March 12, 2007

The Failed Attorney-General. Alberto Gonzales said he understood the difference between the job he held — President Bush’s in-house lawyer — and the job he wanted, which was to represent all Americans as their chief law enforcement officer and a key defender of the Constitution. Two years later, it is obvious Mr. Gonzales does not have a clue about the difference. Fighting words from the New York Times.
posted by StoryBored 17 years ago
  • To keep his job, he needs to remain loyal. Maybe baby needs a new pair of shoes?
  • In history this administration will be seen as a watershed of ineptitude. The republicans will by necessity evolve to a considerably different, more moderate party. What was the "religious right" will probably mutate as well. "Fundamentalists" not be beholding to a single party anymore. Pro-life will mean more than just anti abortion. We've all been holding our breath until 2008. Believe me, there's going to be a huge change, political, as well as cultural. It's gonna be a bumpy ride folks!
  • Alberto Gonzales said he understood the difference between the job he held — President Bush’s in-house lawyer — and the job he wanted, which was to represent all Americans as their chief law enforcement officer and a key defender of the Constitution. Two years later, it is obvious Mr. Gonzales does not have a clue about the difference. Um, what? He sure hasn't done the job he "wanted", he hasn't represented Americans, he hasn't done anything to protect the constitution. What the hell are they trying to say?
  • The 2004 elections proved that fearmongering swiftboating is effective and successful. I expect nothing less in 2008 as the good but seriously deluded and explicitly conned people next to me will vote in Newt Gingrich. Or some other right-wing tool of military business, coal & oil lobbies, and assorted minions of evil. On Thursday, Senator Arlen Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, hinted very obliquely that perhaps Mr. Gonzales’s time was up. HA! Republican hatchetman Arlen Specter, who can't even be bothered to swear in Al-Gonzo The Torture Guy for his "warrantless wiretapping" testimony, can just about shut the %#@! up.
  • Vermont takes the lead. Here's hoping others will follow.
  • Das linky ist kaput.
  • Is this what you're trying to link? Impeachment, conviction, and life in max-security prison is too good for 'em, but it'll have to do.
  • Thank you, LordSludge, for fixing my bad link to a good story. I blame this new daylight savings thing for scrambling my temporal sense and rendering me incapable of effective linking.
  • Oh yeah right he gave everybody twelve hours to delete their emails before announcing the investigation. And then key emails couldn't be found. That's nothing but pure Karl Rovian coincidence. a.k.a. slimy, despicable criminal acts
  • • Gonzales' chief of staff resigns; source says exit related to controversy some of those fired have said they felt pressured by powerful Republicans in their home states to rush investigations of potential voter fraud involving Democrats. Voter fraud eh? Yeah, better crack down on that, Karl. That's using the ol' noodle. Not bloody likely!
  • The scandal du jour is not going to bring down Gonzales or any big name in the Bush administration. If it gets bad, some sacrificial goat will be found and slaughtered to placate the masses. Odds are that it won't come to that. At this point the only responses that matter are mass impeachment hearings against Bushco (not gonna happen) or to vote the entire lot or republicans and spineless democrats out (not gonna happen).
  • No you're wrong. This is the one, baby. This is the scandal that will totally bring down this administration! Hoo hoo!! Yes! People won't stand for it, see?! They'll be outraged at this abuse of power! The people will call for Justice - to be served! Ha ha! Ehh. *snif* Heh.
  • Gonzales: 'I did make some mistakes' "I value their independence, their professionalism, what they do in the community and these decisions were not based on political reasons," Gonzales said. "The decisions were not based in any way on retaliation." Yeah. He totally works on behalf of all Americans. I totally, like, believe him? And think he's speaking the truth and not just saying what Congress wants to hear? And stuff? Cause he's, like, full of independent integrity? Gonzales said Wednesday that the attorneys' dismissals "were not based in any way to interfere with an ongoing public corruption case." The House Judiciary Committee has invited Miers, Miers' ex-deputy William Kelley and Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, to appear voluntarily before the committee. Ha! Oh man that place is gonna be flooded with the truth.
  • I say we forgive him so we can start getting revved up for MARCH MADNESS!
  • Draft Ashcroft!
  • No game! No game!
  • *nods to Fes* Nice to see you around!
  • Yay, Fes is back! (footnote 1). Footnote 1: This is a purely non-partisan statement and does not reflect any benefit, sartorially or otherwise that the author or his or her relatives or pets may have received in the past, present or future.
