The groundswell of support to retain Drew Wrigley as U.S. attorney for North Dakota emphasizes his qualifications, performance and the value of continuity. Conservatives view Wrigley's retention as a test of President-elect Barack Obama's commitment to bipartisanship.
Bipartisanship, however, is a two-way street. When first elected president, George W. Bush also promised to bring bipartisanship back to Washington, ending the relentless partisan warfare between the parties.
Presidents have the authority to appoint U.S. attorneys, with the consent of the Senate, and may remove U.S. attorneys from office. There are 93 U.S. attorneys. President Bush appointed 88 new ones in his first two years.
During the 2006 dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy, allegations were made that the dismissed appointees had been too aggressive in investigations of Republican politicians or failed to initiate investigations that would damage Democratic politicians and voters.
One of the U.S. attorneys fired, David Iglesias, stated everybody is subject to the law, including prosecutors. "You can't mix politics and prosecutions any more than you can mix oil and vinegar. They are two completely separate entities, and when you try to mix them bad things happen then, too."
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Wrigley should remain as U.S. attorney for North Dakota, absent evidence he has politicized the office. What is disconcerting is the double standard. Bush's appointments were not made a test of his commitment to bipartisanship. A U.S. attorney must be independent. Conservatives did not question the appointments Bush made that were patently political.
Bush's apologists are the ones being partisan.
