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N.M. federal prosecutor defends his performance, saying ouster was shocking and politically based
Associated Press ^ | 2/28/07 | SUE MAJOR HOLMES

Posted on 03/01/2007 9:19:38 AM PST by Santa Fe_Conservative

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - On his last on the job, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias on Wednesday strongly defended his record in office, saying the Bush administration's call for his resignation came without warning and was rooted in politics _ not performance.

"This episode came like a thief in the night," he said of the Dec. 7 request for him to step down. He added, "Obviously, I tripped some wire."

Iglesias, a Republican, is among eight federal prosecutors asked in recent weeks to resign. Critics have suggested that the removals were politically motivated and illustrate what they say is a flaw in the antiterror Patriot Act.

Senate Democrats want to eliminate a provision in the Patriot Act that gave the attorney general new power to replace fired U.S. attorneys indefinitely, avoiding the Senate confirmation process and allowing the president to appoint GOP allies.

At a news conference in his Albuquerque office, Iglesias displayed charts with statistics showing that the number of defendants charged during his tenure rose 13 percent and immigration cases increased 78 percent. At the same time, the caseload of his assistant U.S. attorneys went up 24 percent, while the number of full-time employees in the office went up just 7 percent

(Excerpt) Read more at freenewmexican.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: davidiglesias; newmexico; patriotact; republicanparty
It couldn't possibly be that his firing be based on BAD performances (ie Robert Vigil) than politically motivated? Hmm...
1 posted on 03/01/2007 9:19:42 AM PST by Santa Fe_Conservative
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative


When Bill Clinton took office he fired every single US DA n the country.

This is non sesne, what next?

"I bought bad peter pan peanut butter wiht my food stamps.."

Democrats are idiots.


2 posted on 03/01/2007 9:22:34 AM PST by p[adre29 (Arma in armatos)
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

If his firing wasn't performance based, then he probably made the mistake of overseeing the prosecution of an illegal alien.


3 posted on 03/01/2007 9:25:21 AM PST by evad
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
So read his quote at the END of the article:

"Still, he said, he represents three big constituencies for the Republican Party _ evangelical Christians, Hispanics and veterans _ and said he couldn't understand why the administration would ask someone who's doing a good job and who represents those constituencies to step down"

This guy claims to be a CONSERVATIVE who can't understand why he would have been fired for political reasons, but elsewhere he says it's politics because he can't think of any other reason. This makes sense?

US Attorneys are executive employees serving at the pleasure of the AG. This guy served 5 1/2 years and says elsewhere in the article he is NOT disgruntled.

Am I wrong in wondering about what kind of guy would put on a press conference like this? just maybe that has something to do with him being fired?

4 posted on 03/01/2007 9:26:57 AM PST by Williams
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

David hasn't met his quota for putting law enforcement officers in prison.


5 posted on 03/01/2007 9:27:45 AM PST by FreePaul
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To: p[adre29

"When Bill Clinton took office he fired every single US DA n the country."

But, as we know, Democrats are the worst form of unprincipled hypocrites.


6 posted on 03/01/2007 9:29:49 AM PST by popdonnelly ([Democrats] are jubilant at our disasters and are cast down when the rebels are defeated -Sept. 1862)
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To: Williams

So read his quote at the END of the article:
"Still, he said, he represents three big constituencies for the Republican Party _ evangelical Christians, Hispanics and veterans _ and said he couldn't understand why the administration would ask someone who's doing a good job and who represents those constituencies to step down"

Good catch, you are allowed to keep you elementary reading certificate.


7 posted on 03/01/2007 9:34:16 AM PST by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

Iglesias was the inspiration for the movie "A Few Good Men".


8 posted on 03/01/2007 9:34:37 AM PST by Disambiguator
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To: evad

Was he part of the bargaining unit? No? End of discussion.


9 posted on 03/01/2007 9:41:16 AM PST by Mashood
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - On his last on the job, U.S. Attorney David Iglesias on Wednesday strongly defended his record in office, saying the Bush administration's call for his resignation came without warning and was rooted in politics _ not performance.

"This episode came like a thief in the night," he said of the Dec. 7 request for him to step down. He added, "Obviously, I tripped some wire."

I just can't help repeating the obvious:
How would this whiner characterize Clinton, as one of his first moves in office, replacing every single Federal Prosecutor in the entire country?

10 posted on 03/01/2007 9:45:20 AM PST by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: Disambiguator

Yes, that is correct. It's mentioned in the Washington Post story here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/28/AR2007022801502.html


11 posted on 03/01/2007 9:46:48 AM PST by Santa Fe_Conservative
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To: FreePaul

This thread is being hijacked. Remain in your seats. We are returning to the airport.


12 posted on 03/01/2007 9:48:21 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: p[adre29
When Bill Clinton took office he fired every single US DA n the country.

As did Bush and every other President -- District Attorneys are political appointees, like ambassadors and cabinet secretaries. The difference is that this District Attorney is a Republican, and there really is no precedent for replacing USDAs wholesalae in the middle of their terms outside of a scandal or serious performance problem.

14 posted on 03/01/2007 10:31:52 AM PST by Alter Kaker
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To: pabianice

This will be your second warning that substituting symbols for letters does not circumvent the FR prohibition on the use of profanity.


15 posted on 03/01/2007 11:17:00 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator
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To: Sidebar Moderator

OK, but I don't remember receiving a first warning and being told this was inappropriate.


16 posted on 03/01/2007 11:21:07 AM PST by pabianice (LLY)
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To: pabianice

Let's make it your first appropriate warning, then.


17 posted on 03/01/2007 11:28:15 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator
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To: p[adre29
When Bill Clinton took office he fired every single US DA n the country. This is non sesne, what next?

U.S. Attorneys are presidential appointees. Every U.S. president fires the prior president's appointees and puts in his own. Bush fired every single Clinton-appointed US Attorney and appointed his own people. (What was unique about Clinton was that he fired every sitting US Attorney en masse; most presidents let the former administration's US Attorneys serve until the new appointee is nominated and confirmed. Clinton did this because he wanted the Arkansas US Attorney, who was investigating Whitewater, out right away, and he fired all of the US Attorneys at once to try to hide what he was doing.)

It is well within the President's power to fire his own US Attorneys at any time, but historically, this has very, very rarely been done. Bush has now fired 8 of his own appointees in a row, which is legal, but unprecedented, and therefore has attracted notice.

The other reason this has attracted notice is that Bush proposed (and Congress passed) a change to the law last year: it used to be that, if a US Attorney died, resigned or was fired, the judges in that district's federal court would elect the temporary successor, who would serve until the president nominated a successor and the Senate confirmed him. Under the new law, Bush can fire a US Attorney and appoint a successor who can serve indefinitely without Senate confirmation. Bush's firing of 8 US Attorneys and appointment of successors without having to get them confirmed by the Senate is another thing that has attracted controversy.

18 posted on 03/01/2007 11:32:55 AM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: evad
If his firing wasn't performance based, then he probably made the mistake of overseeing the prosecution of an illegal alien.

Iglesias displayed charts with statistics showing that . . snip . . . immigration cases increased 78 percent.

There you have it.

19 posted on 03/01/2007 12:35:46 PM PST by Colorado Doug
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To: Colorado Doug
Iglesias displayed charts with statistics showing that . . snip . . . immigration cases increased 78 percent. There you have it.

Indeed we do.

I suspect this is the reason and all the corruption retaliation is just a smokescreen.

20 posted on 03/01/2007 2:22:16 PM PST by evad
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