revel wrote:Quote:kelticwizard wrote:
If Gonzalez resigned tomorrow, what would change?
If we took that attitude why bothering arresting anyone at all, after all, someone else is just going to break the law again.
Revel:
Don't get me wrong. If you can get the goods on Gonzalez, go after him. But don't get so caught up in getting him that the Bush plans go on.
Take the Harriet Miers nomination. Everyone got so caught up with stopping this unqualified person from becoming a Supreme Court Justice that after it was over, Alito just sailed through. "After all, at least Alito has credentials". Yes, he had experience and credentials, but he is also the most conservative judge to get consideration.
If Alito was picked first, he is conservative enough that something of a fight might have been waged. Instead, Miers used up all the energy of the opposition, so Alito seemed palatable by comparison. And the Bush program went on.
Whatever happens to Gonzalez, be certain that there is somebody who sees things the same way who is going to follow him. The only difference is the new guy might be a little less brazen.
Don't get so caught up in getting Gonzalez that you fall in love with the new guy because he might seem a little more reasonable, while the Bush plan continues on only slightly altered. That is what I meant.
There is a strong chance that Alberto will be out by Friday. When Sampson testifies, he could testify that he was wildly out of control, or instead say that Gonzales lied. Guess what he will say.
http://www.slate.com/id/2162666/fr/nl/
Attorney Firing Spin Proposed by DOJ Spokesperson
Attorney Firing Spin Proposed by DOJ Spokesperson Contradicts Internal DOJ Documents
By Arlen Parsa
t r u t h o u t | Report
Tuesday 27 March 2007
According to emails released by the Department of Justice late Friday evening, DOJ officials tried to manufacture public reasons for firing several US attorneys late last year.
Two-hundred and eighty-three pages of emails and other documents were released Friday that were not part of the Justice Department's initial 3,100-page document dump Monday. Among the sensitive new emails and other documents are discussions of how best to publicly spin the simultaneous firings of six US prosecutors.
Spin Suggestions
A November email between Public Affairs Director Tasia Scolinos (a lead spokesperson for DOJ), and vice presidential assistant Catherine Martin offered a suggestion of how to explain the firings of three US attorneys. "The one common link here is that three of them are along the southern border," Scolinos suggested after reviewing a list of six US attorneys the administration was planning to fire. "You could make the connection that DOJ is unhappy with the immigration prosecution numbers in those districts."
Scolinos and Martin had exchanged emails November 17 through 21 last year. On November 17, Martin emailed fellow PR guru Scolinos to ask, "Are you looped [in] on this? What is your comms plan" asking what her plans were for handling questions from the press about the impending firings.
"Its only six US attorneys (there are 94) and I think most of them will resign quietly," Scolinos assured Martin. "I don't see it as being a national story - especially if it phases in over a few months. Any concerns on your end?" After Martin asked which six US attorneys were being forced to resign, Scolinos thought the matter over for a few days and responded, listing six US attorneys to be fired and suggesting Martin tell the press that they were fired over immigration matters, since three of them (Paul Charlton of Arizona, Carol Lam of Southern California, and David Iglesias of New Mexico) were from border states.
"No Recollection"
On March 15, Scolinos found herself defending her boss, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in a statement she made to the press in an attempt to limit the fallout from the widening scandal. "The Attorney General has no recollection of any plan or discussion to replace U.S. attorneys while he was still White House Counsel," Scolinos promised.
What she did not mention, however, was that she herself had been involved in a the plot to fire more than a half-dozen US attorneys only months earlier. Scolinos sat in on at least eight and a half hours of meetings devoted to the subject, according to newly released schedule information in the months after the firings, and she was also apparently involved in discussions about how to spin the story before the attorneys were fired in 2006 as well.
An Argument That Didn't Hold Water
Scolinos' idea to explain at least one border state US attorney's firing as immigration-related does not hold water, according to newly released documents.
In the fall of 2005, nineteen Republican members of Congress complained to Attorney General Gonzales about Carol Lam, little more than a month before Republican Representative Duke Cunningham (one of the nineteen) pled guilty in Lam's now-famous corruption investigation involving the CIA and private contractors. Lam, the US attorney for Southern California, was too lax on immigration-related matters, the congressmen argued.
