There seems to be alot of hyperbole running due to the the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys. Here are some facts that should set the issues to rest. Please feel free to send this information along :

"Clinton Did it too"

Yes, Clinton did indeed ask for the resignation of all GHW Bush political appointees when he entered office in 1992. Whenever there is a change of administration, the political appointees are asked to leave but if there is a pressing reason that they be allowed to remain, they can argue their case. A small numbers of GHW Bush's appointees did stay on at the DOJ to wrap up some business. One of these is who someone seems to have forgotten that he was originally appointed by GHW Bush and not Clinton.

Presidents, Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush as well as Clinton, asked for the regisnation of the U.S. Attorneys upon the start of their respective administrations. George W. Bush was not different. (letter dated March 14, 2001 discussing replacement of all U.S. Attorneys by the current Bush Administration). This, however, is not the issue behind the firings in in the winter of 2006-2007.

What About Dismissals of U. S. Attorneys During An Administration's Tenure?

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service did a survey of the U.S. Attorneys appointed since 1981. This report was released on February 27, 2007, and is available on line for review. Of the total of 486 appointees since 1991, fifty-four left their office before their term was up. Out of these fifty-four, 45 left to pursue other career paths such as federal judgeships, other positions in the executive, elected office or more lucrative opportunities in the private sector and one died. That leaves only eight United States Attorneys who left their office before completing a four year term without a change in presidential administration.

Of these eight U.S. Attorneys, two were dismissed by President Reagan. One was William Kennedy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California was dismissed in 1982 for "charging that the Justice Deparment, at the request of the CIA was blocking his attempt to prosecute key informant on Mexican and Central American affairs." Another was J. William Petro, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, who was dismissed in 1984 because the the Departmentof Justice was investigating him for disclosure about a pending indictment for which he was ultimately convicted.

The third U.S. Attorney appointed by President Reagan that did not complete his term was Frank L. McNamara. Mr. McNamara resigned on January 30, 1989, when he as the target of an Justice Deparment's internal probe. The probe sought learn "whether he had lied to federal officials when he accused his predecessor of smoking marijuana. Mr. McNamara also admitted to experimenting with the drug. It was reported that if Mr. McNamara had not resigned, he would have been suspended by Attoney General Richard Thornburgh.

There were two Clinton Appointees that resigned before the expiration of their term due to "questionable conduct." One of them was Larry Colleton, U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Florida who was videotaped grabbing a television reporter by the throat. Then there was Kendall Coffey, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida who was accussed of bitting a topless dancer on the arm during a visit to an adult club after losing a big drug case.

That leaves us with three U.S. Attorneys who resigned before the expiration of their term for unknown reasons. These three are all G.W. Bush appointees. They are: Roscoe Conklin Howard, Jr. of District of Columbia, who left May 28, 2004; Thomas M. DiBiagio of Maryland, who resigned in 2005; Humberto S. Garcia of Puerto Rico, who left in January of this year.

In conclusion, it does not appear that Clinton administration dismissed any of the U.S. Attorneys it got appointed, thought it did allow two to resign rather than be dismissed. In constrast, Reagan clearly dismissed two and allowed another to resign rather be suspended and perhaps dismissed. No U.S. Attorneys were dismissed by G. H.W. Bush, nor did any leave under a cloud. Under the current administration, we have three dismissals whose reasons are unknown in addition the the eight that have been the subject of congressional hearings.