John Nichols: GOP to Gonzales: Care For Some Hemlock?

[babylonsister]

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=188327

GOP to Gonzales: Care For Some Hemlock?


The reviews are in: The Bush White House pronounces the president "pleased" with his solicitor's response to the rabble.

It is a discreet pleasure.

While the president may be satisfied with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the response of just about everyone else -- including some of the nation's most conservative Republicans -- was anything but positive.

The online report on the testimony at the site of the National Review, America's leading conservative magazine, was headlined: "Alberto Gonzales strikes out."

The report declared the Attorney General's testimony about his role in the U.S. Attorneys scandal to have been "disastrous."

"Judging by his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, there are three questions about the U.S. attorneys mess that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wants answered: What did I know? When did I know it? And why did I fire those U.S. attorneys?" observed writer Byron York, no liberal he. "As the day dragged on, it became clear -- painfully clear to anyone who supports Gonzales -- that the attorney general didn't know the answers."

For the record, Gonzales hit what many believe to have been a record for "don't recalling" by a Cabinet member appearing before an oversight hearing: 64. And that does not count the dozens of "do-not-remember" and "can't-quite-recollect" variations.

But Gonzales will be worrying less about National Review than about Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. Sure, Democrats were tough on Gonzales, but many of the roughest critiques came from the Attorney General's partisan "allies."

more...

[merh]

1. You should have heard the CNN talking head reporting from

Congress this afternoon. She did a bit about what republican senators have said about Gonzo's appearance, some are saying they will have to consider it over the weekend, yada yada. She ended with the statement something like "sentiment is, Gonzo isn't long for this world" :OMG:

[rodeodance]

2. whow HO HO HO. john, my gosh!

[Kagemusha]

3. "Got Hemlock?"

That's how I'd put it. Just to be a little silly.