(Image via a gorgeous wildlife blog. Some gorgeous shots here, do check them out.)
Looks like Dick Cheney isn't the only one with clouds:
At a meeting in Denver, attended by about a dozen mainly Western prosecutors, Mr. Gonzales was told that the dismissals had cast a cloud over all the United States attorneys’ offices, not only over the prosecutors who were removed. But at that meeting, according to one official briefed on the discussion, prosecutors focused on steps to improve communications between the attorney general and United States attorneys.
The criticism from prosecutors in the Justice Department’s field offices comes as the uproar over the dismissals appears to also have eroded confidence in Mr. Gonzales at the agency’s headquarters, where top officials have been focused for weeks on little else.
Mr. Gonzales and Mr. McNulty, who are expected to testify before Congress in two weeks, are said by officials to have maintained a working relationship, but their staffs have feuded over who is to blame.
Some of Mr. Gonzales’ aides have blamed Mr. McNulty for inflaming the issue by testifying on Feb. 6 that one of the ousted prosecutors, H. E. Cummins III, was removed for no reason. Mr. McNulty’s aides have blamed Mr. Sampson and Monica Goodling, the liaison to the White House, for failing to disclose their conversations with the White House before the removals.
In Washington, one Republican lawmaker said he was less concerned with Mr. Gonzales’s personal situation than how it was affecting the day-to-day performance of the Justice Department.
“I can’t imagine a department being more demoralized with what’s going on there,” said Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Specter said in an interview that Mr. Gonzales needed to demonstrate his candor about the dismissals and assure people about his competence to retain his post.
“The Justice Department is too important to the country to have it hanging on the edge of a cliff,” he said.
Thus far this morning, Mr. Sampson's testimony hasn't resolved any of these issue in my mind. What do you think?
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Waxmas!
Lorna Doone!
(oops… sorry. JANE!)
Near-zed!
On the other hand, maybe if these surviving prosecutors had been doing their jobs with integrity they’d have been fired too.
I agree. Just an attempt to throw sand in the pitcher’s eyes.
We won’t know just how bad these clouds are for a while, but it would appear on a par with the tornadoes inKansas last night…
F4’s at least, maybe an F5…
oh thank god it’s just more clouds for Abu, was worried the post was about Jane !
((((Jane)))
EPUed to Jane:
here’s wishing you an endless box of Lorna Doone’s today.
Aren’t they more satisfying than Lurita Doan’s? ;)
hugs to you – hope you’re feeling well
Cloudy and breezy today…
I wanted to post on the Part III thread but had trouble loading. Just wanted to say I called DiFi’s office last week to say “soldier on!” I was so nervous but I did it! I told the asst on the phone that no transcript was holding on to a position of deniability–not an interest in fact-finding or truth.
Love DiFi and here’s a shout-out to fellow Bay Area resident (?) Mary M who posted on another thread re terrible day of Moscone shooting. DiFi is a strong lady.
EVERY US Attorney serving a full term is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They are almost invariably party loyalists to some degree. Giving any one of them the axe, let alone eight, is a BIG DEAL.
It is beyond the bounds of reason that there would not be an extensive paper trail on each serving USA, including all aspects of his/her “performance.” Former heads of the Executive Office of US Attorneys should be able to shed a good deal of light on this.
The US Attorney in Iowa is on a Democrat witch-hunt of his own, read between the lines in this story, the word “entrapment” comes to mind… FULL STORY
NYT (quoted by CHS @ top): “… at that meeting, according to one official briefed on the discussion, prosecutors focused on steps to improve communications between the attorney general and United States attorneys.”
Umm, given how much longer AG AG is expected to remain in office, isn’t that kind of pointless? Or belated?
What about all the freaking Federal cases over the last 6 years that lawyers for the defense are going to be reviewing to see if they can get them tossed. The shitstorm has yet to begin, methinks.
Sampson called his ex-boss a liar; that ought to raise morale!
Many years ago, when he was a left-leaning ranter, Dennis Miller said that Bill Clinton, instead of saying he tried marijuana but “didn’t inhale,” should have declared, “yes, I inhaled, and then I drank the bong water. What are you going to do about it?” I think Sampson’s testimony is essentially, “yes, we fired them for poor performance. What are you going to do about it?”
Very precious of Mr. Specter to say how important the Justice Department is, however, he bears a large part of the responsibility for the mess here and should be made aware of that every time he pontificates. When is he going to take some responsibility for his role in this sordid affair?
OT- Sorry. But I saw this just now and had to share it. The Washington Post has a break down of the Senate vote on the War Funding Bill by astrological sign. Libras supported it by an 8 to 1 margin.
Where does one send a criminal referral for Obstruction of Justice, when the perps are at the highest level of the Department of Justice and the White House?
Resist the Dark Side. We have cookies too!
Is this the same Mr. McNulty over seeing the Aipac Rosen investigation/ case/trial? Why do the right wing neo-cons want Mr. Gonzales gone? If this is the same McNulty would this cast a cloud over the upcoming Aipac/Rosen trial?
Is this the same McNulty?
Tim Griffin was NEVER approved by the Senate, can they now go back and rectify this travesty?
That’s what bad managment is all about. Outing your secret agents for your own political purposes. Firing attorneys because they’re looking into your friends. Filling FEMA with chronies. I guess you could call it incompetence, but that would be generous.
It’s a lot like Enron too. Hubris, held up by nothing.
So isn’t it obstruction of justice by Issa and Cunningham (the immigration letter they penned together while Cunningham was being investigated) to create the brouhaha that is now being cited used as the basis for Lam’s firing? Isn’t that the missing “dot”.