After Cunningham's guilty plea, Lam informed the Department of Justice that she would be continuing her investigation, and that they should expect further movement that might effect high-ranking officials soon. Almost immediately after Lam's notification to the DOJ, Republican Congressman Darryl Issa (R-Calif.) began a waging a media battle against Lam's office. In May 2006, Issa leaked an altered document to the Associated Press, which he claimed demonstrated that Lam's lax attitudes towards immigration were hurting the morale of Border Patrol agents. He later appeared on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" to criticize Lam's record on immigration.
"Venom"
After Lam was fired, the explanation the administration put forward was that her record on immigration was indeed to blame. But newly released documents show that the Department of Justice was prepared to back Lam up in her fight against Congressman Issa at a time when immigration was a major political issue. The department had prepared statistics demonstrating that immigration-related prosecutions had gone up under Lam's tenure, to counter the media fallout from the altered document Issa had leaked.
Emails between key Justice Department officials show that they had clearly taken Lam's side in the matter. Further, official DOJ job reviews indicated that Lam's office, which had devoted fully half of its resources to prosecuting illegal immigration-related cases, had "appropriate" priorities. The DOJ had even hoped to help arrange a meeting between the congressman and Lam in order to, in the words of one DOJ official, "ratchet down the venom coming from Issa."
The plan appears to have worked: Lam wrote in an email about meeting Issa later that year: "It was fine (at least I think it was). The tone was civil and at times even friendly." Another official at Justice said of the meeting, seemingly surprised: "Sounds like she handled it well and it was actually constructive." Nevertheless, Lam was fired, supposedly over immigration, just months later.
Who is Monica Goodling?
U. S. ATTORNEYS
Who is Monica Goodling?
By Ron Hutcheson
McClatchy Newspapers
3/27/07
WASHINGTON - Monica Goodling, the Department of Justice official who said Monday that she'll invoke the Fifth Amendment rather than talk to lawmakers, is a frequent figure in department e-mails released so far as part of the congressional investigation into the firings and hirings of U.S. attorneys.
Goodling, 33, is a 1995 graduate Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., an institution that describes itself as "committed to embracing an evangelical spirit."
She received her law degree at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Regent, founded by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, says its mission is "to produce Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world."
E-mails show that Goodling was involved in planning the dismissals and in later efforts to limit the negative reaction. As the Justice Department's liaison to the White House, she could shed light on the extent of White House involvement in the dismissals.
Goodling took a leading role in making sure that Tim Griffin, a protege of presidential adviser Karl Rove, replaced H.E. "Bud" Cummins as the U.S. attorney in Arkansas. Documents released to Congress include communications between Goodling and Scott Jennings, Rove's deputy.
In an Aug. 18, 2006, e-mail to Kyle Sampson, then Gonzales' chief of staff, Goodling warned of potential political problems with Griffin's appointment and underscored White House interest in getting it done.
"We have a senator prob, so while wh is intent on nominating, scott thinks we may have a confirmation issue," Goodling wrote.
At Jennings' request, documents show, Goodling agreed to meet last summer with two Republican activists from New Mexico who felt that U.S. Attorney David Iglesias wasn't doing enough to pursue allegations of voter fraud by Democrats. Iglesias believes the issue was a key factor in his firing.
In a June 20 e-mail, Jennings asked Goodling to arrange a Justice Department meeting for New Mexico Republican Mickey Barnett, who came to Washington with Paul Rogers, another GOP activist.
"It is sensitive - perhaps you should do it," Jennings suggested.
"Happy to do so," Goodling replied. A copy of her daily planner, which was provided to congressional investigators, shows that she met with the two the next day.
Goodling also appears to have been influential in preventing the ouster of U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert in western North Carolina. When Shappert's name appeared on a list of targeted prosecutors in September 2006, Goodling recommended that she be left alone.
"There are plenty of others there to start with," Goodling wrote, "and I don't think she merits being included in that group at this time."
Shappert kept her job.
BBB, that is dynamite. I see heads rolling any day now.
Fitzgerald, Gonzales scheduled to meet in Chicago Tuesday RAW STORY
Published: Tuesday March 27, 2007
"Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald are scheduled to appear together Tuesday for the first time since information surfaced that Fitzgerald received a mediocre rating in a Justice Department review," according to Tuesday editions of the Chicago Tribune.
