Login Here
So here's what we learned today in the Kyle Sampson hearing:
- No one wants to give us the real timeline surrounding the final decision to fire 7 USAs. Both Sampson and Abu Gonzales (earlier in the week) refuse to be specific about that. I wonder if that has to do with the still-existing gap between the time DOJ supposedly made the final decision, and when the White House emailed Sampson to say it was a go? And I wonder if the skittishness about this detail has to do with Bush's travel schedule, since he got back into town just a few days before the final okay from the White House?
- Karl Rove may have been involved in the decision to briefly float Patrick Fitzgerald as a great candidate to fire. Sampson's not much help there, though.
- One of the other potential firing candidates, Anna Mills Wagoner, is from the sort of swingy North Carolina. Sampson has been instructed to go get the list of the other three possible firing candidates. I'm guessing (wildarsed guess) that we might find a USA from Wisconsin on the list.
- Arlen Specter tried, with only marginal success, at trying to absolve himself of any responsibility for allowing a bad faith amendment into the PATRIOT act.
- Chuck Schumer seems to have certain suspicions about what Monica Goodling did. In particular, it seems that he may have well-grounded suspicions that she was administering loyalty oaths to Assistant USAs, a career position. I wonder if that's one of the reasons she has gotten so quiet of late.
- No one called Carol Lam to tell her to straighten up her immigration act. But hey, that's still reason to fire her, right? Now Sampson says he doesn't remember anything about the Dusty Foggo indictment. I wonder if he remembers when the Cunningham investigation moved to encompass Jerry Lewis?
Share This 
Spotlight
I’m not worthy.
Chucky back.
Schumer asking about the ‘lengthy record’ on Iglesias that is curiously missing… other than reports praising him.
I am late to the game - Sampson just mentioned the voter fraud lie - will anyone chase that down?
Let’s figure out how he (Iglesias) managed to get on the hit list. GO CHUCK!
Schumer digging in the weeds as to how Inglesias got on the list, despite glowing reviews.
Great summary, ew. thanks
go chuck!
Just one other thing: as Sampson said repeatedly, there was no file and no paper record of any of the various permutations of “the list.” Does anyone seriously believe this?
Schumer: So, Mr Aggregator, what did you aggregate?
Schumer confronts Sampson with his own assessment (written memo) that Iglesias was an up and comer, solid. Did he say that? May have. Did he mean it? May have meant it at the time that he said it. Oh, lordy, lordy.
IDR uh IDR uh IDR but I remember in my mind that he was a fellow USA and had negative views? WTF?
Reading Sampson’s words back to him - What date Inglesias added? Unclear.
EW: can you clarify what this means to us non-lawyers?
Hmmm…this might be uncomfortable for Domeneci & Wilson, even though Schumer just tried to throw the focus off of them…
Funny about those ’specific dates’ memories of Karl Jr.
1) With regards to Lam.
2) Not after the election.
Why does my cspan cut out every time Schumer is up?
ask him if he has an email account since he’s been fired, go on…then if he’s ever had another non gov email account, go on…
So… will Chuck ask:
Did Sampson review any of this positive performance evaluation information when considering Iglesias?
Freud alert-When I switch to Round VII, I initially read Sampson Hanging, VII.
Is this guy prosecutable for anything hhe has said today?
I hate to say it, but I get the impression that Sampson has covered himself fairly well today via a combination of artful dodging and inartful questioning by several of the Dems.
This is the problem with cracking omerta: if the players know each other well enough never to put anything on paper, and never talk, then it often _can’t_ be cracked.
Cranky
watch the hand slide
RonD @ 21
He WILL be when they can prove the lies…
Rove is shoving tin foil in the tubes
Hearing Schumer, I suddenly have changed my mind about torture. It’s great.
Unwise Brinkmanship In Iran
Veterans Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)
http://noquarter.typepad.com/m.....l#comments
The following memorandum by the steering group of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity is signed by Ray Close, Princeton, N.J.; Larry Johnson, Bethesda, Md.; David MacMichael, Linden, Va.; Ray McGovern, Arlington, Va.; and Coleen Rowley, Apple Valley, Minn.