“Crooks and Liars”
“Sampson Testifies
By: Nicole Belle @ 9:54 AM – PDT”
“The thing that I think the Senate Democrats need to ask Sampson about his view that firing the USAs for political reasons is acceptable is where is that line drawn? When is it no longer acceptable to put party above justice (small j, not the department, but the ideal)? Is Sampson’s defense of these firings under the rather Nixonian concept that if the President does it, it’s not against the law? There’s some evidence (which may be amplified if other DoJ employees testify) that at least one USA was fired to prevent her from pursuing a case against a Republican. Smells like “obstruction of justice” to me. Do they really want to go down that road?
Didn’t have time view hearing, I am watching it now at the Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Administration Oversight
Hearing Investigates Allegations of Misconduct at GSA’s webcast—-saw the above query above at “Crooks and Liars” —- did this hearing cover these points?
Cspan 3 re airing Mini Me’s opening remarks.
Doan aloon
I suspect that Sampson’s bowels are having a hard time right now. I wonder if he up-chucked lunch?
Bugboy @ 13
Any defense attorney worth his degree will take this cue. The Bush cabal’s pernicious influence may create the biggest mess in the history of the American Justice System.
And Best Wishes to Jane!!
JEP @ 19
I’m pretty sure Griffin said he wouldn’t submit his name for Senate confirmation, so at least we’re rid of him in 120 day or something like that.
ptrig @ 16
As a fellow Libra, I approve of my people’s “yes” votes.
This does beg the question: why is the WaPo categorizing congressional votes by astrological sign?
My three words of advice to Atty Gen Gonzalez:
Monster. Dot. Com.
WHY did this guy resign so quickly?
Is there anything in his testimony that suggested he should have?
So why did he/
Something is not right; we don’t have the whole picture.
Dersu Uzala @ 15
Never. Today’s Simple Answers to Simple Questions.
BTW, like the handle. That was a great film.
The clouds are quickly forming into thunderheads.
My question is why hasn’t Gonzales resigned? He can’t survive. Why prolong the torture?
Is he the proverbial cloud in the coffee?
Question to ask: Did you, at any time, cull information for your list via functions of the patriot act???
JEP @ 26
Any defense attorney worth his degree will take this cue. The Bush cabal’s pernicious influence may create the biggest mess in the history of the American Justice System.
Might as well. They have allready created the biggest foreign policy mess in American History.
Jane, when do you get to go home? How are you feeling?
I missed 90% of it this morning and I have just skimmed the threads.
So far, I gather he backed a Greyhound over Abu?
what do I think?
CALL TOLMAN. Drag his ass in and ask him directly, “who told you to insert that provision into USA PATRIOT?”
That’s what i think. And then waterboard him if his answer isn’t the right one.
old gold @ 33
I think they are the clouds of a mighty Shitstorm.
Something going on between Speaker Pelosi and Bush on CNN. They are waiting for a ceremony to commence and Pelosi is having a go at him about something. He’s looking totally disgusted and trying to turn away, but she doesn’t stop, so he turns his back – unfortunately CNN then cut away.
brendancalling @ 38
I agree whole heartedly. They tried this shit with tax records too. Sneaky sneaky.
I think the big deal is that he kept no file, no information supporting his recommendations, just a list he kept off the top of his head that could be edited by a single comment from Monica.
I would guess that the lack of experience will resonate with the more experienced professionals inside the justice department and in the republican party. How much of this “heck of a job Brownie” can they take?
BTW
JGabriel @
18
Much better cookies!
Like an infected wound, it hurts to clean out the bad stuff. But when its gone, the healing can begin. We are just starting to clean out the bad stuff in the Justice Department, and in our wonderful country. I believe that we have to keep digging. We have to insist on transparency and stop the rampant lying. I’m convinced that if we do that, as a country we can heal.
jayt @ 30
Heh!
I’ve heard he’s actually going to take a job as a crisis management consultant. Going into biz with Brownie, I think. He might also take over Giuliani’s “Leadership” speech tour.
/snark
stupid epu’d comment.
Sampson looks WAY more like George Costanza than he does MC Rove. And just as uncomfortable as George too…
I know that for those involved at the time it took Watergate a lot longer to catch fire (first in the traditional media, then in the public’s eye) than it seems in retrospect. But I don’t see any sign of the traditional media allowing Gonzogate to light up, meaning the the general public isn’t really even aware of its depth. Most of the non-coastal papers are burying the story on A9, and the national radio news I listen to (CNN and CBS) are using the Republican frames to build their stories.
Is anyone else seeting anything different? Any chance this is going to take off?
Cranky
diane @ 31
Republican lobby shop job in the wings, of course.
jinny @ 40
I totaly missed it. Please tell us what happened?
CSPAN-3 is taking callers on this scandal. Prepare your favorites & give them a jingle!
Oh, cry me a river. All these USAs are party faithful, and helped the current thugs not only get into office, but consolidate power into the gelatinous goo we have today.
Only now are they realizing that their blind loyalty is worthless. Anyone with eyes to see noticed a long time ago that in the Bush administration, loyalty is a one-way street.
Corruption, for these people, is on a sliding scale.
“Mr. Gonzales was told that the dismissals has cast a cloud over all the U.s. attorney’s offices not only over the prosectur’s who were removed.”
So is the “Mr. McNulty” in Christy’s piece the same Prosecutor McNulty in the A*I*P*A*C/Rosen investigation/Case/trial coming up in early June? Why do the right wing neo-cons (Kristol, Frum etc) want Gonzales removed?
JEP @ 19
Probably not. From the Constitution: “No … ex post facto Law shall be passed.”
