December 27, 2007
U.S. Ruling Backs Benefit Cut at 65 in Retiree Plans
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that employers could reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.
The policy, set forth in a new regulation, allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, with more comprehensive benefits for those under 65 and more limited benefits — or none at all — for those older.
More than 10 million retirees rely on employer-sponsored health plans as a primary source of coverage or as a supplement to Medicare, and Naomi C. Earp, the commission’s chairwoman, said, “This rule will help employers continue to voluntarily provide and maintain these critically important health benefits.”
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.1 percent this year and have increased 78 percent since 2001, according to surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Because of the rising cost of health care and the increased life expectancy of workers, the commission said, many employers refuse to provide retiree health benefits or even to negotiate on the issue.
In general, the commission observed, employers are not required by federal law to provide health benefits to either active or retired workers.
Dianna B. Johnston, a lawyer for the commission, said many employers and labor unions had told it that “if they had to provide identical benefits for retirees under 65 and over 65, they would just drop retiree health benefits altogether for both groups.”
In a preamble to the new regulation, published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the commission said, “The final rule is not intended to encourage employers to eliminate any retiree health benefits they may currently provide.”[emphasis mine - ld]
The charges are too serious to ignore. There is credible evidence that the Vice President abused the power of his office, and not only brought us into an unneccessary [sic] war but violated the civil liberties and privacy of American citizens. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings.
Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."Well she is no longer a leader I respect. And ditto Harry Reid until a few hours ago when he tabled the FISA bill debate until after the Senate winter recess. While it is good he listened to and read the many phone calls and emails he got - why did he not lead on this issue before - why did he wait until he figuratively got hit on the head with it? He knew that the shrub had lied - he knew that this illegal wire tapping started BEFORE Sept 11, 2001 - in fact it started soon after the shrub was elected. And now mr 24% wants to retroactively immunize those telecoms that listened to you and me - and are still listening.
Merck is pulling 11 lots of PedvaxHIB and two lots of COMVAX. PedvaxHIB is a vaccine that protects against infection with haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections. The COMVAX vaccine protects against haemophilius B and hepatitis B, a virus that can cause liver disease.
George W. Bush -- after issuing a grand total of one veto (stem cells) during his first six years in office -- had suddenly found his groove, vetoing two bills (a second stem cell bill and the May Iraq supplemental) and issuing threats to veto 29 other key bills passed by the new Democratic Congress.
Today, that total has reached seven vetoes (including Energy & Water appropriations, Labor/HHS/Education appropriations, and two SCHIP vetoes) and threats against 53 additional bills:
1. Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act - H.R. 4, and the Medicare Fair Prescription Drug Price Act - S. 3
2. Employee Free Choice Act - H.R. 800
3. Improving America's Security Act - S. 4
4. Water Quality Financing Act - H.R. 720
5. Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007 - H.R. 985
6. Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007 - H.R. 1255
7. United States Policy in Iraq Resolution - S.J.Res. 9
8. U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act - H.R. 1591, S. 965, H.R. 2206
9. D.C. Voting Rights Act – H.R. 1433, S. 1257
10. Rail and Public Transportation Security Act - H.R. 1401
11. Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act - S. 5
12. Intelligence Authorization Act - S. 372, H.R. 2082
13. Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act - S. 1082
14. Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act – H.R. 1592
15. Redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq - H.R. 2237
16. Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act - H.R. 1684
17. Agricultural Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act - H.R. 2207
18. National Defense Authorization Act - H.R. 1585, S. 1547
19. No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act - H.R. 2264
20. Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act – H.R. 1252
21. Human Cloning Prohibition Act - H.R. 2560
22. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act - H.R. 2638, S. 1644
23. Creating Long-term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act/Energy Independence and Security Act - H.R. 6
24. State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act - H.R. 2764
25. Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 2643
26. Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act - H.R. 2829
27. College Cost Reduction Act - H.R. 2669
28. Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act - H.R. 2956
29. Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 3074, S. 1789
30. Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 3093, S. 1745
31. Farm, Nutrition and Bioengery Act/Food and Energy Security Act - H.R. 2419
32. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - H.R. 2831
33. Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act(SCHIP)- S. 1893, H.R. 3162, H.R. 976, H.R. 3963
34. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 3161
35. Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act - H.R. 3159
36. Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act - H.R. 2776
37. New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act - H.R. 3221
38. Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision and Extension Act - H.R. 2761
39. FAA Reauthorization Act - H.R. 2881
40. Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act - H.R. 3121
41. Improving Government Accountability Act - H.R. 928
42. Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act - H.R. 3246
43. National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act - H.R. 2895
44. Tax Collection Responsibility Act - H.R. 3056
45. Free Flow of Information Act - H.R. 2102
46. Responsible Electronic Surveillance that is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective (RESTORE) Act - H.R. 3773
47. Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act - H.R. 505
48. Employment Non-Discrimination Act - H.R. 3685
49. Trade and Globalization Assistance Act - H.R. 3920
50. Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act - H.R. 2262
51. Homeowner's Defense Act - H.R. 3355
52. Temporary Tax Relief Act (AMT) - H.R. 3996
53. Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act - H.R. 4156
Washington, DC - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released a new report entitled Homeland Security for Sale � DHS: Five Years of Mismanagement, an accompanying website, www.homelandsecurityforsale.org, and a video created and produced by Brave New Foundation. The report and video document the past five years of the agency�s most serious problems and troubling practices.
