Justice Aide: All Fingers Point My Way (Monica Goodling)

[babylonsister]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002798.php

Justice Aide: All Fingers Point My Way
By Paul Kiel - March 26, 2007, 5:35 PM

You can read the letter from Monica Goodling's lawyer to the Senate Judiciary Committee here.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/goodling-5th/

Here's her logic for pleading the Fifth in a nutshell: she won't get a fair hearing because Democrats have already concluded DoJ officials lied to Congress and one Justice Department official has already admitted to Democrats that he was "not entirely candid" in his testimony and blamed Goodling and others for the lapse.

I'll let Goodling's lawyer lay out the case, but just to fill in the blank, the "senior Justice Department official" who fessed up to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he was "not entirely candid" is likely Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty (Assistant Attorney General William Moschella also testified).

Here's Schumer on Meet The Press last week:

SEN. SCHUMER: Paul McNulty himself, I know him, he called me on the phone and said, "I am sorry that I didn't tell you the truth. I was not told that these things were happening by the people who were supposed to brief me." Now, one of those people is Kyle Sampson, Kyle Sampson, the chief of staff to the attorney general. And Kyle Sampson says everyone knew what was going on here. We have to get to the bottom of this.

Update: Here's Schumer on Goodling's decision: "We are disappointed that we won't hear Ms. Goodling's testimony at the Judiciary Committee hearing, particularly given her two roles as senior member of Attorney General's team and liaison to the White House. Each day brings new developments making it even more imperative to find out what happened."

[grasswire]

1. ya know, it does make sense

McNulty fingered her, either carelessly or as part of a strategy.

[grasswire]

2. and now we need to know who is paying her attorney

He's an expensive one.

[Penndems]

15. You've got that right - the Akin Gump law firm ain't cheap

Only people who are in real legal trouble hire top guns like them.

[orwell]

3. What a steaming pile...

...you plead the fifth because you do not want to incriminate yourself, not whether or not you will get a "fair hearing." If it is just McNulty's testimony verses Goodling's it becomes he said/she said.

What Goodling is obviously worried about is that she can't repeat the Rove approved company line without telling lies. So she would rather say nothing than expose herself to perjury at the minimum and possibly criminal conspiracy involving a possible obstruction of justice.

[babylonsister]

5. And if no crimes were committed, what are they so worried about?

I wonder if they can subpoena her and make her spill?

[orwell]

10. If they grant her immunity...

...she can't plead the fifth.

[whistle]

4. Why bother taking the 5th, just tell it like it happened, god she looks

...to be in her early 20s. This could ruin her career before she even gets started. Given Ms. Goodling's position, this really makes her appear guilty, guilty, guilty!

"Ms. Goodling, are you now, or have you ever been a fascist?"

[gratuitous]

6. If the Democrats have reached an incorrect conclusion

Isn't it up to Ms. Goodling to help them correct their mistake? That is, if their conclusion truly is incorrect. And the committee was referred to Ms. Goodling by the Department of Justice itself; is Ms. Goodling trying to say that her bosses don't know what they're talking about by recommending her as one of the witnesses?

The closer you look at this whole mess, the clearer it becomes that the administration has lost its own narrative. They don't even know what lies to tell anymore, because anything they say is going to be inconsistent with something they said before, which was inconsistent with something they said before that. They've hopscotched around the truth so much, they have become Q-bert on the bottom level of the maze. All they can do is jump off to their deaths.

[Bitwit1234]

7. I'm pleading the fifth because---

I have done something in my job that is illegal and I might get caught. So pleading the fifth they can't get me.

But it is the democrats fault anyway, because they want me to testify to the corruption in the DOJ. Why don't they let it go, the republicans did.

[fooj]

8. F*ck Specter.

The audacity that man has is mind-boggling. Guess he missed the memo informing him that he had been OUTED!

Specter's position on fired attorneys: use DOJ talking points!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x452203#452902

<snip>
He is organizing a republican amendment strategy so the dems don't divide and conquer. he asked if we have any amendments to please draft and get them to him. I resent him the talking points (as he had given his copy away) he realized we had a lot of info in there.
<snip>

Time to neuter Specter.

[depakid]

9. She doesn't want to be a "fall guy."

In short- that's what the letter from her attorney says- and it makes perfect sense to me.

[radfringe]

11. ;snicker:

as suggested by a DUer - this is MONICA-gate

all that is missing is a blue dress

[watrwefitinfor]

12. Perhaps she is pleading the 5th because she WANTS to be offered immunity. n/t

[fooj]

13. Here's something interesting on Goodling...

The Community Covenant
Students at Messiah College are required to sign the community covenant upon entering. The document states that every person is created in the image of God, and that there are certain responsibilities of living in community that must also be assumed in relation to God, others, and his creation.

First and foremost, the Community Covenant affirms belief in God and the Bible. Specifically, the Community Covenant requires commitment to academic integrity, responsible decisionmaking in light of Christian values, and balancing personal freedom with concern for others. Practically, the Covenant bans the usage of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. It also prescribes the avoidance of drunkeness, stealing, dishonesty, profanity, and sexual immorality. The Covenant also prohibits certain attitudes, such as greed, lust, and jealousy, but admits that these attributes are typically expressed less outwardly.

The text of the Covenant can be found on Messiah College's website.

*********************************
I found this at Wikipedia. She attended Messiah College. Interesting, eh?

[babylonsister]

14. Well, she's exhibiting a big fat 'zip' in some of those categories.

Maybe she's frustrated? :evilgrin:

[fooj]

16. You are much kinder than I am.

She's a f*cking hypocrite and a LIAR! What a surprise.

:grr:

[johnnydrama]

17. the circle

Remember, she and everybody else involved will be out of work in less than 2 years. And remember the Bush administration is just a revolving door for right wingers to get power, and use that power to help their future.

That's why you see over and over and over again, people coming in to the administration from some industry. Those people then help craft laws to help that industry, and then resign to go back to work for that industry.

You know she's going to go work for some far right wing law firm, or some right wing company after this, and they aren't going to hire her if she goes and tells the truth.

Sampson I see differently. He's in Republican politics for the long run. Lying to Congress is normal for his type.