Bustednuckles @ 23
Just heard it. I missed it the first time around. Wow, what a lying sack of sh*t. He’s just laying it on so thick: We were just doing our usual benign hatchetwork over a few beers. The only notes were on coasters and we threw those away. So sorry, nothing to see here, you might as well go home. Does he seriously think everyone is as dumb as he is?
jinny @40
ON Pelosi & Bushy: No little pup enjoys being House-broken and having their nose rubbed in their puddle…
#33
“why hasn’t Gonzales resigned?”
He can’t. Bush has to get the new AG past a Dem controlled Senate, hence no more bootlickers. They would have to get a person with… yikes… integrity and bypartisan support. Not another toady like Da Albert G. Hence, the new person might be the one to enforce supoenas, drag these crooks into court, and eventually find them contempt of Congress. Even though he should be cleaning out his desk tomorrow, they are going to take this one to the mat and stall as long as they can before replacing him.
JEP @
11
Oh, my. What a coincidence that the target of the USA happens to be gay.
JGabriel @ 54
Probably not. From the Constitution: “No … ex post facto Law shall be passed.”
Constitution? Who follows that thing anymore?
Performance issues!?
In an e-mail from D. Kyle Sampson, the former chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales, to Harriet Miers in March 2005, Ryan was in a category described as “strong U.S. Attorneys who have produced, managed well, and exhibited loyalty to the President and Attorney General.”
Ryan only was added to the list in early December, after a federal judge warned the Justice Department that she was “going to ask members of Congress to get her a copy of the blistering evaluations the department had done of Ryan earlier that year.” The emails strongly suggest that Ryan was fired in order to prevent that from happening.
Just let that sink in. In the only case where there was a strong case for firing, the DoJ had to be extorted to do it.
Sampson be lying.
AZ Matt @ 39
I think they are the clouds of a mighty Shitstorm.
He’s human body armor for Bush/Rove. IF he resigned last week, judiciary would have still relentlessly forged ahead. Note that a lot of the focus now remains on him, and some on KKKarl. The uglier it looks gets for Abu, the more they will try to compartmentalize the responsibility.
Not that I think that is going to work.
The gripe that has been bugging me for over 3 days now is how in the world did Monica Goodling get her job? Have you seen her background? McClatchy Newspapers reports:
“Goodling, 33, is a 1995 graduate Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., an institution that describes itself as “committed to embracing an evangelical spirit.” She received her law degree at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Regent, founded by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, says its mission is “to produce Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world.”
Goodling did not even graduate law school until mid to late 1999; what qualifications does she have? Is she a member of a state bar anywhere? If so, I can find no evidence of it. Does she have ANY prosecutorial experience; again, if so I can find no record, and second chair on some piss-ant nominal case years after she was hired does not count. From what I have seen, this girl does not have the bonafides to be hired as a line level municipal prosecutor of petty offenses and small misdemeanors. How did she become Senior Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States and Liason to the White House/Executive Office? This is truly amazing. Heckuva Job Brownie was freaking far overqualified compared to Ms. Goodling. How did this wet behind the ears theocrat get planted in a senior DOJ position? How many other Monica Goodlings have been wrongfully planted in critical positions? (This is not an idle question, there have been unverified reports that there are a staggering 100-150 Regent graduates in the Bush Administration and Regent Law was not accredited until 1996, which means Dear Monica Goodling graduated in it’s first ever class). The Bushies have long loathed the separating wall between church and state; is this how they are breaking it down? The answers to these questions need much more attention and better answers than have occured to date. Anybody out there have further info?
hey brendan!
although I’d love to see it -
don’t see them publicly outing Arlen or Orrin on the language – too much institutional pride involved – kinda like doctors protecting other doctors with substance abuse problems – think they’ll just continue to slap him around and carry that carcass around his neck
besides, already heard some winger taking this one out for a test drive this am -
‘they’re united states senators! how come they didn’t know what was in the bill’ ?!?!?
Another reason Abu has not resigned…anyone they can get confirmed right now may not observe omerta when they get into justice and see where all the bodies are buried.
Issa, Issa, Issa,
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0327.html
I don’t recall. lol
old gold @
33
My guess is, Abu’s staying because he’s terrified that if he bails he invites prosecution, and the rest of the loonies let him because this gang’s so in bed with each other on so much bullshit and they’re scared shitless that anyone they cut loose will talk.
Issa’s gun convictions:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/…..153221.DTL
jayt @ 30
I’d like to amend these three words with my own that I call “The three I’s”
Indict – Impeach – Incarcerate
I missed Whitehouse but it sounds like he was getting into it pretty good. In the part I saw, even Feinstein asking about Foggo and Lam, Sampson seems to be getting away with a pretty weak defense. Failure to recollect, some very weak stuff about Gonzalez’ involvement and role. He seems willing to let Gonzalez take the hit for lying, in order to preserve the idea that the USAs were fired for cause/performance and that it was only political in the most mild sense.
Needless to say, it’s all ridiculous and vague obfuscation, but he seems to be getting away with it, more or less.
Leahy got off to a good start by asking direct questions about the president. But after seeing Waxman and his group, the Senators just don’t seem very effective. It’s interesting that the Repubs like Cronyn and Specter are somewhat less repulsive than the Oversight nuts Mica, Burton, and Davis, although Hatch is completely intolerable.
CSPAN-3: calls I think were possibly from earlier today, not clear if they are live at the moment or not.
