A Guest Blog Editorial by Rebecca Abrahams, Freelance Network News Producer
Poor Monica Goodling. Poor, poor Monica. Oh, the indignity of it all — having to testify before the House Judiciary Committee and all. With Immunity.
She may have violated laws but she didn’t mean to. I guess it’s all better now. And clearly Committee members agreed — practically falling all over her with apologies for having been brought forth to testify. Goodling, the former Department of Justice’s liaison to the White House and senior counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, was granted immunity from prosecution during testimony regarding the White House’s role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. And while she was the liaison to the White House, Goodling asserted that she did not “hold the keys to the kingdom” as some have suggested.
The first three hours of testimony shed little light on the plan to remove the USA’s. Although Goodling did say she believed Deputy Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson and Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty had delivered inaccurate testimony before Congress. In particular, Goodling said, McNulty had not been forthcoming about newly appointed Arkansas US Attorney Tim Griffin’s use of vote caging lists.
Goodling testified that there were “problems with her historic memory” and agreed that the firings should have been handled differently. She believed the USA’s in question should have been given a chance to learn about their performance and given an opportunity to improve. Goodling believed the firings should have been done in person, noting “it was the right thing to do.”
Goodling recounted a November 27, 2006 meeting she attended concerning the firing of Nevada US Attorney Daniel Bogden. She said the general consensus was that the Justice Department could do better than Bogden, noting, “good people needed to be put in those spots.” Goodling said Gonzales agreed to use a provision within the Patriot Act to axe Bogden. Funny, Gonzales has sworn up and down he doesn’t even remember attending the meeting. Regardless, Bogden, an Independent, was not the man for the job, despite the fact that he served the Department for more than sixteen years.
The Nevada US Attorney, testifying before a House Judiciary Subcommittee on March 6, 2007, recounted what Associate Deputy Attorney General William Mercer had told him the reason for his dismissal, was so that the United States Department of Justice could do it’s job for the American people…by helping to build the resume of all of their close friends…
But according to Gonzales’ testimony on April 19th, 2007 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the attorneys were not dismissed for any “improper reason” or for “partisan political gain.”
Nonsense.
Now back to Monica.
The House Judiciary Committee’s ranking minority member, Lamar Smith (R-TX), pleased with Goodling’s testimony, accused Democrats of trying to “graft new legs” on a story that clearly had none. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) called it a fishing expedition, saying “there ain’t no fish in the water.”
Goodling admits to “crossing the line” and going too far “by asking political questions” during interviews with potential career attorneys. In fact she says she did block or delay appointments of liberal Democrats from employment, noting on one occasion, “When I looked at that resume I made a snap judgment and I regret it.”
But Goodling says she did not have prior knowledge of any plans to fire US Attorneys.
Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) commended Goodling on her “strong testimony”, adding she had clearly acquitted herself because there were no “gotcha moments” during her testimony.
I didn’t know there was so much love on Capitol Hill.
Sounds like she got the “Good Looking Blonde” treatment. Does laison to the White House mean ‘messenger girl’?
Monica, with her substandard legal education, seems to think that if you say “I don’t remember” you won’t be committing perjury.
I was appalled when she was granted immunity. Now I’m just pissed. Ninth graders could have questioned her more effectively.
The Senate had BETTER grill this girl. The “don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” defense works a lot of the time. Let’s hope that Boxer is not taken in by this, and really turns up the heat on the grill. There is a great BBQ to be had here, if only some one would bring on the meat!
“good people needed to be put into those spots”—
So, Ms Goodling, there IS a standard of “good” in your mind. How would you describe “good” as related to the openings available? What is “good” referring to? I gather that would be “performance” on the job, would it not? Or do you mean something else? Tell me, did your superiors and colleagues agree with you idea of “good”? You don’t know? I’d have to ask them? Well, who exactly do I have to ask? I mean, who were these folks you “liase” with as White House liasion for DOJ? I know you claim to have few if any conversations with Karl Rove or Harriet Miers, but you had to talk their deputies and representatives, yes? Name them please? And could provide a list of their email contact addresses–not just the DOJ addressbook for these matters, but any others you may have used in connection with these consultations.
IANAL, but any fool could be asking these questions. Including the lawyer fools on the committees.
Getting consultation on how to dress for trial from the GOPers who told Jack Abramoff to dress like the black SPY vs. SPY, Monica Goodling pulls a 180 from the “innocent picnic” picture going around the internet, to the repressed Christian “crack whore” or “porn fluffer”…bad advice again! She should’ve kept the innocent girl look and not gone to the beauty parlor for $1,000 before the trial.
…and am I the only one who thinks she looks like Ann Coulter???
Caging is a crime that makes you a criminal you Fucking Cunt !
