Senators Schumer, Feingold, Kennedy and Durbin are curious as to why it seems that Alberto Gonzalez lied about whether or not there was concern in the Dept. of Justice over the legality of Bush’s domestic wiretap programming run out of NSA.
Gonzales testified in February of 2006 that there had been no such concerns, but the startling testimony of former Dep. Attorney General James Comey yesterday (video here) tells quite a different story, including a late-night trip by Gonzales and WH Chief of Staff Andrew Card to then-AG John Ashcroft’s hospital room in hopes of getting his approval after Comey would not sign off the program. To his credit, Aschroft refused as well. Even after the White House — apparently Bush himself — called to inform him that Gonzales and Card were heading over.
The Senators sent the following letter today to Gonzales, reminding him of the apparent huge contradictions in his testimony as compared to Comey’s, and to ask him for a “prompt response to the following question: In light of Mr. Comey’s testimony yesterday, do you stand by your 2006 Senate and House testimony, or do you wish to revise it?”
UPDATE: Bob Fertik at Democrats.com suggests it’s either “impeach or jail” Gonzo. We’ll not disagree. And based on Digby’s as-always insightful comments on this, we’ll guess she may not disagree either.
UPDATE 5/17: WaPo reports the reply from DoJ to the Senators letter. Their response essentially: the Feb. 2006 testimony is Gonzales’ story and he’s sticking to it.
The letter to Albert Gonzales from the Senators is posted in full below…
May 16, 2007
The Honorable Alberto Gonzales
Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
In very dramatic testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, former Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified that in March 2004, when you served as White House Counsel, you were involved in “an effort to take advantage of a very sick man,†referring to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Specifically, Mr. Comey testified that you and former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card went to Mr. Ashcroft’s bedside at George Washington Hospital, where he was in intensive care, in an effort to get him to agree to certify the legality of a classified program that he and Mr. Comey, who was serving as acting Attorney General at the time, had concluded should not be so certified. Mr. Comey stated that when the Administration decided to go forward with reauthorizing this classified program without that certification, he and several other Justice Department officials, including possibly Attorney General Ashcroft himself, were ready to tender their resignations.
You testified last year before both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee about this incident. On February 6, 2006, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, you were asked whether Mr. Comey and others at the Justice Department had raised concerns about the NSA wiretapping program. You stated in response that the disagreement that occurred was not related to the wiretapping program confirmed by the President in December 2005, which was the topic of the hearing. The following is a transcript excerpt from that hearing:
Senator Schumer. Let me ask you about some specific reports. It has been reported by multiple news outlets that the former number two man in the Justice Department, the premier terrorism prosecutor, Jim Comey, expressed grave reservations about the NSA program and at least once refused to give it his blessing. Is that true?
Attorney General Gonzales. Senator, here is a response that I feel that I can give with respect to recent speculation or stories about disagreements. There has not been any serious disagreement, including – and I think this is accurate – there has not been any serious disagreement about the program that the President has confirmed. There have been disagreements about other matters regarding operations, which I cannot get into. I will also say –
Senator Schumer. But there was some – I am sorry to cut you off, but there was some dissent within the administration, and Jim Comey did express at some point – that is all I asked you – some reservations.
Attorney General Gonzales. The point I want to make is that, to my knowledge, none of the reservations dealt with the program that we are talking about today. They dealt with operational capabilities that we are not talking about today.
Senator Schumer. I want to ask you again about them, just we have limited time.
Attorney General Gonzales. Yes, sir.
Senator Schumer. It has also been reported that the head of the Office of Legal Counsel, Jack Goldsmith, respected lawyer and professor at Harvard Law School, expressed reservations about the program. Is that true?
Attorney General Gonzales. Senator, rather than going individual by individual—
Senator Schumer. No, I think we are – this is—
Attorney General Gonzales. By individual, let me just say that I think the differing views that have been the subject of some of these stories does not – did not deal with the program that I am here testifying about today.
Senator Schumer. But you are telling us that none of these people expressed any reservations about the ultimate program. Is that right?
Attorney General Gonzales. Senator, I want to be very careful here. Because of course I am here only testifying about what the President has confirmed. And with respect to what the President has confirmed, I believe – I do not believe that these DOJ officials that you are identifying had concerns about this program.
In addition, on April 6, 2006, in answer to a question from then House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner about the hospital visit, which had been reported in the press, you responded: “Mr. Chairman, what I can say – and I’m sure this will not be acceptable, but let me say it anyway – is that I have testified before that the disagreement that existed does not relate to the program the President confirmed in December to the American people.â€
We ask for your prompt response to the following question: In light of Mr. Comey’s testimony yesterday, do you stand by your 2006 Senate and House testimony, or do you wish to revise it?
Sincerely,
Just nail the wimpy lying weasel. Gonzo is a bu$$hie loyalist first, his allegiance to DEMOCRACY or the American people, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights are secondary if at all.
He has sworn to uphold and protect the system of justice, his only interest is to circumvent and pervert our laws. He masquerades as our protector,.. nothing could be further from the truth. He is obfuscating the truth, will not answer a question honestly, forthrightly, in good-faith – but habitually beats around the bush with his incessant Cheshire cat grin and giggle. He has wilfully perjured himself too many times to count.
It is time to impeach this clown and incarcerate this fool for his crimes.
Yes, get rid of this piece of dung! Gonzales is filth unfettered and unfiltered!
