COHEN: Alberto Throws Paul Under Bus; Ditto James to Alberto

[L. Coyote]

Bench Conference by Andrew Cohen.
(Excellent coverage of Gonzo-gate. Special Report Rough Justice - The Case
Against Alberto Gonzales LINKS)

Alberto Throws Paul Under Bus; Ditto James to Alberto
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/05/alberto_throws_paul_under_the.html?hpid=topnews

What a morning it's been .... former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about ghoulish behavior on the part of then-White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General himself was throwing under the bus his former deputy, Paul J. McNulty, .... The guy who should be Attorney General was highlighting the backhanded way in which the current Attorney General operated back in 2004. And Gonzales, the guy who has kept his job thanks to blind loyalty on the part of President Bush, was unable and unwilling to show any measure of fealty to his own subordinate, savaging him less than 24 hours after McNulty decided to go.

.... I am sure this golden nugget of blame came as a surprise to McNulty, who expressed some frustration earlier in this saga for not being in the loop on the firings. And remember that Kyle Sampson and Monica Goodling, the two high-ranking Justice Department officials integral in the prosecutor purge, were part of the House of Gonzales and not part of Team McNulty. ......

....Gonzales' treatment of McNulty represents a new low for the Attorney General in a story marked by similar valleys-- the guy who refuses to be candid with the Congress blasts the guy who is.....

[Fresh_Start]

1. Good maybe McNulty will sling concrete back on Gonzo

eom

[L. Coyote]

2. NO DOUBT. But, can we trust that the dog is wagging the tale?

I can just picture the script writer's in Ollie's old basement office, fast at work fashioning a good tale
to wag all our dogs, much like Karl beats his rented mule, voter fraud, another product of the same sweatshop.

Of course, I could be wrong. They may be outsourcing the dog wagging to a 3rd world setting, like Dubai, to escape
their our corrupt DoJ, you know, just in case the 5-year statute of limitations CREEPs up on them later under new management.

While getting ever more cynical the more I research this stuff, it is difficult to keep a decent humor level going.

At least they are scripting this as predicted, to appeal to the naughty starlets in the news brainset. :rofl:

[L. Coyote]

3. Specter: DoJ can’t function with Gonzales at the helm

maddezmom Tue May-15-07 10:53 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2846333

Specter: DoJ can’t function with Gonzales at the helm
By Jeremy Jacobs - May 15, 2007
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) leveled harsh words at Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the White House .....

[Lasher]

26. Specter wants revenge

He was scapegoated as the person who slipped legislation into the Patriot Act that gave the administration power to replace USAs. Although he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time I'm sure he this was done without his knowlege as he has claimed. I believe he was intentionally kept in the dark on this.

But I am no fan of Specter, that's for sure.

[L. Coyote]

4. McNulty Resignation May Open White House to More Senate Probing

maddezmom Tue May-15-07 01:03 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x281594

McNulty Resignation May Open White House to More Senate Probing
By Robert Schmidt
May 15 (Bloomberg) -- The resignation of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty may give Democrats a further opening to embarrass the Bush administration over the firing of eight federal prosecutors. .....

[Supersedeas]

28. interesting - thanks for the link L C

[Blackhatjack]

5. I expect a wave of resignations at DOJ if AG is allowed to stay on for 30 days....

There is way too much coming out publicly, and even more has been learned privately by members of Congress.

It is a matter of time.

Take the hint from James Comey's testimony today. Lots of career employees are going to be headed toward the exits if Gonzales is allowed to stay on much longer.

Can you blame them? The longer they stay the more it looks like they support Gonzales and his corrupt practices.

[L. Coyote]

7. I got this impression from McNulty's statements

about staying long enough for a confirmation of new leadership.... (unspoken = at the very top measning Gonzo or even Bush).

[L. Coyote]

6. DoJ officials never told to preserve documents related to dismissals

babylonsister Mon May-14-07 03:27 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3264161

DoJ officials never told to preserve documents related to dismissals

Excuse me, do any of these clowns possess ANY common sense?

“According to one staffer involved in the investigation, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer and former Gonzales chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson all told investigators privately that Justice had never instructed them to preserve all documents related to the dismissals.”

[L. Coyote]

8. Resign Mr. Atty Gen.: Gonzales Pressed Ailing Ashcroft on Spy Plan, Aide Says

spanone - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x890719
Resign Mr. Atty Gen.: Gonzales Pressed Ailing Ashcroft on Spy Plan, Aide Says

WASHINGTON, May 15 — On the night of March 10, 2004, a high-ranking Justice Department official rushed to a Washington hospital to prevent two White House aides from taking advantage of the critically ill Attorney General, John Ashcroft, the official testified today.

One of those aides was Alberto R. Gonzales, who succeeded Mr. Ashcroft as Attorney General.

“I was very upset,” said James B. Comey .............