The frenzy in America’s corporate media over Iran’s detainment of 15 British Marines who may, or may not, have violated Iranian-claimed territorial waters is a flashback to the unrestrained support given the administration’s war-mongering against Iraq shortly before the attack.
landofthefree @ 14
In his last round, Chuck seemed to be asking very pointed questions about whether AUSAs were asked questions about which political party they belonged to. He specifically mentioned Monica Goodling.
eCAHNomics @ 26
Listening to Orrin Hatch was torture. It was not great.
landofthefree @ 14
She may have asked career employees questions she has no business asking them; Are you a Republican? Did you vote for GW Bush in the last election? Do you donate to the Republican Party?
npr
spector on
spector-ag did know
spector-patriot act-sequences of emails over 3 month period of time relied on it and ag likely knew about it
want to hear from ag under oath…….not prepared to make judgement, he’s scheduled to appear before committee
npr-you confronted sampson…….inclined to be charitable or faulty memory
spector-inclined to be factual, key point atty gen not in discussions, email suggsts he was involved…….atty gen has to explain that…….
npr-typical or disengaged———spector-problems in past, last week, nat’l sec letters…..mueller in earlier this week, problems, atty gen responsible as well……..
just realized how hard it is to live blog………my apologies to all who i kept saying “live-blog more” today………not so easy………thanks to those who did
Ya think former USA Lam might have had something to do w/ this successful prosecution?
“SAN DIEGO — Sentencing was scheduled Monday for a former Customs and Border Protection officer who admitted allowing hundreds of illegal immigrants to be smuggled through his inspection lane in return for cash and gifts.”
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/113850.....d=10101581
just a drive-by… but did you-all already see this from war and piece:
Capital J @ 29
I mean torture for our enemies, not for us. Isn’t that they way W uses it?
It’s amazing how names just magically find themselves on The List. Is there any documentation of The List? Did he keep it in his little head?
Sampson throwing Goodling under bus now…
EPU’d from prior thread:
PatVA, I just called a friend who works for DOJ in Admin (i.e., Human Resources aka Personnel) and he says the USAs and AUSAs are considered ‘Civil Servants’ and covered by OPM regs.
selise @ 32
He had to know the call would be coming. Patriot.
selise @ 33
Geez, that was quick.
Senator, they wiped my memory when I resigned…
…as well as Wilson and Domenici…
EW @ 28 - thank you! I was out and missed that exchange. Wow. I assume Kyle couldn’t (i.e. wouldn’t) provide any answer/information to corroborate or extinguish that notion?
Wow.
> It’s amazing how names just magically find
> themselves on The List. Is there any
> documentation of The List? Did he keep it in
> his little head?
That’s an example of inartful questioning IMHO: someone has to tie that together and ask that question: “where did the list come from? Did it just float out of space? Did you choose names randomly?”
Cranky
will someone give the guy behind sampson a tie clasp- the tie hanging left look is a bit too casual for this hearing and only accentuates the lopsided pompador of sampson’s locks.
Notice the way he says “I” didn’t have any conversations with members of Congress about IGlesias, doesn’t know about ROve, though.
one more driveby, this time from Josh at TPM:
Damnit, this guy is just a clerk. We need the grocery manager.
RonD @ 40
Certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?
landofthefree @
14
Violation of the Hatch Act - You cannot ask an employee of the Federal government as a condition of hiring to support the GOP.. Or The Emperor’s Fascist Club.
emptywheel @ 45
that was “curious”.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I just don’t know . . . I don’t remember.
I don’t remember.
I don’t remember.
I don’t remember.
I think there needs to be a new hit list of people utterly unqualified for their “jobs.”
I don’t remember . . .
Blah, blah, blah.
selise @ 45
Been asked, but not pursued hard.
So then. How do we prevent ouselves from getting into this kind of a mess again. Saying that we need to elect better politicians is one way. But that’s variable and subjective. I’d like to have a more meaty explanation of what to do.
Iglesias’s so-called performance problems…Prez specificly cited NM…Were you aware of this? A: Yes, AG informed me of complaint from Karl…On voter fraud? Yes. You know he taught this DoJ instructor? No…Well, if he was so bad, why was he one of two instructors? No clue…
Are we getting a clear picture of this guy’s job responsibilities? Do we know what Goodling’s job entailed?
S: “AG received a complaint from Karl Rove about voter fraud”
Okay, let’s be sure to ask the AG in what form he got that complaint.
Yay, Chuck - asking about Iglesias teaching how to pursue voter fraud. Sampson stumped…
Judge Sirica did it by giving a bunch of people 20 years for BS’ing him.
Puesto @ 49: this tells you where my head is. When I read “administering loyalty oaths to US Attorneys”, I was guessing EW meant she was swearing them in, and they had to be loyal to the Constitution. What a silly thought. I should know better by now - it’s all about politicial loyalty to these folks.
