Alberto Gonzales' Respect for Congress

Read about this at Rawstory.

Early in June, a bill, more than clumsily titled the "Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007" and passed by both the Senate (on March 20) and the House (on May 22), was sent to the President's desk for him to sign. According to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy the bill:

repeals that portion of the Patriot Act Reauthorization that had allowed the Attorney General to circumvent advice and consent with respect to U.S. Attorneys.

It passed the Senate overwhelmingly 94 to 2 and the House 320 to 114. Somebody check my math, but aren't these both vetoproof? I'm asking.

According to Thomas.gov, the bill was signed yesterday (Thursday, June 14th).

In the meantime lookie-lookie-lookie what also happened that day:

In a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting Thursday morning, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) revealed that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales once again used an interim appointment authority at the heart of the US Attorneys controversy that Congress banned in a bill sent to the President for signature on June 4.

Some details from Terry Schmaler, spokeswoman for Senator Leahy:

It just so happens the committee got notice yesterday, that on June 16, George Cardona's 210 days as Acting U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California will have run out and the Attorney General will appoint him as an interim U.S. Attorney at that time (i.e. still using the end-run authority because Bush has slow-walked signing the bill).

Does this mean AG Gonzales just got it in under the wire? Or that he didn't know that the Bill would be come law today (June 15th) if the President didn't sign it in the ten days after getting it (according to Article One, Section 7 of the Constitution)? Or that the law takes effect the date it's signed?

These loyal Bushies' incompetence and/or contempt for Congress and the will of the American people knows absolutely no bounds.