[L. Coyote]

9. Political Videos = KO--U.S. Attorney's Scandal

Monkeyman Tue May-15-07 09:22 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x28876

KO--U.S. Attorney's Scandal

[L. Coyote]

10. Ashcroft's ex-no. 2 says Gonzales, Cheney tried to take advantage of sick Attorney General

babylonsister Tue May-15-07 01:11 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3265437

Ashcroft's ex-no. 2 says Gonzales, Cheney tried to take advantage of sick Attorney General

http://rawstory.com/ Attorney General
Michael Roston

The former second-in-command at the Justice Department from 2003 through 2005 on Tuesday detailed a March 2004 incident in which top members of the Bush administration, including Alberto Gonzales and members of Vice President Dick Cheney's staff, worked to subvert a legal certification process for the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program. ....

[L. Coyote]

11. With his top deputy going, will Gonzales be next?

RiverStone Tue May-15-07 10:17 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2846231

With his top deputy going, will Gonzales be next?

Source: Seattle Times

WASHINGTON — Paul McNulty's resignation Monday from the Justice Department has invigorated key Democratic leaders calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to leave as well.

[L. Coyote]

12. Gonzales lays U.S. Attorneys' firings on his departing No. 2

sabra Tue May-15-07 09:50 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2846183

Gonzales lays U.S. Attorneys' firings on his departing No. 2
By Robert Gehrke - The Salt Lake Tribune

Posted: 9:32 AM- WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday his departing No. 2 at the department, Paul McNulty, had considerable input and played a pivotal role in the decision to fire eight U.S. Attorneys.
"At the end of the day, the recommendations represented the views of the deputy attorney general. He signed off on the names," Gonzales said,

[krkaufman]

24. When pressed for further details, Gonzales replied that he couldn't recall any.

[L. Coyote]

13. Comey Testifies that the President Broke the Law w/TRASCRIPT LINK

rodeodance Tue May-15-07 01:57 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3265495

Comey Testifies that the President Broke the Law
Marty Lederman

Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey just completed his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Much of the testimony concerned the inicident on March 11, 2004, when Comey, AG Ashcroft and AAG Jack Goldsmith (OLC) refused to sign off on the legality of the NSA "terrorist surveillance" program. ......

Update: After hearing Comey's "shocking" account, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that it made him wonder anew how Gonzales could remain as the attorney general, since he evidently had so little respect for the rule of law.

Update: ThinkProgress has a transcript of Comey's testimony. http://thinkprogress.org/comey-testimony/

[L. Coyote]

14. Gonzales misses deadline to submit Rove emails.

"I do not recall."

==============
cal04 Tue May-15-07 02:11 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x891991

Gonzales misses deadline to submit Rove emails.

Earlier this month, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) subpoenaed Alberto Gonzales to turn over all e-mails to or from Karl Rove in connection U.S. attorney scandal. The committee gave the attorney general until 2 PM today to comply. That deadline has passed......

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

15. I don't think the WH can find any one

stupid enough to take over Gonzos spot. They are stuck with him.

course, there's always....Harriet Miers!

[L. Coyote]

16. YES! You nailed it. ... "course, there's always....Harriet Miers! "

Maybe he'll have Monica Goodling do an online search:

Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA)
As the principal national organization of lawyers affiliated with the Republican Party, the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) strives to ...
www.rnla.org/ - 10k

Find a Republican Lawyer
Looking for a particular Republican lawyer? Enter the name and/or state, or click on a letter of the alphabet below. (HE CAN DO THIS.)
www.rnla.org/bio/FindALawyer.asp - 17k

Fundamentalist Christian Lawyers of America
Find a lawyer and place your trust in God. No boobs.
http://georgewbush.org/doj/ - 0.1 k

[krkaufman]

25. Well, one theory is that they can't afford to have anyone brighter than Gonzales ...

... assigned as AG, as anyone with any integrity wouldn't allow the DoJ to be Karl Rove's playtoy -- and might even exercise some independent oversight of the Bush WH.

[L. Coyote]

33. U: "...exercise some independent oversight of the Bush WH."

That says it all. This is what Bush has to fear, given the now well-known testimony about his felonious activity, illegal spying on Americans. Just a guess here -- unlike Nixon, Bush wasn't spying on Democrats, just terrorists, in 2004 during the election campaign. RIGHT. !!

[L. Coyote]

17. Is the Noose Tightening on Gonzales? (TIME.com)

eppur_se_muova Tue May-15-07 03:36 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x281720

Is the Noose Tightening on Gonzales? (TIME.com)
By KAREN TUMULTY/WASHINGTON

Now that the number-two official at the Justice Department has resigned, the question many in Washington are asking is: Will soon-to-be-former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty be DOJ's fall guy — or its worst nightmare? .........

