Pickard is speaking.

[displacedtexan]

This is the guy Bush* didn't know. Supposedly, he's a decent guy.

[underpants]

1. Inside the loop he is called "whoever"

"President Bush: (The Aug. 6 memo) included the fact that the FBI was conducting field investigations, which comforted me. You see, it meant the FBI was doing its job, the FBI was running down any lead. And I will tell you this, Scott , that had they found something, I'm confident they would have reported back to me. That's the way the system works. And whoever was the Acting FBI Director, had they found something, would have said, Mr. President, we have found something that you need to be concerned about in your duties to protect America. That didn't happen."

http://www.thenation.com/outrage /

[Brotherjohn]

4. Hah!

[thebigidea]

2. I'm too distracted by Kean's dandruff-encrusted shoulders

[displacedtexan]

3. Me, too!

Yuck!

Holy shit! Pickard is crying! So sorry for the families' losses.

[thebigidea]

5. no wonder they replaced him with emotionless Mueller

something tells me Mueller won't even break a sweat manana.

[displacedtexan]

6. I can't wait for A$$KKKroft! Clarke wrote how totally stupid he is.

In Richard Clarke's book, he and another guy went to brief A$$KKKroft, and they could not believe how stupid he was. Clarke commented, "He's the guy who got beat by a dead man."

[thebigidea]

8. indeed, me too. I'm uh, kind of a fan.

and by fan, I mean I attempt to degrade him at every opportunity.

http://www.terminalproduct.com/ashcroftconference.mp3
http://www.terminalproduct.com/ashcroftcracksdown.mp3

[bain_sidhe]

35. Well, if "fan" is short for "fanatic," me too.

I'm a fanatic about getting this born-again fascist out of our government!

[GumboYaYa]

10. I worked with Ashcroft after he was govenor and before

he became a Senator. I have had numerous conversations with the man and can confirm that Richard Clarke's assessment is dead spot-on right.

[thebigidea]

11. goodness, we're gonna need some more gossip!

Dish! Dish!

[GumboYaYa]

13. There isn't much except to confirm that he is truly the

religious zealot that he is painted to be. Personally, it is very hard for me to imagine Ashcroft engaging in political corruption for pecuniary gain. He is, however, motivated by his faith and would easily look the other way as untoward acts occur if the result is consistent with his religious beliefs. One piece of gossip, is that he was never much of a worker, but that is no surprise to anyone who has watched his performance as AG.

[Logansquare]

36. I hate to tell a "friend of a friend" story about Ashcroft

BUT, a friend of a friend was a hold-over from the Clinton Justice Dept. (he has since resigned for his own sanity). Daily prayer meetings and sing-alongs, no shit. Fortunately, I have the Guardian as confirmation, though I first heard the story from him.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,661458,00.html

[skypilot]

14. Come on...

...give us one good anecdote.

[GumboYaYa]

18. John is not evil incarnate like many people believe; he is a

religious zealot. Freak might even be a better word.

There are not many anecdotes about him as he lives a very humorless life. The man really does not drink, smoke, dance, curse or carouse. He and I have very little in common. Our conversations were generally political arguments.

One of the funniest things I saw with John was a little Jewish lady light into him one day. She was the wife of another co-worker and clearly flustered Ashcroft. He does not deal with these types of confrontations well and can lose his temper when pushed. It should be interesting today.

[thebigidea]

20. what did she say to him?

And did he ever favor you with one of his fine tunes?

[GumboYaYa]

23. I don't remember. What stood out was his reaction.

You would think that someone in his position could handle contrary opinions. With Ashcroft, he is so accustomed to being surrounded with other zealots that he does not handle criticism at all. Watch today, I bet you see him get very angry if he is pushed hard on some questions.

[thebigidea]

27. definetely... I feel sorry for his employees...

can you imagine what it must be like being forced to attend his morning prayer-and-hymn services? Sure, its "optional" - if you want to be promoted...

[GumboYaYa]

28. Don't you know; the career justice dept. folks must be beside

themselves.

[skypilot]

21. Seems that Ashcroft has exactly two sides...

...boring and scary.

