Scott Horton (via PA) reports that at least two US Attorneys (USAs), as part of the loyal Bushies’ “burrowing in” program, are planning not to leave their jobs quietly as all USAs in years past have done. No, they’re going for the grand slam: try to smear Obama, apologize for Bush, push a partisan agenda, and attack and even try to convict Democrats out of partisan political motives.

As you recall, Bush was rightly criticized for firing USAs because they refused to abuse their power to carry out political agendas. When it came out that Bush was committing a highly unethical and possibly illegal act in doing so, a lame but just-plausible-enough defense was crafted: presidents always fire USAs! Of course, this only happens when a new president takes office, and is done in the same manner in which the president appoints a new cabinet and staff. It does not happen in mid-term, or to a limited number of attorneys, or as a way of punishing them for not abusing power. But the defense sounds good enough and takes a lot longer to debunk, so they ran with it.

By refusing to leave quietly, these loyal-Bushie USAs hope to smear Obama–look, he’s firing us! That would both make Obama look bad, and would make it seem like what Bush did was not unusual or wrong. These effects are purely superficial and go contrary to reason and logic, but political smears are not based upon truth. As is the case with most Republican smears, they seem plausible enough for a lot of people to believe in them, while the explanation of why they are completely and utterly bogus takes long enough so that most people will not be interested in hearing it.

More than that, they hope to create the impression that the government is riddled with corrupt Democrats. That’s the reason they’re giving as to why they should be allowed to hold on to their jobs: they need to prosecute all those Democrats who are guilty! This, of course, despite Republicans being the ones who have been breaking the law willy-nilly over the past eight years, but that’s the whole idea of the loyal-Bushie US Attorney scam, that they let Republicans get away with everything and instead try to prosecute as many Democrats as they can. This is the modern mentality of the Republican Party and the right-wing: take no prisoners, grant no mercy, never admit guilt, error, or defeat, and never give an inch of ground.

Then there’s the added bonus of making it look like Obama is firing these USAs in order to protect criminal Democrats from prosecution–ironic, as that’s what these very USAs have been doing for criminal Republicans, and Obama, far from protecting Democrats, seem far too unwilling to prosecute major crimes clearly committed by officials of the Bush administration.

Yep, with these loyal Bushies, it’s nothing but “Country First”! Um, no, wait.

Welcome to the tone-setting for the next four to eight years. It worked so well under Clinton, the Republicans figure it’s worth a try with Obama: do nothing but smear, obstruct, and attack, again and again and again, relentlessly, never giving quarter. And screw the law, the Constitution, and well-being of the country. This is about power.