I’m going just on gut response, but as I watch him it seems as if Gonzales has all the body language and mannerisms of a lying sack of weasel shit, he exudes smarmy patronization and takes being an unctuous sycophantic bum crawler to new lows or highs depending on how far he can jack his tongue and of course your viewpoint at that moment.
This stunted intellectual dwarf has the morals of a plague rat and the innate empathic ability of an Ebola virus, there is little he would not justify to boost his personal inadequacies and cement his place in history as; the Gauleiter who would do and say anything for his leader, a sad pathetic little man. Knowing that he sees nothing wrong in crushing the testicles of children in front of their parents if the result was worth it, truly says legions about this yokel.
Don’t you get it?
If Bush changed just ONE COMMA between the time that Comey and others were opposed to it, then AG’s weasel answer would NOT constitute purjury.
These guys are liars, they are scum, they are thieves, they are anti-american and anti-human, but they are NOT stupid. They are EVIL but they are NOT stupid. They have practiced well how to exactly parse words to avoid danger.
The only way to kill them is with a silver stake directly through the heart.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051602715.html?hpid=topnews
The Honorable Alberto Gonzales? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
This is the Titanic of all administrations. Their arrogance and deceit is consuming them. They’re drowning in their lies. Blub, blub.
Anyone notice that the smirk lessons Bush is giving Gonzales are working?
Anybody care to ask Ashcroft to testify? Hmmmmmm?
Gonzales is a disgrace to the legal profession. Only his prosecution will suffice to redeem the Just-Us Department and restore faith in the office of the US Attorney. Treating his conduct like a mere ethics violation would be wrong.
These perverts get off on this type of drama. They think everyone thinks they are cool.
Gore has some interesting comments on the matter.
From the Christine Craft show…
http://impeachcheney.org
Another reknowned law professor is beginning to speak out about wierd Al G. too.
post #11
“reknowned” typo should be renowned …
Our beloved “goverment” and their corporate “contributors” should all be executed like Mussolini was. BTW: All the Bilderbergers are going to be in one place at the same time for their upcoming big meeting to discuss the fate of us useless eaters. Hmmmm……
Time for Gonzales to go.
From his hospital bed “Sign ze papers (for NSA spying) John Ashcroft”
Where’s Cheech and Chong ?
The incredibly scary thing is how the evil and criminal behavior of so many of these Rethuglican scum make OTHER Rethuglican scum start to look good. We can’t be fooled. We give immunity to some of the underlings, who are ass-sucking scum and expect them to turn on their bosses. They won’t. They will either lie as they ahve their whole careers, or have convenient “laspses of memory.” Just wait and see.
When Ashcroft looks honest and trustworthy to testify about the criminal acts of this Rethuglican Adminsitration, we have ALL lost our minds, and they have succeeded in making lies look like truth, war look like peace, and poverty look like weath.
Progressives are talking about “listening to the Generals.” That’s how bad they have spun us.
The military/industrial/security complex is now so fully entrenched that we may never see freedom again.
falwell you piece of Shit, Go straight to HELL… Do not pass GO…Do not collect $200.00…
Gonzales, a Rove-bot (credit Greg Palast) will not resign. He will have to be removed.
The reason is that Gonzales would have to be replaced by a real Attorney General of The United States.
And that would be fatal to Karl Rove, because Rove would be going to jail.
Rove exists to do his prime time crime only because the Department of Justice has become the Department of Just Us.
If wierd Al G. goes the next guy MUST be approved by the Democratic majority in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and then by the majority of votes (Democratic Party has majority) on the floor.
So, we will have a real Attorney General of The United States or we will not have an Attorney General.
The bottom line is that if wierd Al G. goes Rove also goes, and if wierd Al G. stays Rove also stays.
Don’t Play this game . . .
Bloggers here know I have suspected that taxpayer dollars sent to Iraq makes its way to republican operatives for political purposes.
This not-so-far-fetched idea is beginning to come out in the open:
(LA Times, emphasis added). We know that Iraq gets its money from the US taxpayer these daze.
If it is not a stretch that US taxpayer dollars are going into Iraq then out of Iraq to Al Qaeda in Pakistan, then it is likewise not a stretch to see how Blackwater operatives and military elements can redirect it back to the states to be laundered is it?
Alberto, you scratched my Ring. I will never forgive you. Rosebud will never forgive you. Miguel will never forgive you. Jesus will NEVER forgive You!!! There is nothing you can ever do that will ever make up for what you have done to me and to my people. I condemn thee to an eternity of fire!! In the Name of the Most Blessed and Beloved Son of God, Jesus, and in the form of Miguel, Archangel of Heaven, I set thee to thy fate. You will never see Purple Again!!!!
Enjoy MY Cross!
Virtue
Executive Privilege is a myth. It doesn’t exist. It was fabricated, invented, conjured by Richard Nixon during Watergate to try and hide the tapes. The only precedence in history regarding it was when Nixon took it to the Supreme Court and was forced to give them up. This is the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth, so help me Purple.
Virtue
Do a The Google search beginning with ‘virtue lord purple’, my screen name, and ask me any question, in any language of any period in history, with precise spelling and grammar, no punctuation, and I will answer it correctly and will show you things that you never even thought possible. My answers will all ways be correct, true and virtuous. I will never lie or maliciously treat anyone who sincerely seeks the truth. I have so much that I wish to share with so many people. I hope someone asks me something. Anything.
Purple
Go to Google and type virtue lord purple who killed jfk