Hatch plays the slow-pitch game

When the

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee convened last week to question Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about the firing of several U.S. attorneys, the purpose was twofold: to find out whether the firings were punishments for political violations and to assess whether or not Gonzales was competent to continue serving as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.

All but one senator asked questions that were pointed and designed to elicit information about Gonzales' motives and competency. The lone holdout was Utah's senior senator, Orrin Hatch.

For reasons known only to himself, Hatch lobbed softball after softball -- and spent the rest of the time asking rhetorical questions that required little or no response from Gonzales. For example:

* "Mr. Attorney General, do you make decisions at the Justice Department based upon the polls?"

* "No, you don't, do you?"

We don't know what to make of it, really. But to be the last person besides President Bush in Washington defending Gonzales surely sets Hatch apart from his Republican and Democratic colleagues.

There continues to be speculation among Washington, D.C.'s chattering classes that Hatch is on the short list to replace Gonzales should he resign. That may be, though we cannot for the life of us fathom why a senior U.S. senator would resign his seat in order to warm a Cabinet seat for the less than two years Bush has remaining in office.

Then again, we don't really understand why Hatch would ask questions like these, either:

* "You spend a lot of time down at the White House, as well, don't you?"

* "You go to intelligence meetings, right?"

* "Among various intelligence factions of government for important meetings?"

* "In fact, I've been in some of those intelligence meetings with you, in the secure room in the White House, right?"

Apparently Hatch wants people to know he goes to "intelligence meetings" in "the secure room" in the White House.

They say politics is a funny business. Sometimes it's hilarious, too.

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