Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be ‘Senate-Confirmed’

[kpete]

Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be ‘Senate-Confirmed’

A little-noticed provision slipped into the Patriot Act in 2005 allows the President to appoint “interim” U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without Senate confirmation. On Jan. 18, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales assured the Senate Judiciary Committee that the administration never intended to take advantage of it:

GONZALES: And so let me publicly sort of preempt perhaps a question you’re going to ask me, and that is: I am fully committed, as the administration’s fully committed, to ensure that, with respect to every United States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney.

I think a United States attorney who I view as the leader, law enforcement leader, my representative in the community — I think he has greater imprimatur of authority, if in fact that person’s been confirmed by the Senate.

But in mid-December, an e-mail by Gonzales’s chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson (who resigned yesterday), showed that the Justice Department clearly intended to skirt the Senate altogether and use the Patriot Act provision to appoint U.S. attorneys that would serve until the end of Bush’s term:

more at:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/13/gonzales-lies/

[ck4829]

1. Impeach Gonzales!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=400501&mesg_id=400501

[Lasher]

2. I guess we're supposed to believe Speedy didn't know about any of this.

Sure, like he just wanders around all day and never speaks to anyone else in the DoJ.

And it was Sampson who asked Specter's Senate Judiciary Committee staffers to slip the offending provision into the Patriot Act renewal.

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Once again, another Bushetal will go all semantic on the nation

and complain "I didn't say anything about interim attorneys. Read my words, Senator."

[IWantAChange]

4. Uh Gonzo - did u think everyone would forget what u said???

Another Republicon poster boy - Incompetent and a Liar.

[NewJeffCT]

6. They don't really care

They know they can use their allies in the media to create enough confusion on this situation (or any other) that it will take many months before people realize all the BS that has been spouted at them.

[wicket]

5. K & R

:kick: