Post-Gazette Editorial – 5/12/07

This page was last updated on May 14, 2007.

Proper resignation: An HBO exec has a lesson for Gonzales, Wolfowitz; Editorial; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; May 12, 2007.

This is pretty sleazy. The PG tries to equate a man charged with beating his girlfriend with one man who hasn’t been accused of anything and another who was previously cleared of allegations.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“As Americans contemplate the possible departures of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, the words accompanying a resignation tendered Wednesday from the leader of a major American company offer timely guidance.

“Chris Albrecht, president and CEO of the Home Box Office unit of Time Warner, resigned with the following statement: ‘With great regret, at the request of Time Warner, I have agreed to step down as chairman and CEO of Home Box Office. I take this step for the benefit of my Home Box Office colleagues, recognizing that I cannot allow my personal circumstances to distract them from the business.’

“Mr. Albrecht quit after his arrest Sunday on charges that he had beaten his girlfriend. While his case has yet to go to court, he understood the negative impact on his organization and stepped aside.”

[RWC] Mr. Albrecht didn’t resign; he was fired. When your boss (Time Warner) “requests” you to “step down” and you “agree,” that’s firing, not resigning, regardless of what spin you try to put on it.

“Mr. Gonzales, largely through the matter of the firing of eight prosecuting attorneys and its aftermath, discredited himself both as the manager of a key federal department and as a truth-teller. He may have set a record in congressional testimony in the number of questions to which he replied, ‘I don’t remember.’ What is clear is that his continued senior role in America’s judicial system calls its overall integrity into question. Yet he hangs on, refusing to resign -- and President Bush lets him hang on, refusing to fire him.”

[RWC] For my comments about AG Gonzales, please read my critique of the Beaver County Times editorial “Amnesia.”

The editorial mentions AG Gonzales “senior role in America’s judicial system.” Mr. Gonzales is not part of the “judicial” branch. He is in the executive branch. “Legal” would have been a correct word choice.

“Mr. Wolfowitz, who may have broken rules at the World Bank by arranging for a pay package and promotion for his girlfriend, has discredited himself as a responsible manager at that key international development organization. He particularly guts the bank’s role in insisting upon clean, honest practices among countries that receive World Bank loans by refusing to resign himself.”

[RWC] For my comments about Mr. Wolfowitz, please read my critique of the Beaver County Times editorial “Fatal flaws.”

“To return to Mr. Albrecht’s words, both Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Wolfowitz are allowing their personal circumstances to distract their large institutions from the important business at hand. In one case, the victim is America’s justice system; in the other, international development lending. By not administering the final push, Mr. Bush, of course, aids and abets them in their selfishness.

“Both need to go, now, to let both institutions get on with business under new, clean leadership.”

[RWC] Make no mistake about it. This editorial has nothing to do with the ability of Messrs. Gonzales and Wolfowitz to run their organizations properly. From the day both men were appointed, you can bet the PG already had “both need to go” editorials all queued up just waiting for an excuse to publish them. If you doubt my opinion, just look at the PG antics regarding the bogus Plamegate affair.