A caller right made a set of terrific points: while it may not be technically illegal, it is completely incorrect and unethical for the WH to turn the DOJ and GSA and other agencies into political organizations. They are not supposed to be loyal to the President and his policies, but to the law. She said the blurring of the line between political and legal is not acceptable. Great call.
do-si-do @ 56
Pelosi with a smile for the cameras, whispers in Georges’ ear “G’head, veto it! You’re goin’ down, baby! And ps? We know what you did last summer!”
Brnaz@62
Great intel. Perhaps she sold the most Girl Scout cookies?
Steambomb @
51
I totaly missed it. Please tell us what happened?
Don’t know what it was all about. The camera was on them waiting for the Tuscaleegi(sp?) ceremony to begin. Speaker Pelosi and Bush were standing together and she was speaking to him very vivaciously.
He looked totally p’od as if he was being chewed and wanted to runaway. It went on for a few minutes, without sound or commentary then the camera cut away. CNN returned to news and they still have not returned to the ceremony.
zhiv @ 71
OMG, Whitehouse was a rockstar!
flaika @ 69
I’d like to amend these three words with my own that I call “The three I’s”
Indict – Impeach – Incarcerate
Does incinerate count? Sorry, I take that back.
[Mod Note. Thanks for the retraction]
@bmaz @ 62
She’s a pod person, tagged for a USA position, to be tagged for a Federal bench opening, to pray for a SCOTUS opening. The younger you get them on the bench, the longer they can legislate from the bench. Qualifications? You saw her resume, I think you know the answer.
and I think they’re gonna hold on to Abu for the very same reasons they hired him –
he is weak, pliant, and in waaay over his head – they’re not worried about him intentionally spilling the beans, they just know he’s such a c student, he’ll inadvertently give proof of pre meditation and conspiracy without even knowing what he’s done – they don’t want a junior investigator anywhere near his poorly equipped ass
sofistic @ 24
Did Doan even answer a question? It all sounded like bullshit to me. Every time she opened her mouth.
bmaz,
Someone brought up Zampolits yesterday. There seem to be lots of them in the Bush Administration, in their 30s, with little experience but lots of party loyalty. They were there to ensure that loyalty because they were largely incompetent otherwise, their stories once exposed don’t hold together well.
LS @ 66
CREW IS TARGETING ISSA!?!?!
Darrell, pack your bags, Melanie Sloan might just be the left hand of God!
cbl @ 79
Wow, isn’t it amazing how his persona has changed? No more torture Czar. No more Mr Toughguy. Now, he’s about as tough as a chewed up dog toy.
JEP @ 81
CREW IS TARGETING ISSA!?!?!
Darrell, pack your bags, Melanie Sloan might just be the left hand of God!
OOOOOhhh, finally, finally.
hey christy — to answer your
question: no, i don’t think anything
has been cleared up, thus far.
however, i do think sampson
showed, with his testimony this
morning, just how clever he is
at parsing his syntax to avoid
a direct-hit-a-midships. . .
but this afternoon’s session will
not go so easily, in my estimation.
yet to come, is the direct grilling
from sen. leahy on sampson’s dec. 2006
e-mail saying griffin’s appointment was
“important to karl; harriet. . .”
vs. . .
sampson’s preparation of an e-mail
in feb. 2007, outlining the rove had
“no involvement in the selection” of
griffin theme — a line offered by DoJ
to congressional inquiries, which we
now know, and sampson MUST have known
THEN, was FALSE — c’mon! — he wrote them
both, and they are separated by only
two months’ time!
leahy will take. him. apart. into.
little. tiny. pieces. on. this.
he’s likely disbarred.
is gonzo next? almost certainly.
why? because sampson gave gonzo
no “scooter libby-esque” bob-n-
weave room at all, this morning. . .
oops — time to tune back in!
Here’s some background from the local dirtrag on little miss friggin giggle box Dana Peroxide. How I loathe her!
sj-r.com link
top pic/story at msnbc.com is terrific –
picture of Kyle Sampson raising his hand to swear his oath, captioned with:
Terrific!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
cbl @ 77
Maybe you remember….there was a blizzard of petitions circulated to oppose Ashcrofts nomination to AG.
Its a sad commentary that Ashcroft was not compliant enough for this gang and they had to bring in someone like Abu.
At the time, many of us really thought that Ashcroft was the worst possible nominee for Justice.
How far the goalposts have moved over the years.
nolo -
agree above. believe the Dems will be bringin the heat this afternoon
flaika @ 69
Ooops…read that as “Indict – Impeach – Incinerate” at first.
On second thought…
[Modnote: Let’s not go down the ‘incineration’ road, shall we?]
The LA Times today has an op-ed from a former DoJ civil rights person. More meat for the investigators. (Left the linky way down in, IIRC, the ‘Which Kyle’ thread, but repeatign it here.)
Sampson’s testimony seems to be mostly obsfucation, dodging, and spinning. “Can’t recall”, “not to my knowledge” ad nauseum.
Professional liars just can’t break the habit.
Fresh labor thready goodness from Tula, upstairs for everyone.
I think Sampson is perilously close to throwing someone else under the bus, and probably the entire DoJ is on tenterhooks waiting for things to blow up.
Cranky Observer @
49
Yes, NPR’s Day-to-Day led off w/ the story and a piece about the hearing. Can’t remember details – wasn’t paying careful attention.
OTOH,
MY ny-Ex is a skilled blue-collar worker; his colleagues normally make him nuts by spouting Repb talking points. Last week, a conversation among 3 of them, one other Mexican-American and one African-Am, one of them brought up the story and, contrary to the Navarette types, (see Pach posts last wk) expressed his total disgust w/ Gonzales, said he wants him to resign. Didn’t care at all that AG is Hispanic, exccept as he’s BAD for Hispanics.