  • Hi Fes
  • White House cites 'hazy memories' in fired U.S. attorneys Story Highlights • NEW: Snow cites "hazy memories" in backing away from earlier version • NEW: Senate committee wants to talk to two more White House, Justice officials • Bush's political adviser, says Democrats "want to play politics" with issue • In e-mails, Gonzales and Karl Rove talk of U.S. attorney shakeup 9/11!! 9/11!!!one!
  • Those White House people don't know nothin about yer spin. Here's how i would play it. "Yer Honorables, it was a mistake. We didn't want to fire 'em. We wanted to tire 'em. See? A "t" instead of the "f". It was a typo. Sincerely, Georgie W. Bash"
  • I suppose you want me to believe that there aren't teh gheys out there trying to marry each other?!
  • Bush stands behind Gonzales in prosecutor firings Huh. I guess they are going to let him go.
  • Did George W. Bush personally approve the plan for firing seven U.S. attorneys in December? Documents released by the Justice Department Monday night provide circumstantial evidence that he may have. On Nov. 15, 2006, Kyle Sampson, chief of staff for Alberto Gonzales, forwarded to White House Counsel Harriet Miers and Deputy White House Counsel William Kelley a plan for firing U.S. attorneys over the next two days. "We'll stand by for a green light from you," he wrote. Miers responded about half an hour later. "Not sure whether this will be determined to require the boss's attention," she wrote. "If it does, he just left last night so would not be able to accomplish that for some time. We will see. Thanks." . . . On Dec. 4, 2006, Kelley sent Sampson an e-mail -- with a "cc" to Miers -- saying: "We're a go for the US Atty plan. WH leg, political and communications have signed off and acknowledged that we have to be committed to following through once the pressure comes." The U.S. attorneys were told of their departures three days later. Now why would he give such a thing his personal attention . . If he did, of course . . .
  • The President intends to invoke "executive privilege," the same doctrine used by Presidents Nixon and Clinton in their respective (unsuccessful) attempts to resist subpoenas "Tony Snow - Op-Ed - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 1998 : (HEADLINE: "Executive Privilege is a Dodge") "Evidently, Mr. Clinton wants to shield virtually any communications that take place within the White House compound on the theory that all such talk contributes in some way, shape or form to the continuing success and harmony of an administration. Taken to its logical extreme, that position would make it impossible for citizens to hold a chief executive accountable for anything. He would have a constitutional right to cover up." Clearly, the U.S. attorneys probe is not the only investigation the White House fears -- and almost certainly is not the one they fear the most. For that reason, it is important to them to establish principles which will prevent (or at least substantially delay) any meaningful investigations by Congress into the White House's conduct over the last six years, and creating a privileged buffer around key administration officials and White House documents serves that purpose quite well. For that exact reason, it is absolutely imperative that Congress not acquiesce here, because genuine investigations -- that which the country urgently needs -- will, at some point, require this confrontation. That's no moon . . .
  • *can't stop mumbling about liars, cheats, and thieves I made a comment on another thread about Clinton's lying under oath, and someone rightly pointed out that Bush hadn't done that. Yet. *hates this administration with the powerful hatred of a thousand suns
  • He doesn't have to lie. He breaks the law freely and admits to it in press conferences: “The FISA law was written in 1978. We’re having this discussion in 2006. It’s a different world. And FISA is still an important tool.... But also...I said, look, is it possible to conduct this program under the old law? And people said, it doesn’t work in order to be able to do the job we expect us to do.” And then nothing happens.
  • Under the completely controlled Republican US Government, there was no accountability. They could just come right out and say they were breaking the law. What was Congress going to do? Nothing. No thing. Because they aren't working for Americans, just the Republicans. Laws - pfeh. Piffle. At least the newly Democratic controlled committees are doing something about this runaway corruption. The Arlen Specter-led committees were worse than utter jokes, they were tragedies. Not requiring Alberto Gonzales to testify under oath about the warrantless wiretapping program was outrageous.
  • Why I was Fired. This is a weird system. Why is it that the attorneys are politically appointed in the first place?
  • House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Henry Waxman has just told the Republican National Committee and the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign to maintain any and all e-mail messages that White House officials may have sent or received using their e-mail systems. Waxman says that Rove's office repeatedly used non-governmental e-mail accounts to communicate with disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. At one point, Waxman charges, an Abramoff associate told Abramoff that a staffer in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs had warned against putting "stuff in writing in their e-mail system because it might actually limit what they can do to help us, especially since there could be lawsuits, etc." Abramoff's response: "Dammit. It was sent to [Karl Rove assistant] Susan [Ralston] on her mc pager and was not supposed to go into the WH system." Later, Waxman says, Rove deputy J. Scott Jennings used a Bush-Cheney e-mail account to communicate with Justice Department officials about the efforts to replace Arkansas U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins with Friend of Rove Tim Griffin. Waxman cites a recent National Journal article that said Rove uses an RNC e-mail account for "about 95 percent" of the messages he sends. Ruh roh!