Oh gawd, now he’s being to the I’m just the aggragator/vator BS…Sgt Schultz could learn from this guy…
Ut oh, Kyle just realized someone kicked the chair out from under him.
*And where is the record of this fucking aggregated information, pigboy?*
He just said “aggregator” again. Hold me back so I don’t destroy my computer screen.
KS: I was just following orders.
Shorter KS: I was only following orders.
I remember . . . oh.my.dog. He just said “I remember” re Kevin Ryan’s name added to list.
I keep having to remind myself this guy was the freakin’ Chief of Staff to the freakin’ AG of the USA. He speaks of his role & recollections like he was an intern at the local bank branch.
It strains credulity that he didn’t know more or understand the issues.
Is there an “artful” way to push through this veil?
Schumer is exploring the difference between managing complaints versus requests for terminations.
emptywheel @ 61
Please explain a bit further - thanks!
Complaints out of nowhere, you’ve not been able to identify the people, and they are fired. DOesn’t that trouble you.
I just relied on the information from the people taking complaints from party hacks.
KS: Blink, blink, blink. Squeak. Twitch. Blink.
Deputy Attorney General put Kevin Klein on the list. No research done after “somebody” in the department put a name on the list (to be purged)?
No written documentation of problems with voting fraud?
Border enforcement problems? NM ranks 2nd in terms of enforcement?
Kyle: Don’t know, but no reason to doubt that.
*xyz @ 69
Said he had no idea that Iglesias had been teaching Voter Integrity issues, even though Kyle said he got fired for that reason.
Schumer: When you heard complaints about USA’s, did you ever check? they say no…did you ever do any independent research?
S: uh, no…
Schumer: So these people were fired without any independent verification?
S: sir, I’m just the aggregator, took complaints from senior leadership, Margolis…
Schumer: So name me an example of a senior leader who made a complaint, and what did you do when you handled it.
S: duh…
—
Jeebus. He uses the “I’m just an aggregator” line again — where’s all the sh*t you aggregated, you little piker?
Senator, I want a mulligan…
Wrappin’ it all up in a Puuuuurty bow!
If they dint do anything wrong…why does sampson have regrets?
Senator, I wish we hadn’t done this so my ass wouldn’t be in this wringer…
Sampson sounds like Rammesh Ponnoru.
-GSD
KS: Waaahhhh!!!
But Chuck–didn’t you hear Orrin say that Iglesias was on the media too much?!?! That’s enough of a reason to fire him.
when i fell regret it is because i fell like i did something wrong or know i did
CS: Looking back, OK to fire Inglesias?
KS: I’d do it all over differently; would not fire Inglesias in hindsight.
Schumer is going to let Specter go as long as he wants since he reminded him every second that he went over? What…..is that for real?
Was the admission that Schumer got out Sampson–not to put Iglesias on the list if he knew then what he knows now-meaningful?
Schumer got him to say:
Firing Iglesias was a mistake.
“In hindsight, in hindsight, in hindsight…”
It sounds like Kyle Sampson wishes he had eyeballs sticking out of his ass.
ok i mean feal not fell
Nice - Schumer got Kyle to admit that knowing what he knows now, he would not have put Iglesias on the list to be fired.
Basically an admission that they had no defensible reason for firing Iglesias.
Not to say that they didn’t have their own reasons - I’m sure they did.
Let’s face it this guy know’s he’s finished as a lawyer, ambition trumps common sense every time, except if you’re a democrat, imho
Arlen’s back…
The way to crack this nut is to indict Evil Radar for misleading Congress. Possible?
Schumer: “Your lack of awareness doesn’t prove that it didn’t happen.”
KS: “Yes.”
Bingo!
Hmm. Schumer doesn’t sound to happy with Specter’s nagging.
Way to be petty, Specter.
Your lack of awareness didn’t prove it didn’t happen, correct?:Schumer
Kyle: correct
Specter 9 l/2 minutes over to be put in record
It’s possible that these firings happened for political reasons but you don’t know about it.
Arlen giving him a little reacharound now…
Kylie admits that it “could” have been politically motivated and directed by the WH.
eCAHNomics @ 85
I think so, because it undermines the idea that Sampson was doing any kind of quantitative assessment or making any proper judgement on performance.
Specter just said Kyle’s responses have been “reasonable”. Gag.
Was that a torture joke by Spector?