If nothing else, she has confirmed in her testimony that Alberto Gonzolez did discuss these firings with her on occasions he has at the same time told Congress he knew nothing about. That’s perjury of Congress, which is plenty criminal from my experience. Congress tries to get to the bottom of something, but nobody will give Congress a straight answer so they dig harder while at the same time pundits accuse Congress of a “fishing expedition”. What my experience has witnessed before is that it’s the lie they tell to cover up the scandal that gets them in the end, and not the scandal itself. I’ll settle for that if it puts an end to torture boy, and his smirking lies to Congress and the American people.
So Congress caved in again to the Bush Nazis. Goodling gets immunity for appearing.
What will actually result with her testifying?
In the end, Karl Rove, David Addington and all the other “handlers” of George the Warrior who manipulate the Chimp will continue to go on lying and distorting as usual.
The Repugs and Demos will play games while the American sheeples continue to sleep or fume.
In the end, nothing will happen.
Apathy is king in Amerika.
Its business as usual even though the Demos are in power. Both parties are two sides of the same coin.
Thanks to the mainstream media and their whores(FOX News or FAKE News for one), Americans are fed a steady diet of misinformation, lies and distortions.
The appropriate formula of M=m3 applies here.
MANIPULATION = MONEY x MEDIA x MANPOWER.
The real power resides with the Globalists of the New World Order. Other than Ron Raul(Texas), most of Congress is full of war mongers and those on the take by the Israel lobby, namely AIPAC.
This is all for show, nobody will be charged or removed. Much like Hillary/Barack, global warming, Fred Thompson, Paris in jail, all distractions. As the mass media creates illusions, Big Brother clamps down by opening our mail, suspending habeas corpus, stealing private lands, banning books like “America Deceived” from Amazon,America Deceived (book) rigging elections, conducting warrantless wiretaps and starting wars based on blatant lies. Soon, the sinking of an Aircraft Carrier(by Mossad) will occur and the US will ‘retaliate’ against Iran. Which AIPAC-lobbying country benefit’s from that?
People we have a winner. Steve R said,
“This is all for show, nobody will be charged or removed.”
Steve wins the Phil Spector award! Named after Phil Spector, who feigns outrage and then politely bends over.
Really people, it was a beautiful white, blonde Christian girl. She made a mistake. Sure, mistakes were made, things could have been better, but this is a blameless crime. Look at her, she’s pretty! This is just partisan politics!
Reason
I’m pretty sure you must mean Arlen.
Monica a child of priviledge will be the GOP darling for so long. Once they are done with her and her Linda Tripp makeover wears off. She’ll realize that most know she broke the law. Some Christians think it is ok to play Reindeer games with others career. The little colleges she came from are rabid about including those of identical belief systems. Diversity is a threat to their mindset. Breaking the law means nothing to them. It is ok since God is on their side and they are a part of his exclusive club.
Read: American Fasicsts by Chris Hedges. It’s time to call out these born-again facists for what they are. We cannot tolerate the intolerant.
Whow, what a break for the sweet, beautiful Monica. This Grand Jury incident will write her ticket for her. Yes fame and fortune await. I hear OJ Simpson likes blonds and Blonds seem to like him also. Humm, OJ and Monica, nice ring
Much of the US Attorney talk has been concerned with violation of statutes and policy.
I came across an article, written by law professors, that exposes the constitutional illegality of, not only Monica, but also of the entire regime:
(Some Larger Constitutional Lessons from the United States Attorneys’ Firings, emphasis added).
Wait… what the fuck? So, this cunt walks, meanwhile, there are 500 pages of emails that an American journalist (he had to flee to England to continue his reporting) has in his possession, which expose the fact the truth behind the attorney firings was none other than this:
The attorneys were fired because they were investigating voter fraud – and the fraud was on behalf of the government, not the people! The “caging” Goodling spoke of refers to American soldiers who are off fighting in Iraq while their votes were discounted because of a “suspicious address”. Well, when you’re off fighting a war in Iraq, needless to say, your vote won’t come from 123 Anystreet, Some Town, USA.
This is the truth behind the attorney firings. American soldiers’ votes are being secretly discounted.
What a disgrace. Feed ’em through the meat-grinder while throwing their votes in the garbage, in violation of the law. “Support the Troops”, eh? *SPIT*
Gonzalez is a yes man, and Bush is a mentally challenged idiot who started a war he shouldn’t have on the advise of neo-con henchman for the state of Israel. I hope the bastard is impeached.
But Gonzalez’s worst problem is that he’s stupid and received an affirmative action degree and points on the Bar Exams. He’s no more qualified for his job than Rebecca Abrahams is qualified as a journalist by the pitifully poor presentation of this entire story.
It’s obvious biases like hers, presented so unintelligently, that gives ammo to the other side. A good story would have laid out the facts in a way no bias could be detected.
It’s no wonder we get our asses kicked so badly and so often by the right.
Incompetence is a dumb cunt.
Hey Issacson –
Do you not know an op-ed when you read one?
Ms. Abrahams is a solid reporter. Read her investigative piece on Diebold.
The new christianity. . . . . Fuck thy neighbor . . .
This truly is;
A nation of sheep, led by a cartel of whores, controlled by Israel / big business. Welcome to the REAL Evil Empire.