OF course, this is San Antonio–plenty of wingers, but more Dems and libruls here than most of Texas (outside of Austin, of course)
Gonzales was made Attorney General because he was a dependable mediocrity. His dim and dogged determination to slog through the current controversy is typical. He won’t realize that he has been thrown under the bus until it has rolled over him 20 or 30 times. A perfect stooge in other words.
No one is buying the religious connection here?
Anytime Pat Robertson’s name (Goodling’s alma mater) pops up in connection with anything, the bells and whistles go off in my mind.
There is no doubt these guys are thinking outside the box. They do what they do because they can. Why place limits on our imagination of what they are capable of?
My feed to the hearings conked out — did anyone ask Sampson if there was any discussion of the fact that removing Carol Lam might compromise the ongoing investigation of Dusty Foggo and Brent Wilkes? And if they did not discuss it, why not?
Just food for thought; Ashcroft got a near-mortal message for his Maker, and while the Crooner AG may not consciously relate his illness to his misdeeds, he sure jumped off the ship long before most of the other rats…
Frankly Bushies body language speaks volumes to me. He looks like a walking series of seizures, imo.
So McNulty’s and Gonzales’ staffs are feuding over blame. They should have been feuding over the firings. It sounds to me like they were all dumb and happy participants in the program until somebody noticed what they were doing. And what they were doing was already wrong. Let them scratch each other’s eyes out, and shame on them all.
“The criticism from prosecutors in the Justice Department’s field offices comes as the uproar over the dismissals appears to also have eroded confidence in Mr. Gonzales at the agency’s headquarters …” Sounds like the prosecutors were also a little late in rising to indignation.
This is what happens when a brat gets what he wants. The last thing President Pissypants needed was an attorney general without the smarts or the will to oppose his darkest desires, but he didn’t get what he needed: an attorney general who would keep his boss inside the law.
I have no confidence in the Justice Department or in any other branch of the thoroughly compromised and criminalized executive. I have no confidence in the judiciary that put these crooks in office and pretends to confer legitimacy on this dysfunctional but organized criminal enterprise. And I have very little confidence in the legislature, whose members may be rediscovering their responsibilities and their principles but who still rent them to moneyed interests.
Boom.
The “not strong on immigration crime” defense just took another hit below the waterline.
Go read:
tpm link
Hugh @ 81
I call them apparatchicks- the party faithful who are true believers and can be counted on to hide their motives. I think zampolits is a better term. I love Russian History, a great perspective for 2007 Amerika
Does anyone know if the “Mr. McNulty” in Christy’s piece is the same “Prosecutor Paul McNulty” in the A*i*p*a*c/Rosen investigation case/trial coming up in early June.
If there are efforts to “cast a cloud over all of the U.S. attorney’s offices not only over the prosecutors who were removed.” as Christy points out in her piece. Could this scandal “cast a cloud” over the upcoming trial in June?
WHY DO THE RIGHT WING NEO-CONS (KRISTOL AND OTHERS) WANT GONZALES REMOVED? Do they want this cloud cast over this upcoming trial?
Is this the same McNulty?
Same one Kathleen.
There have been zampolits in the media for decades. Novak, Will, Safire, and Buchanan were all Republican operative before they were journalists, and they all stayed loyal until Buchanan jumped ship (but not to the Democrats).
David Brooks was hired by the Times as a zampolit. Sometimes he seems a bit uneasy with his role, but if he ever broke from the party line in a big way I’m sure he and the Times would be trashed.
Matthews, Estrich, Stephanopolous, and Russert were Democrats once, but they aren’t any more. The five Republicans I named all remain very effective operatives.
Kathleen: Yes.
It is the same Prosecutor McNulty. So if McNulty is undermined in this Attorney General scandal, this potentially would effect his credibility in the upcoming Aipac/rosen espionage trial.
Now I know why Kristol wants Gonzales gone. He wants McNulty gone! He wants the A*P*C espionage trial undermined. “More clouds” Evil!
No hearing as yet on my tv gang — anyone seeing anything different? have checked all three C-Span channels…
The announcer on cspan 3 just said they were late coming back from lunch and will return as soon as the hearing commences…
Here we go…
kdh22 @ 86
To my loving mods…thanks for fixing the link for me.
Ugh, the last caller actually said “The war is a necessary war we must attain to sustain peace in the region…”
That’s like one of those deceptively simple drawings you used to see as a kid, titled “how many things can you find wrong with this picture?”
Dang I knew I should have played hookie today.
Kyle corrects his lie– he remembered over lunch that he has talked to the preznit.
HAH– Leahy says I would have reminded you ’cause I was there…
Dang I knew I should have played hookie today.
But then I’d have to take the next 6 month off.
I wish all the democrats without prosecatorial experience would cede their time to the professional questioners. And when will someone ask about the insertion of Patriot Act renewal by Tolbin who got Sampson’s slot in Orrin’s Army?
Oops, He has no recollection
Heavenly wine and roses/
Seems to whisper to her when he smiles/
Sweet Jane/
*
Good thoughts coming your way, Sweet Jane.
Sampson’s files:
This should be asked:
Did you clean out your files when you left?
Did you destroy any files?
The funniest part of the “I remember that meeting with the president” is someone said to Leahy: We want to know if YOU and the President had words.
Leahy: Yes, and with the VP too.
Laughter.
Then: We don’t need to talk about what words.
Bay State Librul @
118
Or, since he’s parsing, substitute “information” for “files”.
Shorter Kyle-Sampson “to my Knowledge” I know nothing. Sargeant Schultz-Hogans Heroes
ARe they (the Israeli lobby) trying to take out McNulty (the prosecutor for the A*I*P*A*C/Rosen espionage trial coming up in June) via this Gonzales scandal?
