NYT: Top Bush Aide at Justice Dept. (Gonzales) Was Set to Quit

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, May 26 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and senior officials and career prosecutors at the Justice Department told associates this week that they were prepared to quit if the White House directed them to relinquish evidence seized in a bitterly disputed search of a House member's office, government officials said Friday.

Mr. Gonzales was joined in raising the possibility of resignation by the deputy attorney general, Paul J. McNulty, the officials said. Mr. Gonzales and Mr. McNulty told associates that they had an obligation to protect evidence in a criminal case and would be unwilling to carry out any White House order to return the material to Congress.

The potential showdown was averted Thursday when President Bush ordered the evidence to be sealed for 45 days to give Congress and the Justice Department a chance to work out a deal.

The evidence was seized by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents last Saturday night in a search of the office of Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana. The search set off an uproar of protest by House leaders in both parties, who said the intrusion by an executive branch agency into a Congressional office violated the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine. They demanded that the Justice Department return the evidence.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/washington/27inquire.html?hp&ex=1148702400&en=bdb72883b813538b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[rocktivity]

1. Yeah, right, this is like when Rumsfeld offered to quit

Gonzalez did what he did because the Bush oval office ordered him to--how likely was it that he would then be ordered to relenquish anything? What he should have done was quit anyway rather than effectively dismantle our co-equal branches of goverment.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Ian David]

16. Anything less than committing suicide would be disingenuous and trifling

Not that I hope he would do that.

The under-age male Thai prostitutes at Duke Cunningham's poker parties would miss Mr. Gonzales.

Some people say.

[Ilsa]

21. I'd rather read of them committing hari kari. Simple suicide won't do. nt

[ShockediSay]

23. So, how now to stop organized crime centering around K street

and the hill?

[Robbien]

2. How dumb do they believe we are

The NYT may be swallowing this line of bull, it makes a good column. Gonzales does what BushCo wants. Period.

[demgrrrll]

3. What is this really about? If they are this exercised about the seizure

of these records there is either something in the records that implicates Republicans or many of them would not bear up under the same scrutiny. Is this part of some turf war?

[MadMaddie]

7. Bam....you just nailed it....Repuglicans are involved in this...

that's what the fuss is about....Hastert must be involved somehow....

Tin Foil Hat Time
Did he set the Dem up? What other connections to Repugs are there? Whooo...very interesting....

[Rose Siding]

11. IMO, it's a power grab and the WH thought the gop would roll if

they established precedent for a search like that with a dem.

Just look at all the suspicion, whether justified or not that was aroused by this one search. Public perception can crafted at will. The executive is a few strong arm police tactics away from exerting undue influence on every piece of legislation on the Hill.

[Ian David]

18. William Jefferson must have had "insurance" implicating Republicans

They wanted to make sure nobody else saw it.

Besides, they're just persecuting Jefferson because he's a Christian.

[skip fox]

28. Yes. And I'm rooting for Justice in this one.

We don't need anymore crooked Congresspeople. I'm a strong liberal and from his state, but we sure don't need any more crooks like Jefferson (if he's guilty) from our state. Then we can't go after the Abramoff/Delay people. All of them. Regardless of party (I'll bet it's 4 to 1 Republicans).

[Drum]

4. Theatrics.

One big circle-jerk (if you'll pardon that expression.)

[spindrifter]

5. So why don't we have generals

and such "ready to quit" when they get an order they don't think is appropriate? Why didn't Betto consult with his masters in the first place? He knew this was a totally provacative move on the part of the Justice Department--(a) because of the separation of powers issue, (b) because of the highly political nature of the entire thing.

[Kagemusha]

8. A prosecutor quitting doesn't bring civilian control into question.

It's not the same thing at all.

[spindrifter]

9. Where one general quits, there are plenty more behind him or her.

[rusty_parts2001]

6. Abu Gonzales would walk over his mother for W.

Cry me river.

[Ian David]

17. How do we know Bush ISN'T his mother? n/t

[aquart]

10. Gosharooney. Don't they sound principled.

I remain unimpressed. Although it's just nasty of Gonzales to threaten resignation and not go thru with it. Like Lucy taking away the damn football.

[Ian David]

12. Gonzales wanted to spend more time torturing his family? n/t

[rusty_parts2001]

13. Great!

[Rose Siding]

14. Who's driving this bus?

Don't prosecutors frequently sacrifice evidence in trials for one reason or another. Bad search, toss the fruit. :shrug:

[wicket]

15. Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

;)

[54anickel]

19. Hmmm, you don't suppose they were snooping around while the Rayburn

building was locked down today, do you? Nah, they wouldn't do that - would they? I see it was a Republican (Jim Saxton) that made the call to police. NAH - too far fetched.

[jazzjunkysue]

26. Got that tin foil hat at the ready. Just in case the GOP would do such a

thing.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. Context:

[dweller]

22. somewhere in a dank dark basement of a Capitol building

long knives are ssskking along a sharpening stone.

a lone hooded figure tests the edge and pucks a drop of blood from his thumb to whet the blade.

just m.o.
dp

[ThomCat]

24. This is pure PR,

retroactively posturing to try to look tough and independent.

Nothing to see here folks. Please move on.

[Acadia Blue]

25. Gonzalles is a YES man and a fascist

[jazzjunkysue]

27. Anyone know? FBI answers directly to POTUS, right? Not the house?

Are we having a sibling rivalry here?

Maybe a power play in a power vaccuum?

Could this be the beginning of the overseers starting to resent being overseen while they don't do their job overseeing the administration?

Basically, why would anyone want B*** as a boss?

[WhiteTara]

29. what a ploy. If we can't be Nazis

we won't play. BooHoo We quit. Please, be our guests. Quit

[DiscussTheTruth]

30. I don't get it...

What is the point of Gonzales saying this now and why release it to the press that he would resign? I mean all he had to do was talk to Bush quietly... I just don't get the political motivation for this at all. Something strange is going on.