  • heee hee
  • Ex-aide contradicts Gonzales on attorney firings Former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson told senators his boss took part in the process from early 2005, well before the eight prosecutors were dismissed in 2006. . . The testimony appeared to contradict Gonzales statements during a March 13 news conference. "So far as I knew, my chief of staff was involved in the process of determining who were the weak performers," Gonzales said. He said he was "not involved in seeing any memos, was not involved in any discussions about what was going on." Gee whilikers golly! It sure does sound like he was lying through his pearly-white teeth, Senator Specter sir! I don't know what kind of effect this scandal is having on Alberto Gonzalez, but it must be sheer . . . wait for it . . . torture.
  • *groan*
  • Sounds like a "he said, he said" kinda situation. Mercy, I don't know who to believe!
  • Mercy, I don't know who to believe! That's why I say HANG 'EM ALL!! MonkeyFilter: Mercy, I don't know who to believe!
  • Hey, you broccoli-hugging libr'ls need to realize that justice is served at the Pleasure of the President (tm). Also, Clinton did it too haw haw.
  • The Purgegate Primer The provision was inserted into the bill by the office of Senator Arlen Specter. Specter was offended when some reporters described the controversial provision as having been “slipped in” (“I do not slip things in,” he said), but later admitted that even he did not know about the revision until long after the bill had become a law. Apparently a counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brett Tolman, had put the verbiage into the bill at the behest of the Justice Department. It is unknown how many Senators knew of the provision when they voted on the bill, but, given that Specter himself was unaware of it, the number could be as low as zero. That's comforting.
  • *pulls hair out
  • That was a great read. Thanks, petebest!
  • But of course your mindaness. I, ah, should however point out the obvious caveat that I got it from der Blue. Unlike Poppa H-Dogg who sniffs them out all "Fistful of Dollars" like . .
  • I too pilfer from the Blue.
  • Clever once: Recently Bush claimed that "executive privilege" prevents staff e-mails from being turned over to Congress. Except in an attempt to keep the e-mails away from legal scrutiny many were illegally routed through the Republican Party, which means they aren't privileged. Too clever by half. Clever again: When the Bush administration fired US Attorney Iglesias because he didn't indict enough Democrats, they tried to explain it with a cover story claiming he was fired because he took too much time away from the office. Well, you see, Iglesias is a captain in the Navy Reserve. And there is a law that says you can't fire someone because they have to attend Reserve duty. D'oh! Of course, that assumes his "time away" is specific to Reserve duty, but still. That'd be front page news on Fox! *snkk* Ahhh . . *snif* Oh well.
  • A look at Paulose’s background indicates that she was handpicked by the Justice Department because of her personal connections, rather than her professional qualifications: "She was a special assistant to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, worked as a senior counsel for deputy attorney general Paul McNulty and is best buds with Monica Goodling — the assistant U.S. Attorney who recently took the Fifth rather than testify before Congress. Add to the suspicions the fact that Minnesota’s former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger stepped down just as the White House was developing its hit list." I was just watching about this on CNN. HAHahaha!! Ahhhh *snif* Yeah, no not really.
  • fired because he took too much time away from the office Oh, wait, are we talkin' about Bush or somebudy else here? G.W. "vacation boy" Bush
  • Monica Goodling had a problem. . . . A 1995 graduate of Messiah College, an evangelical Christian school, and a 1999 graduate of Pat Robertson's Regent University Law School, Goodling is an improbable character for a political scandal. Her chief claim to professional fame appears to have been loyalty to the president and to the process of reshaping the Justice Department in his image (and, thus, His image). Jacob Mary and Hassenfeffer! They's freaks in mah gubment!