Are they trying to “cast a cloud over all the U.S. attorney’s offices not only over the prosecutor’s who were removed” as Christy points out in her article?
emptywheel @ 119
It was very funny indeed.
Now Senator Kyl is pointing out that, whlie he told Abu G to reconsider the firing of Charlton, Kyle wrote that “Kyl is fine.”
That is, they ignored and misrepresented his opinion on the matter.
Sen Kyle is trying to get some answers from Sampson.
Sen. Kennedy coming to bat!
Hey firepups-
Ted Kennedy has caught on to “the math” (Christy’s usage) of which USA’s were fired.
via TPM:
boston.com
Kennedy:
Where is the file that was in the desk draw.
sampson: I don’t remember keeping a very good file.
Wow, I didn’t expect that, I think Kyl didn’t help the Repugs with his line of questioning, actually sounded to me like he supported Charlton.
Shorter Sampson: *whines* My dog ate it!
Talking about the Griffin appointment now.
Sampson wasn’t aware of Rove being interested at the start.
Rayne @ 129
I think both McCain and Kyl aren’t happy with the AG on the removal of the AZ AG.
Rayne @ 125
He did. As Ensign supported Bogden.
Sampson: “I *assumed* Karl and Harriet were interested, I didn’t *know*.”
I don’t remember KKKarl talking to me.
Karl’s Blackberry tells no lies….
“To the best of my knowlege I don’t recall…” How many ways can we find to say “weasel”?
I’ve never spoken to Karl Rove. In fact, I’m not all that sure who he is…
Shorter Kyle:
“I’m happy to throw Abu G under the bus. But no way I’m going to throw Rove under the bus.”
Of course, Karl has been known to lie under oath. I wonder if Mini-Me follows him that closely?
Rove didn’t talk to me in person or by phone.
How about by email or blackberry??
I would like someone to ask Sampson exactly what did you do as Gonzales’s chief of staff? Pick your nose? Play solitaire on the computer? Because he doesn’t seem to have any clue about even the most minimal of business or management standards.
As for his memory, I bet Scooter is saying to himself, “Hey even I can remember more than this clown.”
He ain’t aware of what the AG’s office has dumped yesterday. AG throwing him under the bus. Who has the bigger bus?
Forgive the crude analogy, but this situation with how USAs got on the list, or off the list, who approved what, and why, sounds like some whore was being passed around the office, and now everyone involved is surprised that she is pregnant, and obviously nobody want to take credit.
(Yes guys can be whores too, just can’t get pregnant, although they could spread some STDs as a nice surprise)
Email. Appt. of Griffin was important to Karl and Harriet.
Sampson: nope, don’t remember exactly. Jennings and Taylor were interested, so I assumed, but . . .Karl never talked to me directly. Noone said anything about Karl. I just assumed. I put it in my email.
I wish to golly, that they would ask them what Domenici’s complaint about Iglesias was.
Please be well, Jane. Sending virtual flowers.
I really LOATHE John Kyl, but to his credit, he has supported Paul Charlton in this mess. He nominated Chalrton (a VERY good man by the way; literally along the integrity lines of Fitz) and has stuck by him publically. Kyl is a Spectre like snake though, when push comes to shove, he will play the Bush party line every time.
Ya think former USA Lam might have had something to do w/ this 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.”
nbc link
Did you attend to meetings at the WH about replacing USAs?
Pause.
Yes.
It’s time to ask for phone records, don’t you think?
It’s time to ask for logs of any meeting rooms, too.
“uh…” is a tell.
L I E Coming up!
Did Rove ever attend those meeting in the WH?
How many meetings?
Once a week meetings.
Jim Clausen – if you are here, check your email
emptywheel @ 145
Yup, there was meeting notice in the original doc dump scheduled at the White House — and not one invitee on the meeting notice was from the White House.
Yah. Sure.
>.>
It’s time to cut to the chase, and subpoena the backup tapes for the RNC mail servers. :P
Thanks all for keeping me abreast of the hearing. All I have is you…no teevee, no stream
When did you go off the DOJ payroll.
March 14.
Grassely at Bat
Dammitall, don’t just ask if he’s on DOJ payroll.
Ask him with whom he is currently employed.
Grassley: we all accept US Attorneys serve at Preznit’s pleasure.
Eww. . . there it is again. Sounds sado/masochistic.
kdh22 @ 154
I don’t know whether to pity you or envy you…! Do our best for you.
When is the Judiciary Committee ask about the off-site e-mail accounts? I’d like to see something along the lines of:
Mr. Sampson, can you tell us about any e-mails sent to accounts at gwb43.com, georgewbush.com, or any other off-site accounts? Any about official or political business?
What? republikans object to this hearing?
WHAT????
Hm, they must be close to something, they didn’t even do this during the Downing Street Minutes hearing, just held running votes…
Repub objection to the hearing?! What’s Leahy talking about?
Those representations need to be accurate and complete.
Congress ought to get a consistant story.
Repubs objecting to hearing. Gone to recess.
WTF
mui @ 161
It’s like a vampire objecting to daylight.
Uh-oh. Somebody doesn’t like where this went.
I think the bit about Sampson lying about Rove and Miers did it.
edit: mind you, that’s my editorial opinion, that Sampson lied.
Leahy: “We have just recieved word that the republicans have objected to our having this hearing..we stand recessed”
Call the “Waaaaaaaahmbulance”.
Damn right they object to this hearing. Their boys are getting creamed.
WOW.
They just shut this down.
I guess Karl didn’t like the direction it was headed.
Nice htat they shut down GRASSLEY.
Sounds like they have the right to say “we aren’t having this hearing while we’re missing Senate proceedings.” Leahy said they’d be back when the Senate adjourns.
I’m guessing here…
Hugh @ 167
It’s like a vampire objecting to daylight.
Quoted for Truth.
how does that happen. and if it’s a normal senate rule, how come dems never used it to stop some shit the r’s were doing.
again, wtf.
WTF? Senate Republicans Object To The Sampson Hearings Continuing!!!
JGabriel @ 162
Wouldn’t it be nice if they senators picked up some of our IMHO very good questions. Like I want them to ask about Domenici.
I smell Rover……
via Hatch and McConnell.
Too much about those Wednesday meetings, you think?
well this might get interesting….
how they gonna justify this?
uhoh, here comes the ‘witchunt’ routine. What nerve.
So, what’s the method? How is the truth pursued from here?
Rayne @ 168
Who exactly objected. Which Republikans?
IIRC each day the Senate has unanimous consent resolutions allowing the various committees to meet. It’s usually routine. Someone apparently threw a monkey wrench into the process, probably for some high minded reason like spite.
angie @ 171
Certainly McConnell. But if it were Hatch, why wouldn’t Grassley know about it?
They’ll regroup, whittle down the playbook, intstruct the boy and come back out and say it was all a misunderstanding.
nuncamas @ 175
Because the Republicans never did anything in official committee meetings that this sort of objection would be useful against. How many times do you recall Republicans holding special committee meetings of any kind?
Hope there is more of statement on this from Leahy or Reid.
Gee, Orin isn’t gonna check it out? Jackass
what the hell just happened? Can they do that?
conniptionfit @ 169
Who is the majority?
emptywheel @ 175
Oh boy, for a sniffer that could pick up text messages over Washington…
Oh wait. THe journos are glomming onto Hatch, so it probably was Hatch…
mui @ 177
Wouldn’t it be nice if they senators picked up some of our IMHO very good questions. Like I want them to ask about Domenici.
Kathleen @
191
Who is the majority?
The Dems are making a point of following the rules.
emptywheel @ 179
You mean someone in the wings is saying: oh gosh the little snitwit is running on about the meetings. Not the meetings! Cut! Objeeect!
mui @ 175
Actually, I have heard at least one question I posted here during the hearings. Whitehouse asked whether Sampson had discussed his testimony, which is something I posted this morning.
So maybe the Democratic Senate Staffers are checking here.
emptywheel @ 185
Certainly McConnell. But if it were Hatch, why wouldn’t Grassley know about it?
Yeah they interrupted the poor dear.
This might be good…After they reconvene, people will be home from work.
Hugh @ 184
Or crime.
emptywheel @ 191
la Morman Familia…
MSNBC covering this now
Man, this just makes them look bad. What are the Repubs doing?
Cause Hatch is slimy and I wouldn’t put it past him, emptywheel.
(He also knows all the tricks and was former chair of this cmte)
Sampson is telling a DOJ flunkie to get rid of the evidence in the right-hand drawer of his old desk.
emptywheel @ 172
Maybe they’re getting back at Grassley for his efforts against “Cookies” Doan yesterday.
mui @ 192
Um, not in the wings…more like somebody streaming feed just like us but in a different building not too far away…somebody armed with a text msg enabled phone…
C-SPAN said that the recess is because the regular Senate session is still on-going and you don’t have these kinds of sessions during that time.
AZ Matt @ 186
Sounds like the bullshit move this morning for a roll-call on a nearly unanimous vote.
Somebody needs time to get their story straight. Or make an ATM withdrawal.
Obstructing this hearing, will cause the MAJORITY to not play so nice from now on.
Okay, I’m thinking he’s more a cross between Rove and Radar (M*A*S*H).
This is how the politics game is played folks. No holds barred!
What do the Rubber Stamp Republicans fear about the truth and sunshine? What are they helping cover up?
He does look just like Radar!!
If they shut it down, it’s too late for Gonzo:
AP: Sampson sez Gonzo did it.
Rove must have wanted this stopped before the flames touched him. I think that the Democrats should make a point of noting who was telling the Republicans to shut it down.
Anyone have an ETA on reconvening?
What were they getting into before the break? Whose fingerprints were surfacing? What the hell is going on here?
Mandrake @ 212
He’s the Evil Radar. I’ve been saying that for three days now. :-)
david baerwald @ 218
This is what scared them: AP: Evil Radar tosses Gonzo under the bus.
Nola Sue @ 199
Maybe they’re getting back at Grassley for his efforts against “Cookies” Doan yesterday.
Maybe they’re researching ways to ask Grassley to step down.
“You think we could put a measure in the PATRIOT Act giving Bush the power to appoint Senators who step down mid-hearing?”
LS @ 211
You got it.
Phoenix Woman @ 214
They won’t be able to trace it back any further than whichever Senator objected. Which I’m assuming is Hatch, from the earlier comments in this thread.
Majority needs to take the gloves off right now and relentlessly go for the jugular on these corrupt, Bushkinder thugs on every level they can before something happens and they are the minority again.
annx @
203
They’re trying to save Rove at all costs: Evil Radar Sampson just took out the Gonzo firewall, and Rove was next.
david baerwald @ 218
Meetings in the WH with Miers (and he almost said Rove) that occurred once a week and following those meetings at times the firings were discussed..then BAM…hearing recessed because Republicans objected to the hearing on an infrequently used rule.
Time to serve Karl his papers.
