Gonzales Testimony in the News

[Solly Mack]

"The best way to put this behind us is your resignation," Senator Tom Coburn bluntly told Gonzales, one Republican conservative to another.

Gonzales Defends U.S. Attorney Firings, Resists Resignation

"Gonzales then laid down his most emphatic defense so far, declaring, "I have to know in my heart that I can continue to be effective as the leader of this department. Sitting here today, I believe that I can. And every day I ask myself that question, 'Can I continue to be effective as leader of this department?' The moment I believe I can no longer be effective, I will resign as attorney general." "

Gonzales says he doesn't recall discussions about Biskupic

"Kohl asked if Biskupic was on a list of U-S attorneys being considered for dismissal. Gonzales told Kohl that Biskupic was listed. And, when Kohl pressured him as to why Biskupic was removed from the list, Gonzales told him he didn't recall any discussions about the Milwaukee attorney.

Gonzales says his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, compiled the list and that he would be the best person to ask."


Grassley demands "straight story" from Gonzales

""Why is your story changing?" Grassley asked Gonzales as he was grilled this afternoon in Washington D.C. by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"We shouldn't be getting conflicting statements from the attorney general or his staff," Grassley said."


Gonzales rejects call for his ouster

""For the good of the country, resign," said Sen. Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat who has emerged as one of Gonzales' most persistent critics. The attorney general replied that the burden of proof was on those alleging wrongdoing."


Gonzales Admits Mistakes in Firings

" Attorney General Alberto Gonzales advanced a careful, lawyerly defense of the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors on Thursday, admitting mistakes and telling openly skeptical lawmakers he had ``never sought to deceive them.'' "

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/04/19/national/w065726D18.DTL&type=politics">Leahy Gives Gonzales a Tongue-Lashing

"Seated alone at the witness table, Gonzales listened quietly as Sen. Patrick Leahy, the committee's chairman, delivered a tongue-lashing in the opening moments of a widely anticipated hearing."


***************************************************************************************************
Ex-Aide Says Gonzales Discussed Firings

"The former top aide to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales has told Congressional investigators that Mr. Gonzales was “inaccurate,” or “at least not complete” in asserting that he had no role in the deliberations about individual United States attorneys who were later dismissed..."

[Solly Mack]

1. U.S. Sen. Feingold: Transcript of questioning of Attorney General Gonzales

U.S. Sen. Feingold: Transcript of questioning of Attorney General Gonzales

[Solly Mack]

2. How Many Synonyms For "Lying" Can You Come Up With?

How Many Synonyms For "Lying" Can You Come Up With?

[brer cat]

3. Great post, Solly Mack! K&R

[Solly Mack]

7. Thanks, brer cat

:hi:

[Jcrowley]

4. Kick and Rec n/t

[Solly Mack]

8. TY!

[Solly Mack]

5. Excerpts From Gonzales Hearing

Excerpts From Gonzales Hearing

"Let me be clear about this: While the process that led to the resignations was flawed, I firmly believe that nothing improper occurred. U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. There is nothing improper in making a change for poor management, policy differences or questionable judgment, or simply to have another qualified individual serve I think we agree on that. I think we also agree on what would be improper. It would be improper to remove a U.S. attorney to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain I did not do that I would never do that." -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

[redacted]

6. BUSH’S LAW AIDE SAYS SORRY AND BEGS FOR JOB (Times of London, UK )

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=707657&mesg_id=707657

[Solly Mack]

19. Thanks!!!!

[WiseButAngrySara]

9. Wonderfully organized post! Bookmarking and KNR! ....n/t

[Solly Mack]

12. Thanks!

:hi:

[WiseButAngrySara]

21. Thank YOU Solly Mack!

:hi: back at 'ya and another :kick:!

[Solly Mack]

10. Gonzales's testimony leaves senators frustrated

Gonzales's testimony leaves senators frustrated

" Key senators from both parties appear to have a message for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: You haven't regained our confidence."


Fending off calls for his resignation...
Gonzales defends prosecutor firings
White House says attorney general has Bush's full confidence>

[Solly Mack]

11. Gonzales balks at resignation call in Senate hearing on US Attorney firings

Gonzales balks at resignation call in Senate hearing on US Attorney firings

"In his prepared remarks , he expressed regret at how the eight fired prosecutors were treated and admitted to making "misstatements" in previous testimony. He further said:"

[Solly Mack]

13. Gonzales says attorneys were fired for disparate reasons - with documents

Gonzales says attorneys were fired for disparate reasons

[Solly Mack]

14. Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Hearings - 110th Congress (Text)

Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Hearings - 110th Congress

Link to find texts of hearings once posted

[ChiciB1]

15. Thanks For The GREAT Work... I Don't Have C-Span 3 & Only Got

to hear a little on the stream. I was just watching on C-Span 2 and it's almost too much to bear. This little weazel is simply trying to cover up the ASSES of other people and he's just so HORRIBLE!

He can't even lie effectively, and there is NO DOUBT that he's LYING with every other breath! It's INSANE!!

Where did America GO?????

[Solly Mack]

18. You're welcome!!! I watched it and I still can't believe what I saw...

What I heard.

You're right - he can't lie worth a damn. It's a wonder they keep him...lying is a must with those thugs.