  • Render unto Caesar what... oh, nevermnd. *shambles off, muttering*
  • The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed new documents Tuesday from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as part of its investigation into the firings of federal prosecutors, with the panel chairman saying he had run out of patience. "We have been patient in allowing the department to work through its concerns regarding the sensitive nature of some of these materials," Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, wrote Gonzales in a letter accompanying the subpoena. "Unfortunately, the department has not indicated any meaningful willingness to find a way to meet our legitimate needs." . . . the House request included the full text of all documents that had been partially or completely blacked out in the Justice Department's initial release of more than 3,000 pages last month. They're not even gunning for Al-Gonzo anymore. They want to pin the rap on MC Rove. Or so my morally bankrupt liberal media tells me
  • The White House said Wednesday it had mishandled Republican Party-sponsored e-mail accounts used by nearly two dozen presidential aides, resulting in the loss of an undetermined number of e-mails concerning official White House business. 18-minute gap anyone? Leahy Says Bush Aides Lied About E-Mails President Bush's aides are lying about White House e-mails sent on a Republican account that might have been lost, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said Thursday, vowing to subpoena those documents if the administration fails to cough them up. "They say they have not been preserved. I don't believe that!" Leahy shouted from the Senate floor. Yes! Go Leahy! Let's see some %@#$! accouta#%bility from this committee, this til-recently worthless "check" of the gub'ment!
  • • NEW: Leahy: If White House doesn't produce e-mails, subpoenas will be issued • NEW: Judiciary Committee votes to allow Leahy to issue subpoenas • Sen. Pat Leahy could compel White House officials to testify *whistle-y theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly*
  • Distraction in 10...9...8...
  • The term “Presidential records” means documentary materials, or any reasonably seg­regable portion thereof, created or received by the President, his immediate staff, or a unit or individual of the Executive Office of the President whose function is to advise and assist the President, in the course of conducting activities which relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President.
  • > Leahy Says Bush Aides Lied About E-Mails I expect he's right. It's quite hard to "lose" e-mails without a trace.
  • Interesting question of whether they've uncovered a bigger issue than firing judges for political reasons. Subverting the White House communications system might be grounds for a li'l ol' Rovey Frogdance. It's just a jump! To the left!
  • I'm just curious: if Bush gets impeached, and Cheney becomes president, does Pelosi become vice president?
  • Also, this is my new favorite Metafilter comment.
  • Bush is not getting impeached. This affair is still all-heat-no-light. Let's wait till anyone above a minor bureaucrat level loses their job or their skin before we start fantasizing about impeachment.
  • Who said anything about Bush being impeached? Although, now that you mention it, that would be a fine solution to these problems. Ohhh - Okay! Let's do it!
  • Before we get too much further on the question of those missing White House e-mails, let's stop for a moment to remember this: As things currently stand, the White House wouldn't turn them over to Congress even if it could find them. . . As the New York Times reports today, [White House counsel] Fielding wrote that the White House would produce the e-mails only as part of a "carefully and thoughtfully considered package of accommodations," It's all about the Turd Blossom, yo! yo! yo!
  • Two of the fired U.S. attorneys, Dan Bogden of Nevada and Paul Charlton of Arizona, were pressured by a top Justice Department official last fall to commit resources to adult obscenity cases, even though both of their offices faced serious shortages of manpower. Each of them warned top officials that pursuing the obscenity cases would force them to pull prosecutors away from other significant criminal investigations. In Nevada, ongoing cases included gang violence and racketeering, corporate healthcare fraud, and the prosecution of a Republican official on corruption charges. In Arizona, they included multiple investigations of child exploitation, including "traveler" cases in which pedophiles arrive from elsewhere to meet children they've targeted online. The U.S. attorneys' doubts about prioritizing obscenity cases drew the ire of Brent Ward, the director of the Obscenity Prosecution Task Force in Washington, who went on to tell top Justice Department officials that the two were insubordinate over the issue. But the obscenity case that Ward pressured Bogden to pursue was "woefully deficient" according to a former senior law enforcement official who spoke to Salon last month. And Charlton's office was in fact on the leading edge of adult obscenity prosecutions, including a recent case aimed at stopping pornography distributed via SPAM e-mail. If that's what comes out of these meetings, then that's one of the other lows from this administration. And there are a LOT of lows.
  • Certainly not surprising, though. This administration views its own agendas as more important, more pressing, than anything else. Assholes.
  • February 2006: Then Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter refuses to swear in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales at the hearing on warrantless domestic surveillance. April 2007: Specter Dresses Down Gonzales: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said today that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ opening testimony continued “a pattern of not being candid.” Senator Specter, you suck. You knew damned well Al-Gonzo was a liar when you refused to swear him in over spying on Americans. You knew damned well he was only there to cover Bush's a** and not to represent all Americans, and you did nothing but knowingly help him. So shut up, already.
  • Yeah. You big dickhead.