Emptywheel on DailyKos alert:
Bob in HI
Before, oh, I don’t know, Joe Lieberman switches parties? That’s the real way to turn off all this “accountability” stuff.
From what I can discern (Mike Viquera on MSNBC had the best explanation) this is a viable rule to invoke, but NEVER is used. Can’t even determine the last time it was invoked. There is no question in my mind but that this was a planned out in case they got in trouble; otherwise it would have been invoked earlier. Strict followup on the areas being examined, and that were logical followups of the areas being examined, at the time of the recess must be made. Something touched a panic nerve here.
Arrrgh! So let’s get this straight… Some Republican on the Senate floor objected to the Judiciary commitee continuing to meet? And that means that Leahy HAS to suspend the hearing to get it straightened out? Who objected? What was their reason? What specifically was going on in the testmony at the time the hearing was suspended? Did it have anything to do with the suspension? Do they all have to troop over to the floor now and do they have to get permission to resume?
Just when he started name dropping, Karl, Harriet, hum………..just when it was getting good.
Rayne @ 207
aaaaah technology, a double-edged sword!
Anyone see Hatch look down surreptitiously?
Phoenix Woman @ 220
You got it.
That’s part of the Republican playbook. Make it impossible for the Dems to function or govern unless the Dems play hardball.
Then whine and complain and use it to justify their own sleazy hardball tactics.
The second half of the hearing on the firing of 8 US Attorneys with D. Kyle Sampson, former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, screeched to a sudden halt today when Republican senators objected that the hearing violated Senate rules.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced that the hearing would need to be frozen while Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) was reading a statement.
“Does that apply to Republicans?” Grassley asked.
“It’s the Republicans who want it to stop,” Leahy answered.
A live broadcast on MSNBC explained that Senate rules state that hearings can only occur for a certain number of hours before they must be concluded so that Members will pay attention to activities on the Senate floor.
from Raw Story
My guess…Kyl then Grassley not playing by Rover’s rules
Well this cutting off the hearing was just plain old sleazy Republikan.
I put up a fresh thread on the procedural maneuver and the little bit of testimony we got to see today for folks who want to discuss it. Please move there so we don’t get a drag on the servers. Thanks.
The latest in my letters to Grassley, who is my Bad senator as opposed to Harkin:
Dear Senator Grassley:
I note with interest your voice vote with the Judiciary committee on subpoena authority.
I note with interest your questioning of FBI Director Mueller on abuse of privacy at the FBI.
I note with interest your questions on the GSA hearing today.
Yet I wrote you of my concerns several times over the past six years and have received only canned responses and platitudes.
You have voted virtually in lockstep with this administration and I feel you have failed in your oversight responsibilities. Thank you for starting to distrust a unitary executive that holds both Congress and the Judiciary in contempt.
A concerned Patriot,
Jim Clausen
LS @ 215
Can’t remember that guy’s last name, it’s Gary Something.
bmaz @ 230
If true, if it was the nature of the questions that caused this tactic to be used, who was the questioner at the time, Kennedy?
LS @ 222
Bush-kinder?? Thats PERFECT! ROTFLMAO!!
emptywheel @ 179
Methinks you have it figured out.
FWIW, C-Span 2 (Senate) is conducting quorum call. From what I can tell, the only thing on calendar are general speeches & possible funding for stem cell research.
The Senate is in Quorum Call. Complete hackery. Let’s find out who objected and tatoo them with the a big RED “O” for obstructionist.
He is busted. Why didn’t Kennedy ask him: If you Assumed Karl was wanting this back in December, Why did you no longer Assume this when you drafted a letter that specifically asked if Karl Roves’s office was involved? This is inconsistent.
> From what I can discern (Mike Viquera on MSNBC
> had the best explanation) this is a viable rule
> to invoke, but NEVER is used. Can’t even
> determine the last time it was invoked.
Come on, guys: when Harry Reid invoked the secret session a year ago we were all clapping and cooing over how clever he was. The Repubs found an obscure rule in the book and invoked it; the Dems are playing along to preserve at least the illusion of comity[1]. That’s the way the Senate works.
Cranky
[1] Yes, personally I agree that comity is oversold but most Senators have played that way since at least 1940.
Is anyone having audio problems with CSpan 3?
RonD @ 229
You can’t buy Joe Leiberman for a blow job.
[Mod Note; using two words helps avoid moderation.]
Sen. Leahy reminds me of James Cromwell’s role in L.A. Confidental. So very pleasant, and so very, very dangerous. o.o;
Why would anyone trust the Justice Department anymore?
The Rove/Cheney/Bush/Ashcroft/Gonzales/PNAC plan was to turn the Justice Department into just another political wing of the Republican Party, to help the Republicans maintain their authoritarian grip on our democracy for the next two generations, and beyond.
Monica Goodling, the DOJ’s White House liaison, moreover, reportedly was requiring all deputy U.S. Attorneys to take a loyalty oath. To our Constitution and the Bill of Rights? No. To the Republican Party and since she was a graduate of Pat Robertson’s university, probably a loyalty oath to Pat Robertson and his evil religious agenda for our nation, too.
Doesn’t our Constitution forbid any religious litmus test for anyone holding public office? I thought so. Then Monica Goodling and all the other right-wing religious flakes are an abomination relative to the sanctity of our Constitution.
And this is why the only U.S. federal prosecutors who might be trusted with our Constitution are the ones who were unceremoniously fired on Dec. 7, 2006, a day in our democracy that will live in infamy.
Forrest Prince @ 92
Yes. It seemed to me Sampson was lying through his teeth, protecting the WH, and throwing the AG overboard…an awful lot of “I don’t remembers.” Ad nauseum, indeed.