Stay close to the phone, Mary Beth

It's traditional that when a new president takes office, U.S. attorneys nationwide submit their resignations so the incoming chief executive can put his people in place, if he so desires. But Washington County's own Mary Beth Buchanan, an appointee of George W. Bush, isn't planning to step aside voluntarily. Buchanan told the Post-Gazette that if all the top federal prosecutors resign en masse, it's not good for American justice. Really? All those other attorneys in the various offices across the country, experienced people who are professionals in the law, can't keep the ball rolling until they get new bosses? Her critics paint Buchanan as one of the country's most politically motivated federal prosecutors, and she was linked to the Bush administration's political firings of U.S. attorneys nationwide. Kyle Sampson, an aide to then-Attorney General Alberto "I Don't Recall" Gonzales, said Buchanan was consulted before he carried out the whackings. Buchanan claims she wasn't involved, but there's no denying she was a lackey to Gonzales, who was arguably the worst attorney general in U.S. history, other than John Mitchell. But I don't want to be one-sided, so let's also point out one of Buchanan's great achievements during her tenure: the prosecution of stoner comedian Tommy Chong for selling bongs. Wait. Never mind. You see, that grandstanding bit of "justice" had absolutely no effect on drug use in America, except for maybe forcing a couple of potheads to buy more rolling papers. I will understand if President-elect Obama is too busy on his first day in office, what with the inauguration, etc., to attend to the U.S. attorney roster. Buchanan's firing can wait until Day Two. Then she can cry politics. Won't that be rich.