  • "I Don't Recall" - 64 times (alternately: Know-Nothing Gonzales) Take Gonzales's tally along with that of his former chief of staff, who uttered the phrase "I don't remember" 122 times before the same committee three weeks ago, and the Justice Department might want to consider handing out Ginkgo biloba in the employee cafeteria. For those of you who don't care to read the whole transcript, here are the 64 "I don't recall"'s in their entirety, consolidated in one time-saving visual area: I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall, I don't recall. I'm gonna go way out here - I know this is, like, space cadet territory, but here's a thought: he was lying. Perjury charges for the Attorney General of the United States? That's heady stuff, Bushies. If it's possible to have more faith in this administration, I just don't see how. I mean, who wouldn't vote for them again, if we could? You'd be crazy not to! Besides, I just wasn't comfortable with Kerry.
  • Yet as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington noted in a stinging letter (pdf) sent by its director Melanie Sloan to Gonzales last month, an enormous volume of documentary evidence sharply contradicts the testimony delivered on various dates by him, McNulty, Moschella and Sampson (who have also contradicted each other). Everyone can't be telling the truth -- and anyone who didn't tell the truth to Congress under oath may be guilty of a felony. Moreover, anyone who tried to influence that testimony in an effort to conceal the truth may also be guilty of obstruction, conspiracy or both. But what about the blowjob?!? Maybe that's why the right-wing Impeach Clinton crowd aren't sniffing around. No sex to be outraged about. That we know of. Yet.
  • Thanks, Pete. Helps to visualize. The man needs to be asked straight out: Are you lying, or were you too incompetent to be appointed to the postition in the first place? No sex? Are you kidding? This is way better than a BJ. BushCo is f**cking the whole country!
  • Some fellow on reddit says (click on "show comment" if it is hidden) that apparently Clinton's minions should really be crediten with bringing the "I don't recall" gambit into the prime. No sources provided, of course. Caveat lector.
  • Responsibility? And Ethics? In Washington?
  • Bush gives Gonzales vote of confidence. It's so friggin' exhausting, listening to this drivel. Can Bush not ever acknowledge reality?
  • These are just his public statements. Rest assured they're busy looking for Gonzo's replacement.
  • Bush gives Gonzales vote of confidence. And I'd like to give Bush the same vote of confidence he's giving Gonzales!! hahahahahahahahhahahaahahhhaaaaahaa ha HAAR!
  • Clinton's minions should really be crediten with bringing the "I don't recall" gambit into the prime. This is known as the Reagan defense. Well . . .
  • DOJ emailed lawmakers about firings, refuses to provide emails to committee. The senators named in the e-mails are John Ensign, R-Nev., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark. . . .U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins of Little Rock, who was replaced by Tim Griffin, a protege of White House political adviser Karl Rove. My what a grumbled web we seive, when foisted practices too receive. Wait, how's that go again? I don't recall.
  • The world is watching. All of America should be ashamed of this administration.
  • The attorney general's secret memo (Salon, adview may be req.) Something new for Alberto Gonzales to not remember: A secret memo he signed last March in which he gave two aides what the National Journal's Murray Waas calls "extraordinary authority over the hiring and firing of most non-civil-service employees of the Justice Department." The aides? Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling, both of whom have now resigned amid the controversy over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year. Greasy!
  • Office of Special Counsel's War On Whistleblowers: OSC is investigating Karl Rove's political machine. But until recently OSC head Scott Bloch's policy was to ignore whistleblowers' tips on murder, espionage, and terrorism, while vigorously rooting out any signs of the "homosexual agenda."
  • *has no idea if his agenda is homosexual -- it's just an Office Depot thing, so probably not, maybe if it was a Moleskine, but even then, it could just be a little foo-foo and not all-out gay*
  • It's gay, Louis. But it's Rock Hudson gay, not Liberace gay.
  • Not that there's anything wrong with that.
  • I discovered my agenda was gay when I stored it in my closet and it kept coming out.
  • Uh Oh! Turd Blossom! • Sen. Patrick Leahy issued a subpoena for e-mails by Karl Rove • E-mails pertain to last year's firings of eight U.S. attorneys • E-mails reported "lost" had been turned over to Justice Department, Leahy said • Gonzales will have to appear before Judiciary Committee if no response by May 15 Man, why is the Judiciary Committee being so uncool about a flagrant partisan abuse of power?! Just let it go already! Glad to see those "lost" emails were magically recovered by some act of Jeezus or something. What a pack of crooked bastards.