Specter: Calm down kiddo, relax, drift away on the soothing drone of my voice for a few moments.
Specter: Bye Abu.
God, Specter, cut the f*cking long wind up, cut to the chase and spit out whatever it is you are chewing on.
dakine- a double reach, both hands, up to the knuckles
Are we close to the point where Schumer sez: “Oh, by the way Mr. Sampson, just one more question.” And then does the best zinger of all?
Specter:
Mr. Sampson, meet me in the Senate Spa, I’ll loofah your stretchmarks. You must be exhausted.
-GSD
Specter has a record of being prickish about procedural stuff. Never mind that one of his boys managed to slip the provision into the PATRIOT re-auth.
I think Schumer wanted to be able to take more ground against Kyle so having Specter nip at his heels every three minutes was aggravation.
Barney Rubble @ 106
still not as bad as the ones Hatch was giving earlier…
I wonder what he is going to do to clear his name of the monkeybusiness with the patriot act. Come on Arlen watcha got???
…..and Sampson can’t go home and have a stiff margarita……..
Even in jest, Spectre (sp) says the Senate Committee has exacted cruel and unusual punishment on Kyle Sampson by making him answer questions about unprecedented firing of sitting US Attorneys!
Specter is apologizing, exempting Sampson from liability, and blaming “process”?
Janus had two faces. Sen. Spectre’s is up his ass.
Whoa! CSPAN (TV) is LIVE now
The only thing we learned today was: AG Gonzo had knowledge and participated, contrary to his previous statements, and that The USAG office was being managed by imbeciles that could not remember anything about their jobs. I hope this administration is proud of the caliber of individuals they have serving.
dakine- but he still has to worry about bacteria!!!!!!!!!!
Sampson looks like he’d welcome a hammer blow to the temple at this point
Specter
I don’t care taht you’ve trashed the independent judiciary. But you made me look stupid. THAT ticks me off.
EPU’d from Part V:
If they are considered “civil servants” they cannot be summarily dismissed, they do not serve “at the pleasure of the president.” Neither Reagan, nor Clinton nor Bush could have fired the whole lot of them at one time.
This is why one of the senators was asking Sampson earlier if he knew of any pressure from anyone for career jobs. A career job is safe. A political appointment is not. It’s obvious why someone in a “pleasure of the president” position would want to convert to a career employee.
I don’t know how to prove this but tomorrow I’ll see what I can find. But it’s logical. And it’s something I’ve heard and witnessed with every administration going back to Reagan.
I don’t mean to “fight” with you because you and I are both on the same side in these hearings, but I am certain that political employees are not provided the protections that civil servants are. Your friend at the DOJ needs to research “political appointees” specifically.
Brisingamen @ 292
and th-a-a-a-a-ts all folks…
No final Schumer zinger. Bwaaahahaha.
next……………………..
Specter: Bad puppy. Come here and I’ll give you a hug.
IrishJim @ 116
Oh, I’m sure they are very, very proud of this dreck who covered their asses for them by playing ignorance.
Dang, what do we get to watch tomorrow?
landofthefree @ 59
The main point is administering the loyalty oaths to assistants, not USA’s. I believe this is what the dialogue is on - assistants. Not USA’s themselves. You can’t have “Political affiliation? __D__ R__ on the federal job ap for a civil service position. However, legislation give the Pres authority to appoint USA’s only. IMHO, but I am far from an expert.
Regards
emptywheel @ 45
What’s with that he mentions Domenici downthread complaining about Iglesias. To who? Abu? Then there’s Margolis. And I could have sworn Sampson said Karl complained about Iglesais. Obviously Karl had conversations with congress members. Sampson seemed to imply that Abu/Sampson did too.
If there’s ever a transcript of this testimony. I should think it would reveal how shaky Sampson is.
Schumer: For your sake, I hope we don’t have to call you back. lol
After the official adjournment, did someone near a mike say, “This was fun”?!
Three days from now Kyle Sampson will be found still in the committee chamber because he forgot where the door was.
I can’t believe we ever thought that Sampson would be at all forthcoming. I hope that there are records proving that he consulted with others before his testimony. But, fat chance now that we know for sure how they cover their lying asses 6 ways to Sunday. The Bushies are nothing if not expert at covering their tracks and they’ve taught it all around.
Will we be hearing anything about the unauthorized emails?
Nothing on the use of non-.gov emails to discuss things with Scott Jennings of ‘Karl’s Shop’.
Perhaps that’s for Waxman to rake over the coals.