Did Bush goons censor CSPAN Gonzalez hearing replay???

[mockingbich]

According to the AmericanPatrol...Sen Kennedy's exchange with Gonzalez, at the confirmation hearing for Attorney General, was edited out of the CSPAN replay http://www.americanpatrol.com/05-FEATURES/050109-WH-COVER-UP-GONZO/050109_Feature.html

The original exchange involved Gonzalez in a struggle to form a coherant statement about enforcing immigration law
http://www.americanpatrol.com/05-FEATURES/050107-GONZALES-HEARING/050107_Feature.html

Could it be that Bush goons had this embarassing exchange slashed from the CSPAN archive? Does anybody at DU know a way to authenticate or disprove this story? I don't necessarily trust the word of American Patrol because there is some xenophobic rhetoric on the site. But if this IS true think of the implications... I've always relied upon CSPAN as an unedited view of Congress

[imenja]

1. Why, did Gonzalez actually say anything worth censoring?

I was busy watching the election debate that day, but from what I saw, Gonzalez didn't even answer questions about torture. Why on earth would the White House bother censoring the hearing? Isn't it more likely CSPAN simply edited it for time?

[Carolab]

2. It was on Sunday a.m.

I started to watch Kennedy question him and he did ask about immigration but I was in a hurry to leave and so didn't have time to watch it in full.

I got into it two questioners ahead of Kennedy and all I could think was how much Gonzales qualifies his statements. Such as "I believe that is correct" instead of "yes" or that the executive upholds our civil rights "within the scope of the law" or statements to that effect. He doesn't answer questions directly. Anyone else notice that? Yet, in a courtroom, attorneys always ask for a straight "yes" or "no" answer and won't allow you to equivocate. It seemed that no one was asking for sufficient clarification on several points.

[Hekate]

3. It's the Condi Rice style of equivocation

Ever since the spectacle of her "testimony" at the 9-11 Commission I've noticed how many other Bush administration people have the same style for their non-answers. They just run out the clock.

Hekate

[mockingbich]

4. Ya'll are right about the "non answers" from Bush appointees but

this time Gonzalez DID answer. The answer is the problem. For example, when describing criminal illegal aliens he said "they might be unlawful aliens but otherwise lawful citizens." WHat the hell does that mean? Unlawful aliens ARE NOT citizens. Out of 280 million Americans this is the guy Bush picks for top cop? Am I living in the twilight zone?

[Hekate]

7. We've gone from Burkha-Boob to Torquemada for AG. Lucky us.

The first one tossed a blue drape over the statue of Justice because she had one breast exposed, which is probably supposed to represent the milk of human kindness juxtaposed with the stern scales of justice.

The second thinks torture is an acceptable way to pry information out of prisoners, even though they are likely to say anything at all just to make it stop.

Quite possibly we have entered the Twilight Zone.

Hekate

[newyawker99]

8. Hi mockingbich!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[teryang]

5. It's called media training

The top PR firms have this down to a science.

[bananas]

6. nytimes has complete transcript, but not washington post?

I googled for "gonzales kennedy transcript harass",
the first hit was this discussion:
http://www.rightnation.us/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t64862.html

One person noted that the washingtonpost.com transcript did not contain
the missing text, another person found a more complete transcript
at nytimes.com with the missing text and I verified this was so.

The direct links to the transcripts are:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A53883-2005Jan6
Click on "Print This Article" for the full text.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/06/politics/06TEXT-GONZALES.html
Click on "Printer-Friendly Format" for the full text.

Use bugmenot.com if you don't want to register.

[mockingbich]

9. Thanks for the replies...it turns out the first rerun was

edited, but the full length testimony is now available at the CSPAN website...