  • me ♥ Senator Leahy
  • We'll give you a cool 1.5 million to quit investigating this Republican If the United States attorney scandal has made one thing clear, it is that the riskiest job in the Bush administration is being a prosecutor investigating a Republican member of Congress. Carol Lam, the United States attorney in San Diego, was fired after she put Randy Cunningham, known as Duke, in prison. Paul Charlton, in Arizona, was dismissed while he was investigating Rick Renzi. Dan Bogden, in Nevada, was fired while he was reportedly investigating Jim Gibbons, a congressman who was elected governor last year. Ms. Yang was investigating Jerry Lewis, who was chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Ms. Lam and most of the other purged prosecutors were fired on Dec. 7. Ms. Yang, in a fortuitously timed exit, resigned in mid-October. Ms. Yang says she left for personal reasons, but there is growing evidence that the White House was intent on removing her. Kyle Sampson, the Justice Department staff member in charge of the firings, told investigators last month in still-secret testimony that Harriet Miers, the White House counsel at the time, had asked him more than once about Ms. Yang. He testified, according to Congressional sources, that as late as mid-September, Ms. Miers wanted to know whether Ms. Yang could be made to resign. Mr. Sampson reportedly recalled that Ms. Miers was focused on just two United States attorneys: Ms. Yang and Bud Cummins, the Arkansas prosecutor who was later fired to make room for Tim Griffin, a Republican political operative and Karl Rove protégé. So, there's that.
  • I didn't even know Jerry Lewis was involved in politics these days. Too bad, he could have given Sarkozy a run for his money.
  • *fwap*
  • Gonzales: Mr. Chairman, if I may respond to that, as I've indicated, I have not gone back and spoken directly with Mr. Sampson and others who are involved in this process, in order to protect the integrity of this investigation and the investigation of the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of Inspector General. I am a fact witness, they are fact witnesses and in order to preserve the integrity of those investigations, I have not asked these specific questions. What I'm here today ... Conyers: OK, so that's why you're not going to answer the question, because you want to protect the integrity of the investigation? Can't comment on an ongoing investigation. However, if anyone inside the White House was involved in the leak of Valerie Plame's name, they will be fired. Err. Strike that. Reverse it. Medal of Honor! State dinner!
  • At the end of the exchange: GONZALES: I don’t want the press to run out and say, “Oh my gosh, U.S. citizens are being held by the government secretly, other governments.” I don’t think that’s the case. I just want the American public to understand that. SHERMAN: I look forward to a definitive answer for the record. Let’s move on. Absolutely beautiful.
  • Senators want Gonzales no-confidence vote. About damned time. I don't know how much longer he will hold out, if he doesn't just cave in first.
  • I'd rather see him removed than have hime make some whiny lame-ass resignation speech about how everybody picked on poor little noble him when all he wanted to do was save our ungrateful asses, be he's going to be the bigger man and do what's right even if nobody else is. Nope. I wanna see him smacked down.
  • It sure would be nice to see *someone* get their much-deserved smack down, wouldn't it? *sighs dreamily*
  • I saw him on Frontline the other night, testifying about the NSA spy scandal, and it was truly remarkable, how every answer was prefaced with "in this program", the president's program of point-to-point wiretaps with one point outside the country and having a known Al-Qaeda link (being a very narrow program, and not at all the massive data-mining that was going on with the American population at large). With each qualifier of "in this program", he gave himself plenty of space for the other programs we know nothing about. Fascinating, from the perspective of simple legal testimony. Just the hint of a grin each time... Feinstein was the only one who caught on, and asked him if there were other programs, to which Gonzales replied something along the lines of "I don't feel comfortable discussing that..." Unfortunately, Feinstein (I think it was her, anyway), let it go at that, instead of going for the kill. "I don't care what you're comfortable with, answer the question." I can't see him being booted, though. If they're not giving up on Wolfowitz, why would they give up on Gonzo?
