Senate Republicans must be pleased as punch, having “blocked a symbolic no-confidence vote against Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Monday evening.” Once again, politics trumps justice. In most any other setting, an incompetent stooge like Gonzo—who has piloted the Department of Justice like the Exxon Valdez—would have been sent packing a long time ago. While it would be glorious to see the S.O.B. sent to prison (where he could be someone other than Bush’s bitch for a change), I would be happy to settle for his dismissal or impeachment. Let him go home to Texas and chase ambulances or sweep floors at the Bush Presidential Lib’ary. Let him go into seclusion, where he can lick his wounds and write his memoirs (assuming he can recall a damn thing). Just let him go.

But the Republicans will have none of that. Like Bush and Tammy Wynette, they stand by their man. And in taking such a blindly partisan stand and defending a man who may be guilty of obstruction of justice and other high crimes, they obstruct justice themselves. That is unconscionable, and they should be ashamed. As should the 6 Senators from both sides of the aisle who could not bother to be present for the vote on Gonzales—five of whom (McCain, Brownback, Dodd, Biden, and Obama) seem more interested in vying for the presidency in 2008 than in representing their constituents in 2007. Way to go, fellows.