"Gonzales is scheduled to appear at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago to discuss the "Project Safe Childhood" campaign -- designed to protect kids from online predators -- with Fitzgerald and Ernie Allen, chief executive of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children," the Tibune says. "But he's likely to face reporters' questions about Fitzgerald being ranked as undistinguished on a chart sent from his department to the White House in 2005, as well as the controversial fall firings of a group of U.S. attorneys.
According to the paper, Fitzgerald's mediocre rating "has been the subject of much joking among prosecutors, federal agents, defense lawyers and the media in the city, especially at the building where Fitzgerald has earned accolades for sweeping public corruption investigations."
Fitzgerald ducked a question about the report last week.
"There's no way I'm putting one toe in that pool and not going head-first," he said, "so I'm just keeping the toe out of the pool and just not going there."
Fitzgerald's spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
FULL RESTRICTED STORY HERE.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Fitzgerald_Gonzales_scheduled_to_meet_in_0327.html
Gonzales Runs Out Of Conference To Avoid Scandal Questions
Chicago Tribune | Jeff Coen | Posted March 27, 2007 03:57 PM
Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales today cut short a press conference about Internet safety, leaving the room at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago when reporters questioned him about the firings of U.S. attorneys.
The questioning was to have lasted about 15 minutes, but it ended after less than three.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/03/27/gonzales-runs-out-of-conf_n_44386.html Maybe he thought a reporter was gonna ask about the pedophiles in Texas Gonzo covered for.
Looks like Monica Goodling isn't the only Pat Robertson / Regent University graduate serving Bush.
150 Regent University Graduates Serving in Bush Administration
The above is just so no one misses it since this post will start a new page.
There is also a question of why Goodling is taking the 5th.
Quote:A party can request a hearing (in federal or state court) to examine whether the party invoking the Fifth has done so properly. Goodling's attorney's letter does not provide a valid basis for invoking the Fifth. You can't invoke the Fifth to avoid perjury charges (or obstructing justice with the selfsame testimony). (I have the cases here, if you want them.) You can't invoke the Fifth because you think the Committee is on a witch hunt. Etc.
They shouldn't let Goodling get away with this. She either is refusing to providing testimony because she may be testifying about some crime she has previously committed (which is a valid reason for taking the Fifth) or she isn't. If she is, and a Judge so determines, then fine (and goodbye to her attorney's ridiculous GOP talking points), and if she isn't, she should be compelled to testify under subpoena.
The funny thing is she may be obstructing justice (protecting others) by refusing to testify under a bogus claim of needing to take the Fifth.....
It is circle the wagons time. I suspect there's almost no chance that any of these people, loyalists true and blue, will have the slightest intent of hurting the WH and will seek all means to avoid that.
Yes. Of course. That's been the pattern.
But, perhaps Goodling (and anyone else that tries it) can be denied the 5th if it doesn't apply. Wondering how much that will be questioned or if they'll let her get by with it.
squinney wrote:Yes. Of course. That's been the pattern.
But, perhaps Goodling (and anyone else that tries it) can be denied the 5th if it doesn't apply. Wondering how much that will be questioned or if they'll let her get by with it.
She can't use the Fifth as a blanket denial of answering all questions, only to keep from self-incriminating.
But hell, I don't care. Put her on the stand and make her take the 5th a hundred times over. Get it all on tape. You couldn't have a better piece for the evening news which shows how bad things are in the DoJ, that regular employees can't discuss
any aspect of their job without self-incriminating.
Cycloptichorn
self-incrimination or some future witch hunt ala Libby, whatever.
McGentrix wrote:self-incrimination or some future witch hunt ala Libby, whatever.
Sorry, but Libby lied in front of a Grand Jury and contradicted his own FBI testimony. There was no witch hunt involved at all.
You can't take the 5th b/c you are afraid of doing what Libby did, McG, perjure yourself.
Not that I'm surprised to see you post such idiotic tripe, though.
Cycloptichorn
Mistakes were made all right, when we voted Bush into office. He played us all for fools, and he's not repentent for it and probably never will be. All we can do is admit we were fools and go on from there.
A few of us don't have to admit that.
bush and cheney and the other main players in this villainy that has been the bush presidency will never be held accountable and will retire and live out their days rich and comfortable while regular citizens around the world bear the brunt of their actions.
The most we can hope for is to capitalize on every opportunity to tarnish their legacy and make them and their family names a permanent pariah in American history.
I will settle for that.