Americans enter the holiday season in a dark mood, with economic worries, security fears and a lack of confidence in government fueling growing pessimism, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, fell for the third consecutive month, dropping from 96 in October to 94.9 on new growth in the number of Americans dissatisfied with the economy and pessimistic about the future.
The plunge [stock market] came as investors remain frightened and uncertain about a credit crisis that does not show any signs of easing. Freddie Mac, considered a backstop for the mortgage industry, said yesterday that it lost $2 billion last quarter because of increased foreclosures tied to subprime mortgage defaults. Oil prices flirted with the symbolic $100-a-barrel level in overnight trading. Markets in Asia and Europe dropped sharply as investors questioned whether the United States economy will slow more than expected.
Fuller article here: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.comIn an excerpt from his forthcoming book, McClellan recounts the 2003 news conference in which he told reporters that aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were "not involved" in the leak involving operative Valerie Plame.
"There was one problem. It was not true," McClellan writes, according to a brief excerpt released Tuesday. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself."
“This is an explosion,” said Judith Liben, a lawyer at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. “This isn’t business as usual. These are investors that overleveraged themselves, and the renters are collateral damage in the mortgage crisis.”Full article HERE
The "hidden" economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, costing the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000. The total includes higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans, and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.
"The income gap between black and white families has grown," according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. One reason for the widening gap is that "incomes among black men have actually declined in the past three decades, when adjusted for inflation."
$19.5 million: Amount PhRMA spent from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, aimed at killing legislation to speed the availability of less expensive generic drugs.
From Robert Greenwald:
Today we have a surprise (well at least it surprised all of us at BNF). Thanks to the terrific work of the News Hounds, we bring you Fox and ole' Billy O'Reilly attacking decency. Yes, you read that right. The self-righteous, pompous, bloviators who deign to lecture on how we should behave in our personal lives, are in fact exploiting women, pandering to the lowest common denominator and pushing smut out on the airwaves on a daily basis!
And this will definitely raise your hackles. YOU ARE PAYING FOR THIS! Yes, you read that right too. So watch the video and pass it along to as many on your email list as possible. We simply must let the FCC know we are mad as hell about having their smut in our homes and being forced to pay for it. And we're simply not going to take it anymore.
Sincerely,
Robert Greenwald, Cliff Schecter, and the Brave New Films team
P.S. Here's what Gloria Steinem had to say about the video: "Fox News shows more sexualized violence and humiliation than probably any other network -- all in the name of condemning it -- while under-showing violence in Iraq, all in the name of supporting it. After this video, smart viewers and advertisers will boycott Fox."
For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.
Full article HEREU.S. agriculture giant Cargill recalls ground beef
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Agricultural giant Cargill Inc. said on Saturday it is recalling over 1 million pounds of ground beef distributed in the United States because of possible E. Coli contamination.
Cargill Meat Solutions said the 1.084 million pounds (491,700 kg) of ground beef was produced at the Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, facility between October 8 and October 11, and distributed to retailers across the country.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture returned a confirmed positive for the E. coli bacteria on a sample produced on October 8, the company said.
Symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 illness, the strain associated with the recall, include potentially severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and dehydration. Children, the elderly and people with poor immune systems are the must vulnerable.
Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."Why this message? Because a people powered movement is backing Donna Edwards - a real "D" and Pelosi is apparently not happy with democratic processes.
ORA: Northwest Jewish Artists
503.244.0794
info@northwestjewishartists.org
http://www.northwestjewishartists.org
CELEBRATION OF ART:
Portland, Oregon- October 28th, 9am-3pm
Neveh Shalom
2900 SW Peaceful Lane
Portland Oregon
The magic begins as you enter our Main Exhibit Hall. Live music by well known recording artists and performers will greet your ears, and a coffee house featuring fresh treats will tantalize your palate as you listen to the musical stylings of Stephanie Schneiderman (of Dirty Martini fame), George Fendel, jazz pianist, and Justin Jude, recently named "Oregon's Best Singer/Songwriter 2007!"
Stroll from exhibit to exhibit to experience a unique show that blends the best elements of a gallery opening with an artist colony tour -- with a coffee house of a forgotten age tossed in. Celebrating their second year as a collective, ORA artists invite the public to
discover their new work. Although the artists are Jewish, Judaic and secular works are available for purchase.
Members of ORA are: Rosana Berdichevsky , collage and multi-media; Lynn Dorman, photography; Leslie Elder water colors, Robin Esterkin, water color, acrylic and mixed media; Laurie Fendel, fabric construction; Diane Fredgant, silk painting; Sara Harwin, fabric construction, acrylic painting and serigraph prints; Julie Hockley, hand-cast precious metal jewelry & ritual objects; Esther Liberman, handmade bead work; Sharon Segal, acrylic and mixed media paintings and cards; Eddy Shuldman, fused glass; and Sabina Wohlfeiler, water color paintings.
You don't need to be Jewish to come look, schmooze with the artists, nosh a little, and buy art that speaks to you., Best of all, admission is free!
For more information please visit our website: www.northwestjewishartists.org
Socialized,
Clinton-style
Hillarycare for
Illegals and their
Parents
We have been deep in research, interviews and editing (23 versions!) about Rudy's failure to fix the radios the firemen used to communicate on 9/11. It is as deeply troubling a story as we have seen. Rudy is running for office on how he handled 9/11 and here we have proof positive that firemen were killed because his administration did not fix the long-standing (since 1993!) problems with the radios.
This BNF investigative report calls attention to four key questions about Rudy's handling of the broken radios from firemen's families and experts:
* Why was nothing done to improve FDNY radio performance for seven years after a clear need was demonstrated in the 1993 World Trade Center attack?
* When new radios were finally ordered, why did the city block other companies besides Motorola from bidding on the contract?
* Once Motorola was given the contract, why did its cost jump from $1.4 million to $14 million?
* Why were these new radios never tested?
These questions should and must be investigated. New York City councilman Eric Gioia has the power to begin an investigation. If we can garner enough attention and signers, we have a major opportunity to help launch an investigation.
Sign the petition: CLICK HERE
Sam's Club is pulling frozen hamburgers made by agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. from its stores shelves across the United States as Minnesota health officials investigate four cases of E. coli associated with the burgers.
Topps Meat Company, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of frozen hamburgers, said yesterday that it was going out of business a week after it pulled back more than 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products in one of the largest meat recalls in recent years.These follow the previous people food recalls, the pet food recalls, the toy recalls, the toothpaste recalls, and I forget what else recalls - but it has been along string of recalls!
October 7, 2007Full article here HERE
Medicare Audits Show Problems in Private Plans
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 — Tens of thousands of Medicare recipients have been victims of deceptive sales tactics and had claims improperly denied by private insurers that run the system’s huge new drug benefit program and offer other private insurance options encouraged by the Bush administration, a review of scores of federal audits has found.
The problems, described in 91 audit reports reviewed by The New York Times, include the improper termination of coverage for people with H.I.V. and AIDS, huge backlogs of claims and complaints, and a failure to answer telephone calls from consumers, doctors and drugstores....The audits document widespread violations of patients’ rights and consumer protection standards. Some violations could directly affect the health of patients — for example, by delaying access to urgently needed medications. [emphasis mine - LD]
And yes, this is real, not an extremely clever photoshop job, and truly encapsulates what the Republican Party is all about.
Wide stance? Check.
In Minneapolis? Check.
Prison stripe-wearing? Check.
Starry eyed? Check.