[L. Coyote]

18. Gonzales' yearlong effort to block Comey's testimony

BurtWorm Tue May-15-07 09:52 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x897414

Gonzalez in 2006: ""You have to wonder what could Messrs. Comey and Ashcroft add to the discussion." Updated at 9:52 PM
By which he meant: Nothing to see there. Glenn Greenwald shows why Gonzalez was (and remains) full of shit:

Back in February, 2006 -- a couple months after the New York Times first revealed that the Bush administration was spying on Americans in violation of FISA -- the Senate Judiciary Committee informed the Justice Department that it wanted to question John Ashcroft and his former Deputy, James Comey,

[NastyRiffraff]

21. Well, now we know

"You have to wonder what could Messrs. Comey and Ashcroft add to the discussion."

Today, Comey's testimony did the impossible....he made ASHCROFT look good compared to Gonzo. Dunno what Ashcroft would say, but Comey added a LOT to "the discussion." He showed Gonzo as a thug trying to get around an acting AG by, in Comey's words "trying to take advantage of a sick man."

Comey strikes me as a straight arrow. He was a reluctant and careful witness, but his testimony still destroyed what little credibility Gonzo had left.

[L. Coyote]

19. Alberto’s Harvard Class (’82) Places Ad in Washington Post.

Pirate Smile Tue May-15-07 10:15 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3266220

Alberto’s Harvard Class (’82) Places Ad in Washington Post.

.....it has been with dismay that we have watched your cavalier handling of our freedoms time and again. When it has been important that legal boundaries hold unbridled government power in check, you have instead used pretextual rationales and strained readings to justify an ever-expanding executive authority. Witness your White House memos sweeping aside the Geneva Conventions to justify torture....

[L. Coyote]

20. VIDEO: GONZALES: Pressured DOJ to OK Domestic Spying (Comey Testifies)

Political Videos - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x29057
Breeze54 Tue May-15-07 07:43 PM

GONZALES: Pressured DOJ to OK Domestic Spying (Comey Testifies)

Run time: 20:04

[pacalo]

22. I look forward to hearing McNulty's rebuttal in a future judicial hearing.

Don't let Gonzo get away with this, McNulty.

[L. Coyote]

23. The Hospital Room Showdown: Former Deputy A.G. James Comey tells tale.

pnwmom Tue May-15-07 04:16 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2847172

The Hospital Room Showdown: Former Deputy A.G. James Comey tells tale. . .

Source: Salon

COMEY: David Ayers. That he had gotten a call from Mrs. Ashcroft from the hospital. She had banned all visitors and all phone calls. So I hadn't seen him or talked to him because he was very ill. And Mrs. Ashcroft reported that a call had come through, and that as a result of that call Mr. Card and Mr. Gonzales were on their way to the hospital to see Mr. Ashcroft.

[maddezmom]

27. K&R

Cohen has done some great commentary on this

[L. Coyote]

29. FEINGOLD/KENNEDY-Letter To Gonzales-DID YOU LIE UNDER OATH ABOUT NSA WIRETAPPING?

kpete Wed May-16-07 01:56 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x902054

FEINGOLD/KENNEDY-Letter To Gonzales-DID YOU LIE UNDER OATH ABOUT NSA WIRETAPPING?

Today, U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Richard Durbin (D-IL) sent Attorney General Alberto Gonzales regarding the testimony of former Deputy Attorney General James Comey given yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the letter obtained by ThinkProgress, the senators ask Gonzales if he stands by his 2006 testimony that Comey and other Department of Justice officials did not have concerns about the NSA wiretapping program, .............

[L. Coyote]

30. May 16, 2007: Leahy Threatens White House With Subpoenas

Purveyor Wed May-16-07 03:21 PM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2848398

Leahy Threatens White House With Subpoenas
Source: The Hill - May 16, 2007

.... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday sent a strongly worded letter to President Bush’s counsel Fred Fielding and threatened to issue subpoenas if the White House continues to “stonewall” .....

“It appears from the evidence gathered by the Committee in five hearings, eight interviews with current and former officials from the Department of Justice and review of the limited documents produced by that Department that White House officials played a significant role in developing and implementing the plan for the dismissals,” Leahy said ....

[L. Coyote]

31. BUSH HIMSELF - Blocked Investigation Into Role Played By DOJ Lawyers

kpete Wed May-16-07 09:30 AM - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=900286&mesg_id=900286

BUSH HIMSELF - Blocked Investigation Into Role Played By DOJ Lawyers In Authorization Of NSA Program

Yet even once Bush knew that both Aschcroft and Comey believed the eavesdropping was illegal, he ordered it to continue anyway.

[bobthedrummer]

32. Alice S. Fisher has got to go eom

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

34. graffiti on the walls near AG office - "RESIGN", "LEAVE", "SLEAZE"

oh wait, that was during the reagan administration when ed meese was AG.

i wonder if it's reached that point over there now.