Tiassa
07-24-07, 12:24 AM
Source: National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/)
Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245
Title: "Attorney General Has a Second Date with Congress"
Date: July 24, 2007
Is this merely a grudge match, as one GOP lobbyist claims? Or is it a vital new round in a building scandal that threatens the rule of law, as at least one Democrat has suggested?
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales goes to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee ....
.... Back in April, Gonzales had another hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Most people said his job would depend on his performance at that hearing. But everyone except the president panned his performance, and Gonzales kept his job.
Now, three months later, Gonzales goes into another hearing where he is expected to perform in more or less the same way. This time, however, nobody thinks his job is at stake.
Republican lobbyist Ed Rogers says he is not particularly impressed with the attorney general, but he doesn't see the point in Congress holding this hearing, either.
"Nobody thinks this is consequential," Rogers says. "Nobody thinks the attorney general's job is on the line, so it's just kind of going to be more of the same, and the Democrats and their sympathizers will have more to snicker about, but nothing will come of it."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) defends his decision to call the attorney general to testify again. Leahy said in an interview, "I would not be doing my duty if I didn't get to the bottom of this and hopefully point out enough so the next attorney general, whoever he or she might be, will never make these mistakes again."
After the last hearing, Leahy criticized Gonzales for repeatedly answering questions with, "I don't know," and, "I don't remember."
This time, Leahy sent Gonzales a list of questions in advance.
"He's had plenty of time to look them over," Leahy said, "so there'll be no excuse for saying, 'I don't know, I don't remember.'" (NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245))
One of the issues that will be raised is the integrity of AG Gonzales' prior testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In his prior hearing, Gonzales asserted that he had never talked to witnesses about the firing of U.S. Attorneys, but later testimony from a former White House liason cast doubt on that assertion: "It made me a little uncomfortable," said liaison Monica Goodling during her controversial tetimony, "I just did not know if it was appropriate for us to both be discussing our recollections of what had happened." (See also, AP/Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003719647_attorneys24.html))
Additionally, senators are expected to question Gonzales about his testimony concerning the National Security Agency's domestic espionage program. Gonzales had previously given descriptions of the process as not being controversial within the Department of Justice. Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, however, described a confrontation around the hospital bed of former Attorney General John Ashcroft. According to Comey, Bush administration Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales harangued ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft for a signature that Ashcroft refused to give, and believed he no longer had the authority to give. (See also, Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html), NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10192754))
How senators will handle the apparent contradictions is still a matter for speculation; Gonzales could, perhaps, explain that he did not think of the incident in Ashcroft's hospital room was controversial, or even a dispute. Gonzales may deny the incident entirely. Harvard professor David Barron told NPR that despite the fuzziness, there is still merit in the SJC hearing.
"If you have very serious questions about the rule of law and the confidence in the department, and the president simply disregards them," Barron says, "for no one to continue pushing and to make it clear that a certain standard is expected of the department would, I think, be a very serious loss for the country." (NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245))
Stay tuned. Even if tomorrow isn't a bang, it will still be an impressive fizzle.
____________________
Notes:
NPR.org. "Attorney General Has a Second Date with Congress". National Public Radio, July 24, 2007. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245
See Also:
Kellman, Laurie. "Ex-aide contradicts Gonzales, says he discussed recollections". Associated Press/SeattleTimes.com, May 24, 2007. See http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003719647_attorneys24.html
Eggen, Dan and Paul Kane. "Gonzales Hospital Episode Detailed". Washington Post, May 16, 2007; page A01. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html
Shapiro, Ari. "Former Justice Deputy Describes Political Clash". National Public Radio, May 15, 2007. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10192754
Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245
Title: "Attorney General Has a Second Date with Congress"
Date: July 24, 2007
Is this merely a grudge match, as one GOP lobbyist claims? Or is it a vital new round in a building scandal that threatens the rule of law, as at least one Democrat has suggested?
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales goes to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee ....
.... Back in April, Gonzales had another hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Most people said his job would depend on his performance at that hearing. But everyone except the president panned his performance, and Gonzales kept his job.
Now, three months later, Gonzales goes into another hearing where he is expected to perform in more or less the same way. This time, however, nobody thinks his job is at stake.
Republican lobbyist Ed Rogers says he is not particularly impressed with the attorney general, but he doesn't see the point in Congress holding this hearing, either.
"Nobody thinks this is consequential," Rogers says. "Nobody thinks the attorney general's job is on the line, so it's just kind of going to be more of the same, and the Democrats and their sympathizers will have more to snicker about, but nothing will come of it."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) defends his decision to call the attorney general to testify again. Leahy said in an interview, "I would not be doing my duty if I didn't get to the bottom of this and hopefully point out enough so the next attorney general, whoever he or she might be, will never make these mistakes again."
After the last hearing, Leahy criticized Gonzales for repeatedly answering questions with, "I don't know," and, "I don't remember."
This time, Leahy sent Gonzales a list of questions in advance.
"He's had plenty of time to look them over," Leahy said, "so there'll be no excuse for saying, 'I don't know, I don't remember.'" (NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245))
One of the issues that will be raised is the integrity of AG Gonzales' prior testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In his prior hearing, Gonzales asserted that he had never talked to witnesses about the firing of U.S. Attorneys, but later testimony from a former White House liason cast doubt on that assertion: "It made me a little uncomfortable," said liaison Monica Goodling during her controversial tetimony, "I just did not know if it was appropriate for us to both be discussing our recollections of what had happened." (See also, AP/Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003719647_attorneys24.html))
Additionally, senators are expected to question Gonzales about his testimony concerning the National Security Agency's domestic espionage program. Gonzales had previously given descriptions of the process as not being controversial within the Department of Justice. Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, however, described a confrontation around the hospital bed of former Attorney General John Ashcroft. According to Comey, Bush administration Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales harangued ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft for a signature that Ashcroft refused to give, and believed he no longer had the authority to give. (See also, Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html), NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10192754))
How senators will handle the apparent contradictions is still a matter for speculation; Gonzales could, perhaps, explain that he did not think of the incident in Ashcroft's hospital room was controversial, or even a dispute. Gonzales may deny the incident entirely. Harvard professor David Barron told NPR that despite the fuzziness, there is still merit in the SJC hearing.
"If you have very serious questions about the rule of law and the confidence in the department, and the president simply disregards them," Barron says, "for no one to continue pushing and to make it clear that a certain standard is expected of the department would, I think, be a very serious loss for the country." (NPR.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245))
Stay tuned. Even if tomorrow isn't a bang, it will still be an impressive fizzle.
____________________
Notes:
NPR.org. "Attorney General Has a Second Date with Congress". National Public Radio, July 24, 2007. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12185245
See Also:
Kellman, Laurie. "Ex-aide contradicts Gonzales, says he discussed recollections". Associated Press/SeattleTimes.com, May 24, 2007. See http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003719647_attorneys24.html
Eggen, Dan and Paul Kane. "Gonzales Hospital Episode Detailed". Washington Post, May 16, 2007; page A01. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html
Shapiro, Ari. "Former Justice Deputy Describes Political Clash". National Public Radio, May 15, 2007. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10192754