As for the elephant humping the "2008"...
Are they going for a "Still screwing the country in 2008" theme, or is it a reference to hypocritical adulterers like David Vitter and just about the entire Republican presidential field?
All of the above? Check!
Apparently they ran out of space for a collapsing bridge.
Update: Can't you just picture the Daily Show and Colbert Report writers salivating at the possibilities?
Update II: From the comments:
The Blue-to-Red ratio looks to be about 80%-20%. That sounds about right for the 2008 election too.
[I]t looks like the elephant is wrapping himself in the flag.
Very appropriate for 2008. The elephant has Assumed the Position
Crapping on Minneapolis?
Elephants only stand on their hind legs for one thing; count on the Extinction Party to know nothing of their habits.
[N]ot to mention that the head looks like a snake coming out of a monkey's ass.
And okay, this is my new favorite:
Total roadkill. [I]t really does look like an elephant that just got ran over by a truck and is now splattered and dazed on the ground, covered in skid marks.
And more from what might be one of the funniest threads ever on this site:
The Lone Star eye of Texas is trained on the "con" in convention. How appropriate
The head looks like it is partially decapitated.
An elephant never forgets how.
Judging by the shape of the eye, I'd say he's been shot in the face by Cheney.
Full article: http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/175263.html“The defendant argues he pled in haste to prevent the allegation in this case from being publicized, thus doing damage to his political reputation. This pressure was entirely perceived by the defendant and was not a result of any action by the police, the prosecutor, or the court.”
The judge also scolded Craig for his argument that his plea was “not intelligently made.”
"The Defendant, a career politician with a college education, is of, at least, above-average intelligence. He knew what he was saying, reading, and signing,” Porter wrote.
What science the Bush administration chooses to stifle or promote seems to be a matter of politics and economics. According to a recent story in the Washington Post, the multibillion-dollar baby formula industry pressured the Department of Health and Human Services to weaken a 2004 public-service campaign promoting breast-feeding -- and it worked, even though the science supported the other side.
Numerous studies suggest that breast milk protects infants from developing certain illnesses and that formula-feeding increases their health risks.
The ad campaign was designed to drive home that point. Now the health of millions of infants is at risk because mothers don't have the scientific knowledge the ads would have conveyed to make an informed choice between breast- or formula-feeding.
According to the Post, a recent report by an agency within the Health and Human Services Department makes the same point as the canceled ads but has also been downplayed by the government because of pressure from the formula industry.
Full article http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-op-orent30sep30,1,5921620.story
SCREEN JUSTICE 2007-8
FILM AND DISCUSSION SERIES
Tuesday October 2
David A Clarke School of, Law, Bldg 39, Room 201
5:30-6:15pm Reception; 6:15-7:15 Screening; 7:15-7:45 Q&A
Red Line Metro to Van Ness/UDC Station
Enter between buildings 38 & 39 on Connecticut Avenue
For more information: 202.274.7400
Louis Brandeis: The People’s Attorney (2007)
Justice Louis D. Brandeis was universally regarded as one of the great champions of liberty, progress, and justice. A ferocious litigator with a deep sense of social justice, Brandeis was a pioneer. This film deftly weaves his complex personal life, his character and his achievements together to make a rich tapestry of a giant of US legal history.
Q&A with John Brittain, Chief Counsel and Senior Deputy Director for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Professor Brittain has a background of thirty-five years in the legal profession including twenty-eight years in legal education with substantial experience in public interest litigation. He was President of the National Lawyers Guild (1991-93) and is a past member of the National Board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a long time member of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and the National Bar Association.
September 23, 2007
More Profit and Less Nursing at Many Homes
By CHARLES DUHIGG
Habana Health Care Center, a 150-bed nursing home in Tampa, Fla., was struggling when a group of large private investment firms purchased it and 48 other nursing homes in 2002.
The facility’s managers quickly cut costs. Within months, the number of clinical registered nurses at the home was half what it had been a year earlier, records collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate. Budgets for nursing supplies, resident activities and other services also fell, according to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.
The investors and operators were soon earning millions of dollars a year from their 49 homes.
Residents fared less well. Over three years, 15 at Habana died from what their families contend was negligent care in lawsuits filed in state court. Regulators repeatedly warned the home that staff levels were below mandatory minimums. When regulators visited, they found malfunctioning fire doors, unhygienic kitchens and a resident using a leg brace that was broken.