[ChiciB1]

25. Just Wanted To Say Thanks Again... C-Span Only Ran Part Of It...

At least your post does help. But "watching it" would be more fun!

Guess they'll have it on later. I'm going back to check again, but it said something about another program to start at 9:45. My daughter brought me the "BOBBY" CD over, so if it's not on I'll watch the movie. I've been putting it off... CAUSE I don't want to CRY!!

It broke my heart when they killed him and I don't think I've ever recovered!

[Solly Mack]

27. I still haven't watched it. (Bobby) It made me sad just seeing the

DVD. Still bought it - but placed in a stack of DVDs and told myself I would watch it - just not now. Just too sad to watch..

[ChiciB1]

28. I DID Watch It Last Night... You SHOULD Watch It... It Will Make You

sad if you were active back then. The time was my REAL initiation into politics and it was amazing to see the similarities from back then to the present day. Some of the thoughts and words were almost exactly the same!

It made me nostalgic for times gone by, but also very mad when I thought about the "activism" back then. Our hopes for something better did produce some results as opposed to the stagnation we see today. HOPE was a word I believed in back then... today I'm not so sure, because mostly I feel FEAR!

If I were to be completely honest I'd have to say that I AM seeing/feeling a "movement" now, but I also sense we may experience an eruption of an undercurrent of emotions held in check for far too long. It could be because I'm older now, but I have remained an activist and am not afraid to "fight the good fight" so I wonder why it makes me want to run for cover!

The movie was different than I expected, but I did enjoy it. I don't want to give it away if you haven't seen it, but I have a word I would use to describe it. But I can't tell you the word because it will give it away. I liked it myself, others might not.

[Solly Mack]

31. I'll watch it this weekend

But I know it will be like watching hope die.

[ChiciB1]

34. Yeppers!!! n/t

[Swamp Rat]

16. k&r

:kick:

[Solly Mack]

17. Hey Swamp!...work some Swamp magic on this picture :)

[Solly Mack]

20. Gonzales utters 'I don't recall' often

Gonzales utters 'I don't recall' often

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.,) in anticipation of Gonzales's faulty memory....

"First, we must get sincere and direct answers from the attorney general. We need clear responses, not careful evasions. The attorney general, as we have all read, has been preparing long and hard for this hearing, so I hope and expect we'll be treated to a minimum of "I don't recall…"

Schumer's hopes were dashed. "


"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has said “I don’t recall” or "I don’t remember" nearly forty times today in response to questions about details of meetings and discussions related to the firings of federal prosecutors. I counted 38 “I don’t recalls” with a few more “I don’t remembers” sprinkled in from just the morning part of the hearing."

[Swamp Rat]

22. Here ya go:

[Solly Mack]

26. WOW! That's Great!

Thank you!

[sendero]

23. I got to listen to about 2 hours...

..of the testimony and my my my, Mr Gonzo was beside himself with soft contrition, mea culpas, and unbelievable utterances of "I'd never do that, I'd never do anything wrong, I'd never do anything even questionable".

It was pretty pathetic. And just about everyone there sounded like they didn't believe a word of it.

[ChiciB1]

24. Perhaps Thney Sounded Like they Didn't Believe It Because It

just can't be believed. They didn't finish running anymore of the hearing after the ten minute break, so now I'll have to wait til midnight or something.

Maybe have to wait for the week-end, but this POST is really good and I got a lot of info here.

[Solly Mack]

29. I watched and kept trying to figure out what was nagging me about the whole thing

In the wee hours of the morning it finally became clear to me...it felt like theatre to me. Or maybe a carnival since I got the impression I was watching a two-headed chicken on display.

[WinkyDink]

32. He's dumb like a fox. The conditional "would never do" is NOT the same as "never did".

He showed this is his equivocation M.O. when he "corrected" Specter: "You say you prepared for all meetings."

Gonzales: "I didn't say 'I prepared for all meetings'; I said, 'I PREPARE for all meetings."

IOW, HE WILL NOT ANSWER FOR HIS PAST DEEDS.

[WinkyDink]

30. See? THERE'S the real problem: Gonzo views himself as merely "the leader of this department."

Instead of being the CHIEF LAW ENFORCER of the LAND!!

He "decide(s) based on the decisions of subordinates"; he "read(s) reports"; he "know(s) they wouldn't have political motives"; he "think(s) they're all heroes in service to the government"; and "there's nothing (he) can find in the testimony" to show otherwise.

Just another member of the "What---Me Worry?" Administration.

[Solly Mack]

33. He surrounds himself with smart people

I caught that during the testimony...he was using the same excuses Bush uses


See.."mistakes were made" and he takes "responsibility" but he didn't do anything wrong because he got "bad intel"

[ChiciB1]

35. It's A Ritualistic Thing... Sort Of Like A Mantra With "THESE" People! n/t

[DFW]

36. "Inaccurate" or "at least not complete?"

Why just not come out and say that much of Gonzo's testimony was "inoperative?"

With apologies to the Bard, a lie by any other name is just as phony.

[Solly Mack]

37. I know! Just call a lie a lie and a liar a liar and be done with it

[Lone_Star_Dem]

38. Great thread

Thanks Solly!

[Solly Mack]

41. Thanks, Lone_Star_Dem

:hi:

[krkaufman]

39. My favorite image from the testimony, seen on KO & ABC News...

[Solly Mack]

40. LOL! Love it!