From The Associated Press:
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted Thursday that the probe of firings of federal prosecutors would lead to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
The Justice Department, according to veteran Sen. Arlen Specter, can’t properly protect the nation from terrorism or oversee President Bush’s no-warrant eavesdropping program with Gonzales at the helm.
“I have a sense that when we finish our investigation, we may have the conclusion of the tenure of the attorney general,” Specter, R-Pa., said during a committee hearing. “I think when our investigation is concluded, it’ll be clear even to the attorney general and the president that we’re looking at a dysfunctional department which is vital to the national welfare.”
His comment echoed new criticism of the attorney general this week. Former deputy attorney general James Comey testified that Gonzales tried to get his predecessor as attorney general, John Ashcroft, to approve Bush’s eavesdropping program as Ashcroft lay in intensive care.
Asked twice during a news conference Thursday if he personally ordered Gonzales and then-White House chief of staff Andrew Card to Ashcroft’s hospital room, Bush refused to answer.
“There’s a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn’t happen. I’m not going to talk about it,” Bush said.
The tale inspired Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., to become the fourth Republican senator to call for Gonzales’ resignation. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., joined in the criticism.
“When you have to spend more time up here on Capitol Hill instead of running the Justice Department, maybe you ought to think about it,” Roberts told The Associated Press.
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Gonzo, if you leave, then we will have to focus back on that hideous war in Iraq! Please stay! Please! Please! Please! Seven (or is it eight or nine???) attorney firings is MUCH more fun to contemplate than over 3000 dead and tens of thousands of wounded Americans to prove the failure of an academic theory!
If you haven’t already heard the Senate testimony by James Comey on the bedside meeting of Gonzales and Ashcroft, it is chilling. Here is the link.
http://www.youtube.c…
There is the personal invasion aspect but beyond that are the implications for rule of law.
I really want to know what was in the program Ashcroft was ready to resign over!
Wow, it took a Texas cronie like Gonzales to make John Ashcroft look noble and statesmenlike. It will take many years before people trust the dept. of justice again.
Nonetheless, I don’t think Gonzales is a goner yet. For the White House, the only thing worse than Gonzales would be confirmation hearings on a successor. Remember, in Watergate the Dems in the Senate used an AG confirmation to help dig Nixon’s grave.
Speaking of Nixon, now Bush has made him look good as well.
There’s a strong argument that the only acceptable nominee Bush could get through to AG if Gonzales leaves would be someone demonstrating actual impartiality and who thinks independently from the White House. You know, like it says in the job requirements.
Several Republicans and all Democrats would settle for nothing less after Gonzales, and that would expose Bush not only to a grueling nomination process, but afterward leave him vulnerable to prosecution for his crimes against the Constitution.
So it’s Fredo or die.
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has been lobbying strongly for the post should Gonzo resign.
since Gonzo’s staff and not a few of the aides and others players whose reputations and careers are at stake here, began their careers with Orrin.
P.S. Resignation would be too kind. Gonzo has subverted the consitution, and lied under oath…..or is terribly incompetent and in mid-stage Alzheimers. Has tarring and feathering been outlawed? Not that it would matter to him. I know there are still rails to ride him out of town on……give him a 3 minute head start on the Washington to Crawford TX Amtrak Express!
Recess appointment!
Can you imagine how messy a confirmation hearing would be? Even if it’s Hatch, Schumer, Leahy and Kennedy will spend all their time talking about Gonzo and demanding written commitments from Orin (possibly signed in blood) that things will be different.
But Orrin would get confirmed. I think the last Senator who was appointed to something and then rejected by his collueges (S/P-I suck, I know) was John Tower
Booze is definitely not a problem for Orin Hatch. He probably would eventually be confirmed (he socializes with Ted Kennedy!), but the Dems will have fun along the way to a confirmation vote!
and here’s a little known fact (and I’m putting on my best Cliff Claven pose as I type this…:) – Hatch is one of Ted Kennedy’s best friends. (There was a 60 minutes profile on Kennedy many years ago, maybe 10, where their friendship was discussed.)
So if Gonzo resigns and W decides to appoint Hatch, someone over which he’ll have little influence, he’ll breeze through Judicial and be confirmed by more than 90 Senators, if not all 100.
Would Hatch want to end his political career in the Bush Administration?
about Gonzales resigning is having to see what type of political moron will Bush select to replace him.
what Senator Salazar thinks of all of this.
With Gonzo, there is always another shoe about to drop.
or at least, the Denver Post reported that he’s about to break his silence on Gonzales and will likely call for his resignation. He issued a warm-up statement expressing distress over this latest disclosure (the Asscraft sick-bed scene over the wiretapping program) involving Gonzo.
See how his warm-up statement played out first. Don’t want to do anything rash. Wait until Lieberman tells him it’s ok, and then make sure to pepper the official statements with a lot of weasely qualifiers like “if the Attorney General was not forthcoming,” “serious consequences should be brought into consideration,” etc. Do some more polling, make sure it’s safe. I can hardly wait for this brave and bold leader’s brave statement.
The trick is to keep public opinion safely out in front of you but still stick a knife in Gonzo before he goes down.
When the scandal was breaking I recall several posters repeating the right-wing talking point that the AG can fire appointed attorneys for any old reason under the sun. Where are you guys? Gonzo’s under attack with nary an encouraging word to he read here! Emergency!