“They’ve created a hellhole,” said Vivian Hewitt, who sued Habana in 2004 when her mother died after a large bedsore became infected by feces.
Habana is one of thousands of nursing homes across the nation that large Wall Street investment companies have bought or agreed to acquire in recent years.
Those investors include prominent private equity firms like Warburg Pincus and the Carlyle Group, better known for buying companies like Dunkin’ Donuts.
As such investors have acquired nursing homes, they have often reduced costs, increased profits and quickly resold facilities for significant gains.
But by many regulatory benchmarks, residents at those nursing homes are worse off, on average, than they were under previous owners, according to an analysis by The New York Times of data collected by government agencies from 2000 to 2006.
Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Cardin (D-MD), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Conrad (D-ND), Dorgan (D-ND), Feinstein (D-CA), Johnson (D-SD), Klobuchar (D-MN), Kohl (D-WI), Landrieu (D-LA), Leahy (D-VT), Lincoln (D-AR), McCaskill (D-MO), Mikulski (D-MD), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Salazar (D-CO), Tester (D-MT), Webb (D-VA)
"I will not be quiet, I will fight back, and I will keep speaking out until Congress forces an exit plan for this awful war."You can sign the petition here:
Love your blog. Go see my website and buy buy buy....
Commentary: Bush fulfills H.L. Mencken's prophecy
By Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers
It took just eight decades but H.L. Mencken's astute prediction on the future course of American presidential politics and the electorate's taste in candidates came true:
On July 26th, 1920, the acerbic and cranky scribe wrote in The Baltimore Sun: "...all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily (and) adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
So we throw the question to you, our activists and media observers. What should be done about FOX? And given this ridiculous imbalance, should we encourage liberals and Democrats to stop going on FOX until the rules are fair, the deck is not stacked?
Give us your thoughts…
Become A Citizen Co-Sponsor:
This week, we have a critical opportunity to restore habeas corpus.
The Habeas Corpus Restoration Act gives us a chance to reverse one of the Bush Administration's many assaults on our civil liberties.
We all want to make America safe from terrorism, but becoming a nation that sanctions the unlawful detention of its own residents -- detaining and jailing them without the chance to appear before a judge -- does not make us safe. Instead, it violates a value that we have held dear for centuries -- safeguarding our individual freedom before arbitrary state action.
On Friday, Sept. 14, Alan Keyes filed a Statement of Candidacy (Form 2) with the Federal Election Commission–thus officially announcing as a Republican candidate for President of the United States.
Keyes told Janet Parshall, host of a nationally syndicated radio show, that he’s “unmoved” by the lack of moral courage shown by the other candidates, among whom he sees no standout who articulates the “key kernel of truth that must, with courage, be presented to our people.”
He added, “The one thing I’ve always been called to do is to raise the standard . . . that there is a national standard of our allegiance to God and His authority that has been the foundation stone of our nation’s life”–and he decried the lack of “forthright, clear, and clarion declaration” from the other candidates concerning this issue…
We will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes, to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives. This great city will rise again.
This from Sidney Blumenthal:
“It is sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons,” Bush said at a press conference in Crawford, Texas.
The President praised Gonzales for his “integrity, decency and principle.” He added that in his two and a half years as attorney general, Gonzales “has played a critical role in shaping our policies and the war on terror and has worked tirelessly to make this country safer.”
In the weeks leading up to his resignation, Gonzales was undoubtedly aware of the various investigations into his activities, the avenues being pursued and the witnesses questioned, not all of them in public. As a practiced attorney, he knew that once he left government service he would become less interesting to investigators and that whatever revelations were unearthed would have less political impact. The logic of his resignation became indisputable from his own narrow interest and the larger interest of the administration. But the resignation of Rove severed his lifeline to his political control agent. Without Rove, Gonzales was adrift.
From the beginning of his rise with George W. Bush until the day of his abrupt resignation, Alberto Gonzales was anointed, directed and protected by Karl Rove. At the Department of Justice, Gonzales served as Rove's figurehead. In the real line of authority, the attorney general, a constitutional officer, reported to the White House political aide. Bush did not nickname Gonzales "Fredo," after the weak brother in "The Godfather," without reason.
Full Blumenthal article here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/08/27/gonzales_resignation/print.html