  • From today's press conference at the White House with Tony Blair: Q: Thank you, sir. There's been some very dramatic testimony before the Senate this week from one of your former top Justice Department officials, who describes a scene that some senators called "stunning," about a time when the wireless -- when the warrantless wiretap program was being reviewed. Sir, did you send your then Chief of Staff and White House Counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill to get him to approve that program? And do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is appropriate? PRESIDENT BUSH: Kelly, there's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen; I'm not going to talk about it. It's a very sensitive program. I will tell you that, one, the program is necessary to protect the American people, and it's still necessary because there's still an enemy that wants to do us harm. And therefore, I have an obligation to put in place programs that honor the civil liberties of the American people; a program that was, in this case, constantly reviewed and briefed to the United States Congress. And the program, as I say, is an essential part of protecting this country. And so there will be all kinds of talk about it. As I say, I'm not going to move the issue forward by talking about something as highly sensitive -- highly classified subject. I will tell you, however, that the program is necessary. Q: Was it on your order, sir? PRESIDENT BUSH: As I said, this program is a necessary program that was constantly reviewed and constantly briefed to the Congress. It's an important part of protecting the United States. And it's still an important part of our protection because there's still an enemy that would like to attack us. No matter how calm it may seem here in America, an enemy lurks. And they would like to strike. They would like to do harm to the American people because they have an agenda. They want to impose an ideology; they want us to retreat from the world; they want to find safe haven. And these just aren't empty words, these are the words of al Qaeda themselves. And so we will put in place programs to protect the American people that honor the civil liberties of our people, and programs that we constantly brief to Congress. He's surely not flat-out denying it. Gee, thanks for protecting me, George! [my bolding]
  • I'm sure he wouldn't mind being waterboarded until he answers.
  • TUM, please don't get me all excited thinking about it.
  • Who's an embattled toadying torture-monger?! Who's a widdle sleazy torture-mongering weasel?! It's you Al-Gonzo! Yes! You! Are! Yeszh you awwewawwee!!
  • READY. AIM. FIRE THE BARSTARD!!
  • IIRC, I saw this movie last night, and I did get some insight on why some evangerlicals have a hard time separating church and state.
  • I. Can't. Speak. For. Gritted. Teeth.
  • After invoking her fifth amendment rights, Monica Goodling, Justice Department liaison to the White House, testifies in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Her testimony? Nothin'. Didn't see nothin'. Don't remember nothin'. LEGS: Johnny Tightlips! Where'd they hit ya? JOHNNY TIGHTLIPS: I ain't sayin' nothin'! LEGS: But what'll I tell the doctor?? JOHNNY TIGHTLIPS: Tell him to suck a lemon!
  • Investigative reporter Greg Palast says 4.5 million votes will be shoplifted in 2008, thanks largely to the “Rove-bots” that have been placed in the Justice Department following the U.S. Attorney firings. Being the guy who uncovered the voter “purge lists” of 2000 that disenfranchised black voters, he’s worth listening to, even if the mainstream press chooses not to. This time around, he claims to have the 500 emails that the House subpoenaed and Karl Rove claims were deleted forever. They prove definitively, says Palast, that the Justice Department is infested with operatives taking orders from Rove to steal upcoming elections for Republicans and permanently alter the Department. Well that's a right interesting li'l ol' article there, Mr. H-dogg! JEFF DIEHL: First off, the “lost” emails. I guess you’re confident those 500 emails aren’t themselves a hoax? Considering the source? [John Wooden, the man behind the spoof site, whitehouse.org, forwarded them on to Palast after someone accidentally sent them to Wooden’s georgewbush.org domain.] GREG PALAST: Oddly, the GOP verified their authenticity to BBC. I almost fell over dead when they did that. Verrrrryyy interesting indeed . . . What is "caging" then?
  • Caging works like this. Hundreds of thousands of Black and Hispanic voters were sent letters — do not forward. Letters returned as undeliverable (”caged”) were used as evidence the voter didn’t live at their registered address. The GOP goons challenged these voters’ right to cast ballots — and their votes were lost. But whose letters were caged? Here’s where the game turns to deep evil. They targeted Black students on vacation, homeless men — and you’ll love this — Black soldiers sent overseas. They weren’t living at their home voting address because they were shivering under a Humvee in Falluja.
  • JD: Talk a little bit about the relevance of Tim Griffin — the perp who became prosecutor — and Arkansas in 2008. GP: It was Griffin who directed the “caging” ops for the GOP. Caging, by the way, is illegal. Law Professor Bobby Kennedy pointed out it violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — and I’d add, as a former racketeering investigator, mail fraud statutes. So Griffin’s a felon — now U.S. Attorney. Sorry for the multiple posts. I keep reading the thing and going "dayam".
  • See also. What's it going to take? What's it going to take!!?? Reading this makes me want to cry; for what I feel inside continues to be verified as time passes; the continued trail of deceit and manipulation of US citizens should prompt revolution; it is dying... almost dead... my country that is! Yet another story that will never be heard in the US media.