[GumboYaYa]

25. We had a firm retreat once a year that was actually just an

opportunity to consume copious amounts of alcohol. Ashcroft never attended these events. If people would be drinking at dinner somewhere, count Ashcroft out. Don't play any music at a party if you want Ashcroft there. The guy may be the most boring person alive.

[skypilot]

31. With all due respect...

...it sounds like Mel Carnahan had more life in him. No wonder he beat out Ashcroft.

[SpiralHawk]

40. OK: Ashcroft's barbed-wire Statue of Liberty

I read this on DU a couple of years ago. I'm sure there are links if someone has time to go flush them out.

At any rate, the story is that Ashcroft has sculpted a barbed-wire model of th Statue of Liberty. He keeps it in his barn in Missouri.

Does that satisfy your peculiar curiosity about this peculiar specimen of humanity?

It takes all kinds. Apparently. - SH

[Cocoa]

7. has anyone called him Captain yet?

[cheezus]

26. Is his name John Luke?

that would be too funny

[SEAburb]

9. Who the hell does Cofer Black think he is?

He comes in on the offense, with both guns blazing.

[leftchick]

12. I don't believe Kristin Breitweiser is liking it either...

I can see her foot in the black pump in the background. She is moving it furiously like she is pissed!

[DemLikr]

38. My guess: Black figures if he acts all regretful and outraged by

the attacks, the panel will let him off easy, which they proceeded to do.

[thebigidea]

15. Lehman is such a useless pile of shit

I'm so tired of him whining about not placing blame, then going after the Clinton people in such an obvious way.

[SEAburb]

16. "Good answer" Lehman says. I didn't think it was.

Just answer the question in public Cofer. This behind closed doors crap has got to stop.

[seabeyond]

17. wasnt pickard john oneils

nemasis? i remember in the taping i had watched there was something between picard and oneil and he was holding oneil down. what did i here about pickard, anyone remember

[Corgigal]

39. that was what the show Frontline mentioned

that O'Neil thought it was Pickard who dumped the story to the press about him losing his briefcase in Tampa. O'Neil at the time was in the running for a top counterterrorism job via Richard Clarke.

[Eurobabe]

19. just looked at Pickard's bio, ferchrissake

check this out, he was #2 in the agency and Numbnuts doesn't know who he is?? Why was Pickard not named director? Why was Mueller brought on a week before 9-11? Just questions that come to my mind...

"On September 10, 1996, FBI Director Louis Freeh named Mr. Pickard to the position of Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington field office (WFO). During his tenure at WFO, Mr. Pickard supervised such matters as the investigation and arrest of FBI Special Agent Earl Pitts for espionage and the capture of convicted CIA killer Mir Aimal Kasi.

On February 2, 1998, Mr. Pickard assumed the position of Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters. On November 1, 1999, Mr. Pickard was appointed Deputy Director, the number two position at the FBI. On June 25, 2001, Mr Pickard was appointed Acting Director of the FBI by Attorney General John Ashcroft."
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/directors/pickard.htm

[readmylips]

22. Rohmer grilling Pickard....

Pickard did not sent out the memo to all field officers.

[readmylips]

24. Rohmer is now grilling Black....

Black did not follow through on two of the highjackers that had skipped town and flew out to Bankok. Why didn't Black follow the criminals to Bankok.

[0007]

29. Roemer has zeroed in on Pichard

Roemer not happy with his answers. Pickard losing confidence in his story telling.

I think he's lying about when he first saw the PDB!

[0007]

30. JA has a hundred thousand employees?

Accordingly, Thomas Pichard sez he does.

Thomas Kean is coming at Pichard with questions that Pickard can't answer.

[thebigidea]

32. BLACK: "I kinda failed my people."

you KINDA? KINDA?

[0007]

33. Black accepting blame - not enough money or manpower

This Black guy is a frist class asshole.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

34. He said: "When people die, you get more money..."!!!!!

In his tirade about how there were so little resources available proportional to the 'fire hydrant' of info and threats, he fumed in frustration, 'this is what it takes for people to fund your efforts' and he actually used the words:

"When people die, you get more money..."

How fucking apt is that?

[Gothic Sponge]

37. Make it so!

[DoYouEverWonder]

41. So after the Aug 6ht PDB

Bu$h never bothered to call up the FBI to let them know?

He never asked Pickard to met with him about such a major concern?