Just when I thought I was out...

Part of the reason I started this (new) blog was to move away somewhat from a focus on politics and onto other subjects. Then the Attorney scandal hit. It's going to be mainly politics for a while. I think that this story has the possibility of being big, REALLY big. There are a couple of reasons:

Investigations generally spur investigations. For instance, it was discovered that Karl Rove's deputy at the White House, J. Scott Jennings, using an email address owned by the Republican National Committee. Why does that matter? Well, for one, remember what happened when Al Gore may have used the wrong phone in his office to fundraise? But more seriously there are some substantive questions that should be answered too (asked by my main man Dan Froomkin):

Would these emails be treated any differently from official White House emails when it came to archiving or subpoena purposes? ... Do other White House staffers regularly use non-White House email accounts for White House business, and if so, why?

Good questions, both. Want to make a bet on what the answers are?

In addition to this though, I have a funny feeling that this will re-focus attention (eventually) on why Carol Lam was fired in the first place. She was fired because she began to aggressively investigate top Republicans, period. End of story. What really intrigues me is what is still out there to find. A couple of years ago I read Charlie Wilson's War. It's a story about a Congressman, Charlie Wilson, who over a period of years funnels millions of dollars in US funds, and secures millions more in other funds (from Saudi Arabia for example) to Afghan rebels fighting the Soviets. It was all done in secret. I'd be willing to bet that there are bunches of the same shenanigans going on today and that Lam was on a trail to uncover some or all of it.

Finally, Republicans running for President in 2008 are looking for a way to distance themselves from the disaster that is Iraq. What better way than to focus attention on Al Gonzalez and the Justice Department that couldn't legislate straight? Seriously, by taking down Gonzalez they have the ability to put some distance between themselves and the White House without being viewed as against Iraq. Just a thought.

We'll see if my hunch is right. I do think that some people will pay real penalties (read: jail) for this though.

UPDATE:

There's been some follow-up on the email situation:

Now Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has sent a letter to House government reform committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) requesting an investigation of whether the White House has been violating the Presidential Records Act -- in an attempt to keep certain correspondence away from prying eyes.

Jennings use of the RNC's email "raises serious questions about whether the White House was trying to deliberately evade its responsibilities under the PRA, which directs the president to take all necessary steps to maintain presidential records to provide a full accounting of all activities during his tenure," says CREW.

This is just the kind of stuff that Waxman and his very talented staff can pick apart and get to the bottom of.