Link to watch the Schumer/Comey hearing..(on now)

[SoCalDem]

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2774

[sabra]

1. Specter mad that Schumer has gone 16 minutes over the allocated time

[SoCalDem]

2. That's the infuriating part of these hearings. It should take as long as it takes

when there is real questioning going on..(not just posturing)..

Can you imagine a court hearing where the judge says "you have 5 minutes"?

That's partially why we get such shitty legislation..

[bdamomma]

17. there is no such thing as "debating" anymore.

[Missy Vixen]

3. This should be on CNN

I think this is the most astonishing testimony I have seen during a government hearing. Period.

Julie

[sabra]

4. Juicy stuff...

[me b zola]

19. CNN showed about 5 minutes of Comey's testimony

The little that I heard was astonishing indeed. :wow:

[maddezmom]

5. Kick

thanks for posting :kick:

[spanone]

6. Kick AND R

[malaise]

7. Thanks

watching now.

[SoCalDem]

8. isn't it odd.. The "news channels" forego NEWS so they can

go "wall-to-wall" on an election that's almost 2 years away :(

[malaise]

11. Not at all

it's abuot MSM making more and more money from election ads. They are not interested in news. They are interested in impression management.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Please keep us up to date!

My PC only has wmp so I can't get on. :cry:

[Skink]

10. What is it he won't talk about?

[Norquist Nemesis]

12. Who? Whaa?

argh!!! I hate it when I can't tune in!! :banghead:

[sabra]

13. Comey talking about how WH tried to get Ashcroft to sign things while he was sick

in the hospital. I believe related to spying on Americans...

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. It was the 'Domestic Surveillance' that Bush went ahead with anyway

Comey had told them 'No' and Gonzo and Andy Card hightailed it over to Ashcroft's hospital room to get him to sign off. Ashcroft refused.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/politics/01spy.html?ex=1179374400&en=cb8221ee6567f18f&ei=5070

IIRC, the NYT was getting hammered (again!) for "treasonous acts" on that story...one of many.

[malaise]

15. Let's go Russ

Nail them.

[sabra]

16. Feingold just praised him for standing tall...

[malaise]

18. When is Monica Goodling's session?

[annabanana]

24. That was when I stopped hating Ashcroft. . . I think he's

completely off the wall with his beliefs and judicial philosophy.. But I think he is an honorable man.

[me b zola]

21. Wasn't this also the time period the WH wanted to replace Fitzgerald?

That was the first thing that came to my mind.

It sounds as though Comey has made a deal with Schumer about what he will and won't talk about. Things like that make me nervous.

[Missy Vixen]

25. If you listened carefully to the testimony

>It sounds as though Comey has made a deal with Schumer about what he will and won't talk about. Things like that make me nervous.<

There were several instances in which Schumer and others there referred to "closed-door testimony". They're discussing classified information. It should not be aired in an open hearing. Senator Schumer and his colleagues will get the truth. This is what the House Judiciary Committee failed to ask Mr. Comey.

Comey was the most candid of any official we've seen in front of this committee. He is extremely brave for even showing up without a subpoena, period. What he DID discuss is so explosive it should have been shown on every channel, live. Period.

Julie

[me b zola]

26. I wish that it had been on every channel, then I could have listened carefully...

...to the testimony. As it is the only testimony that I was able to see was a brief clip shown on cnn. Thanks for your concern.



on edit, i before e except after c.

[Missy Vixen]

27. I wish you could have seen it all, too

I'm just sick CSPAN wasn't there, because now we're all hunting for any of the hearing so others can hear it as well.

I think it is must-view for any American who cares about what's been happening in the Justice Department.

Julie

[Peace Patriot]

20. Live blog at www.firedoglake.com. Explosive testimony!

Firedoglake does excellent live blogging, by very knowledgeable bloggers.

Comey said he wouldn't leave Ashcroft alone in the his hospital room with Gonzo and Card who--against Mrs. Ashcroft's wishes (she had banned all visitors)--tried to get him to sign off on illegal spying program. He wouldn't sign. He said Comey was AG in his absence. Comey wouldn't sign, and told them all including Bush not to do it. Gonzo and Card were trying to get around Comey by taking a signing doc to Ashcroft's sick bed. Comey called Mueller and asked for FBI and rushed over there, to protect Ashcroft from undue pressure. He said it was the worse day of his life in public office.

In the end, Gonzo, Cheney, Addington, Card and Bush enacted illegal spying even though DoJ would not sign off on it. That's why Comey resigned.

Arlen Specter tried to fuzzy the line to Bush. Comey made it clear that Bush did not tell him, face to face, to "do the right thing" (re nix illegal spying program). Comey told Bush to talk to Mueller who REPORTED to Comey that Bush said to do the right thing. (Appparently, they were at that point trying to avoid mass resignations at DoJ, by Comey, Mueller and people loyal to them and to the rule of law). And, of course, Bush went ahead with illegal spying.

I am amazed at what Comey is saying--directly--and also implication that they were hoping to used very sick and drugged AG (Ashcroft) to get a sig on an ILLEGAL program that Comey (Acting AG) wouldn't sign to.

So here's what's happening: The real conservatives in the Puke party (those still loyal to the Constitution) are calling out the Puke nazis!

(Note: Comey is the one who protected Patrick Fitzgerald in the Plame leak investigation, and acted to insulate him from pressure, and to guarantee his powers as Special Counsel before he, Comey, resigned over the illegal spying.)

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

22. Thanks for that. Kick

[Peace Patriot]

23. Just to be clear. DoJ (Ashcroft, Comey) eventually signed off on SOMETHING

--they fixed the spying program so that it wasn't illegal. That was what Comey had rushed to the hospital to defend--LEGAL spying (presumably with some sort of FISA court approval), as opposed to what was proposed and what they wanted to get Ashcroft to sign (illegal spying). But it's my understanding that the forces of evil (Gonzo, Cheney, Card, Bush) proceeded with spying WITHOUT FISA court approval (without even after-the-fact review, which the law allows for). That may be why Comey resigned--that after they agreed to legal spying, they went ahead with illegal spying anyway. I'm trying get this clarified at firedoglake (which has lawyers blogging).