  • Goodling testified that Gonzales' Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson, perjured himself, lying to the committee in earlier testimony. The lie: Sampson denied Monica had told him about Tim Griffin's "involvement in 'caging' voters" in 2004. ♫♪ Froggie went a-marchin' and he did ride, uh-huh ♫♪
  • Potsnorkin' Jaysus on a titanium pogo stick! Black soldiers sent overseas. They weren’t living at their home voting address because they were shivering under a Humvee in Falluja. Way to support the troops, Bushwads. Bet you got yourselves a fuckin' magnetic yellow ribbon, doncha?
  • My job as a parent, to teach my children the concept of integrity, will be extraordinarily difficult as long as we live in the United States of America.
  • Yup. Wait. I have no knowledge of the last post. I can't possibly remember.
  • Thanks for the giggle, HW! I needed that.
  • Surely someone will be held accountable for the missing emails? Right? *sound of crickets*
  • That's another one you gotta love. *suddenly feels overly patriotic* rottensig
  • So, his chief of staff will be thrown to the dogs and nothing will come of it, as usual. Nice touch, though, trying to defund. I'll be sure not to hold my breath over that one. In fact, I'll say it now, if that ever went through I'll plant a kiss on Quid.
  • "Hey, Mr. Cheney! How'd you like a nice bottle of Amontillado? It's right over there in the corner. Er, no, that's not a bucket of mortar, it's just some nice, creamy Jell-O™ Pudding. Uh, sure I eat pudding with a trowel. Don't you?"
  • Gonzo comes to Boise Hey, I'm proud of Boise--you rock, protesters! He came to talk about "pressing issues" NOT! U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be in Boise today to talk about his anti-gang initiatives, which he announced in 2006 and describes as a "unified federal effort to help disrupt and dismantle the most significant and violent gangs" in the country. Funny, I always thought they were in De-troit, Chicago, LA or Philly. I'm sure Boise doesn't immediately spring to mind with most of you, OR does it? The Idaho Democratic Party's chairman, Richard Stallings, said Gonzales' visit is just a ploy to boost the attorney general's "appalling image." YA THINK?!?!?!?!!!?
  • I honestly find this noise about the attorney general to be a bit bien cuit. What is the point in spending so much energy on Abu Gonzales when it leads neither directly to ending the Iraq war, nor to impeaching Bush/Cheney, nor to any policies to contain or reverse the damage of the last six years?
  • What is the point... Umm, because it's an intertwined mass of molested injustices rolled into one? If Gonzales is simply left to carry on, who knows what horrors the world will face in the coming six years. Besides, Bush/Cheney didn't get away with everything on their charm alone...
  • Abu has less than two years remaining. And, while I am sure there is a lot left to expose in this intertwined mass, the end result can only be impeachment proceedings brought against Abu and fillibustered in the Senate. Bush certainly ain't gonna fire him because his super suit shields him from harmful public opinion rays. Why waste the impeachment dance on the sidekick when Bush/Cheney are so much more deserving?
  • fuyugare: So, if we find a subordinate who perjures himself, we shouldn't go after him. Is "just following orders" a good defense if it ultimately comes to that? I would agree that the legislature's seeming unwillingness to go after the administration is disheartening, but, just maybe, as the evidence in cases involving those appointed by the administration get closer and closer to the top, it will give Congress the wherewithall to move against the President and VP. Maybe even make it unavoidable? It's my only hope, Obi Wan. In my view, any attempts by the Justice Department to act outside of their mission, and maybe even help dismantle the Constitution, must be met with immediate and forceful penalties. What I think we're seeing is an attempt by the administration to coopt departments which are supposed to be under their protection. If Congress won't take back their authority we're truly fucked. Or, should we just send in a couple of sexy interns to entice Bush and Cheney into a sex scandal? Probably wouldn't work, since I think their interests are power to the exclusion of all else.
  • Na, BushCo isn't interested in interns. Hey, they've got the whole country to f*ck with!
  • Look, I understand that Gonzo is a bad guy and all, but going after him is like going after Saddam as retaliation for 9/11. Can we just keep our focus on the real terrorists here, who are in the White House and a secret undisclosed location? I mean, Cheney can't be that hard to find: he has a freaking artificial heart and likes to prance around with a shotgun!
  • I'm getting closer and closer to believing that the most out-there conspiracy theorists were right.
  • It's time to stick a fork in this administration. It's done.
  • *stocking up on beer and popcorn*
  • c'mmooooooooon baby! Daddy needs 'im peach mint shoes!
  • Uummmmmm, peach mint! My favorite. I like it served with hot gooberanatorials.
  • *blows gasket-keels over*
  • I got a job for him: catching bullets.
  • In his teeth.
  • I'm not fussy.
  • Shame about the legal fees, but otherwise good for her.