Comments on: New Documents Contradict Gonzales On Prosecutor Firings

By: kritter

kritter — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:54:44 +0000

It is his right, and maybe not too much has been done that is outright illegal, but it is downright unethical to pollute DOJ with political cronies that only need pass a loyalty test. Under this DOJ cases against Democratic corruption have been pursued 5 times more often than cases against their counterparts in the GOP. Past presidents have made their appointments, and then left the USA’s alone. This independence is key to our confidence that justice will be applied fairly-no matter what party you are in.

No president should be allowed to use the appointment power (which should have been done with consent of the Senate) to interfere with ongoing investigations, and demand loyalty over competence from the USA’s.

IMO, it is just as serious.The AG of the US has lied before Congress. If it is indeed a molehill, let them prove it by having W’s aides testify in the open, under oath, instead of hiding behind executive privilege.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:36:47 +0000

KR – I think this Gonzalesgate is a molehill compared to the Plame incident. While partisan, it is the W’s right to hire and fire USA. The Plamegate was interference with the CIA, an administration security official testified after Plame that NO(ZERO) investigations were done after Plames identity was revealed. The administratration is slowly dumping documents associated with the USA, very little has been revealed about the attacks on Wilson and Plame.

By: kritter

kritter — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 17:10:57 +0000

I agree with Rudy and Casey L- if the WH wanted to avoid subpoenas in the firing probe, they should have been honest from the start of this. Lying before Congress is illegal whether or not an oath is administered. Given that there has been so much mendacity during the initial investigation, why would Leahy’s committee be satisfied by having Miers and Rove come in for an informal, off-the record (meaning secret) interfview? Rove in particular should be questioned under oath, as he barely escaped indictment for perjury in the CIA Leak case.

All of these Republicans who are now touting executive privilege, are really nothing but hypocrites, who 8 years ago decried it when a Democrat was the executive in question.

IMO, there has already been ample evidence of DOJ politicization and tampering in specific cases. In the case against Big Tobacco, the USA was ordered to ask for a smaller settlement, ordered to ask witnesses to alter their testimony, and ordered to withdraw a demand that the CEO’s involved resign. In the Abramoff case, there has been a marked slowdown in indictments due to rampant prosecutorial turnover. There was no head prosecutor for a year, which may be why Tom Delay is still walking free. In Igelsias’ case, a US Sen and US Rep interfered in an ongoing investigation.

Those who think this is a mountain made out of a molehill are also those who thought the Plame case was a political witchhunt.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:40:25 +0000

CaseyL – Without a full blown investigation and special prosecutor, the obstruction of justice issue won’t go anywhere. While this incident stinks, it doesn’t smell that bad. This allows the Democrats to slap down W and his boy Gonzales, nothing more. Something his own party ignored for the last six years.

By: CaseyL

CaseyL — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:19:17 +0000

Rudi’s got it in a nutshell: they never thought they’d have to answer for this.

And, no, Marlowe, these are not routine firings and hirings “at the pleasure of the President.”

USAs were fired for looking too closely at Republican corruption, or for refusing to concoct false cases of Democratic vote fraud.

That’s not ‘just politics.’ That’s conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. Those are criminal acts. Impeachable criminal acts.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:51:15 +0000

Komrad Marlow – If Gonzalez and DofJ officials lied to Congress and the American people over a political personnel matter, then the lieing is illegal and just plain stupid. Before the November election, this wouldn’t merit any hearings, like the Iraq War intell that Roberts stonewalled for years. W and boys aren’t used to people questioning their incompetence.

By: CestMoi

CestMoi — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:08:35 +0000

Five Steps and Five Thousand E-mails Later……

This Patriot Act president is so accustomed to doing everything under the radar, subverting the legal and/or constitutional process, creating rationalization or deniability, and avoiding accountability that he actually believes……

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:08:31 +0000

I agree Marlow.

The ironic thing of this whole affair, is that the controversy is growing because of the way Bush , but especially Gonzales deal with it.

By: Marlowecan

Marlowecan — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:10:50 +0000

Unbelievable. Gonzales is now playing the “race card”.

His incompetence at handling this entire affair has been extraordinary.

I have made no bones here at TMV about my view that there was ultimately nothing illegal here. Carter fired a US attorney in the middle of his term, at the behest of a congressman the attorney was investigating. Clinton fired all of his at the beginning of his term. Politically embarrassing maybe, but undeniably constitutionally the power of the president.

Yet Gonzales’ stumbling and fumbling on this issue, when he could have simply reiterated precedence and presidential authority, is astonishing.

His mendacity before Congress and the media has resulted in a mountain being blown out of a molehill…and allowed Democrats an opening to fulfill their promise to drown the White House in a sea of investigations.

Attorney-Generals are a star-crossed lot…John Ashcroft, Janet Reno, Ed Meese all come to mind as highly flawed figures…but the incompetence of Gonzales on this issue boggles the mind.

Gonzales must go. I doubt he will…but he should.