAT/B “approval” rating is above Bush’s monthly average of 32.67%, the June LAT/B approval rating is down from previous polls.  LAT/B has issued three polls in 2007: 

The LAT/B trend is unmistakable; Bush continues to lose credibility with the American public.