Feinstein sees Cunningham link in ouster of San Diego US attorney

[sabra]

http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Congress_Prosecutors_Lam_279018C.shtml

Feinstein sees Cunningham link in ouster of San Diego US attorney
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday she believes the ouster of San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam was connected to Lam's prosecution of former Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, even though the Bush administration has denied it.

"In my heart of hearts I do, no matter what they say," Feinstein, D-Calif., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"The fact is there are additional investigations that have come from that. The fact is that the day before she left office she filed two additional indictments," Feinstein said, referring to charges Lam filed last month against an ex-CIA official and a defense contractor tied to Cunningham.

"Now they weren't of members of Congress," Feinstein added. "But whether this has had a chilling effect over that investigation I don't know. But I'm concerned about it."

[saltpoint]

1. Her legendary timidity aside, Senator Feinstein doesn't assert a claim

regarding public policy unless she and her people have done the homework.

I'd bet a good deal of hard cash that she's absolutely right on this one.

[dweller]

2. hoo boy!

here we go

:popcorn:

who were the defense contractor and x-CIA official?

dp

[rodeodance]

3. Listen to your heart Diane

[slackmaster]

4. E-mails show Lam targeted before firing (San Diego Union-Tribune)

By Allison Hoffman
ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 14, 2007

Long before former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam drew public attention for leading the corruption case against former Republican Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, she was being noticed by political advisers at the Justice Department – and shortlisted for termination.

In e-mails dating more than two years and released yesterday, Justice Department Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson recommended to White House counsel Harriet Miers that Lam be removed, striking her name along with those of at least three other U.S. attorneys he considered “ineffectual managers and prosecutors” who “chafed against Administration initiatives.”
Sampson did not specify the initiatives....

...In July 2005, her office began investigating Cunningham, R-Rancho Santa Fe, and his associates. Cunningham eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion after admitting to taking more than $2.4 million in bribes and in March 2006 was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison.

But the timing of another e-mail continued to trigger questions yesterday about whether the investigation factored into Lam's firing.

In an e-mail dated May 11, 2006, Sampson urged the White House Counsel's Office to call him regarding “the real problem we have right now with Carol Lam,” who was then the U.S. attorney for Southern California. Earlier that morning, the Los Angeles Times reported that the corruption investigation of Cunningham had expanded to include Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands....

Full article at http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070314/news_1n14email.html

[solara]

5. Keep looking, Diane...there's a lot more where that came from

k&r :kick:





INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT INCARCERATE :patriot:

[youngdem]

6. NOW we can put the steaks on !!!! It's a bar-b-q ....Clear now White House interfering

in prosecutions for political reasons AS WELL AS firing and hiring new US Attys for political hits against Dems in general.

This is gonna get MUCH better now that this side of the matter is exposed.

Mr. Gonzales, you should begin negotiating with the White House what medal you are to be awarded.

[Pachamama]

7. Well, if DiFi follows up with this all and doesn't let up, I might forgive her for some of her other

misgivings....and vote for her again and not feel bad about it...

[cascadiance]

8. I give DiFi a LOT of credit on this one! She was there before this became news!

Notice her quotes in this January 12th Union Tribune article that was the story that broke this mess into the open. She's already on top of the problems with there being multiple attorneys that were being affected, not just Carol Lam.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070112-9999-1n12lam.html

Job performance said to be behind White House firing
By Kelly Thornton and Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

January 12, 2007

The Bush administration has quietly asked San Diego U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, best known for her high-profile prosecutions of politicians and corporate executives, to resign her post, a law enforcement official said.
...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., criticized the Bush administration yesterday for “pushing out U.S. Attorneys from across the country under the cloak of secrecy.”

“We don't know how many U.S. Attorneys have been asked to resign – it could be two, it could be ten, it could be more. No one knows,” she said in a statement.

Feinstein said the administration was abusing its executive power by trying to circumvent the Senate confirmation process. She and two colleagues proposed legislation yesterday to restore appointment authority to the district court when a vacancy occurs and an interim leader is needed.

I've had my differences with Dianne Feinstein in the past, and have bemoaned her for not even taking the right sides on certain issues, let alone leadership. But her leadership and quotes here at the start of this mess I think helped it really come out in the open!

Et Tu DiFi! You got a few brownie points back with me now.

[silverlil]

10. Feinstein

With due respect, Feinsein is a DINO. I left my ballot blank when she was up last time. She voted for the war with regard to Iraq. I called her office and was told she would be voting yes as regards going into Iraq, and I told her office she would get a blank vote out of me when she was up for office the next time around, and I was asked to repeat my statement, and I said again, I would be leaving the place blank if she voted for going into Iraq. I sat up all night to watch the voting. I also called Senator Boxer's office and was told she would be voting against going into Iraq, and she did vote NO. Feinstein did not get my vote and I left the place blank. I live in San Diego and what a joke she is speaking out now after the fact about Cunningham. Hunter is also an accident waiting to happen. Off topic, is it true that Hunter has a boyfriend when he goes to Alpine?
I respect your position, just wanted to respond to you about how I feel about Feinstein.

[cascadiance]

13. I voted Green Party the last TWO elections against her...

So I'm with you. And I'm not completely on her boat yet until I see her do better on other issues, and I'm not convinced she can yet either.

But I do believe in being objective when I evaluate someone. If they can feel my appreciation for when I feel they are doing things right, then hopefully some folks in that position will start to listen more to my position on other issues and look at me more than just being some that is partisan against them and dismiss everything I say to them. If they get enough positive reinforcement for certain issues like this one, perhaps that might change them over time. I'm not holding my breath yet, but I'd like to think we can help persuade them. Politicians are SUPPOSED to behave this way, so hopefully being very pragmatic on what we reward and chastise them for will lead them to work the right way for us. If it doesn't, then they deserve to be voted out of office.

I still have BIG problems with DiFi on many other issues, and won't be behind her like I am Barbara Boxer until she addresses these in a positive manner. But let's give her credit where credit is due on this issue!

What I'd like to be able to do sometime down the road, is if Ahnuld exposes a more right wing side like he did with the special election and doesn't "behave" like he's been doing more recently, that we launch a recall effort on him, get DiFi to run for governor then, win, and then appoint Congressman Waxman as her successor in the Senate. That would be a win-win situation! One can dream!

[Tatiana]

9. Damn, I don't know what's gotten into DiFi of late...

But I sincerely hope she keeps it up! She's right to zero in on Lam and the associated Cunningham indictments. The Republicans are trying very hard to hide something, and Lord only knows what treason they've committed this time.

[jaybeat]

11. Bingo, bango, bongo!

Some have called DiFi a DINO. As far as this issue is concerned, I say, GREAT!

The more so-called "moderate" Dems and Repukes who see the ship sinking, the more quickly we can bring down the Bush Crime Syndicate.

Remember Watergate--the dam really broke when the smoking gun tapes came out, and Republicans started abandoning Nixon in droves. 3 or 4 days later, he resigned. It takes two-thirds in the Senate to convict. We aren't going to get their if we require folks to pass a DU litmus test.

Let's be clear. We can disagree about Iraq. We can disagree about anything. But when it comes to obstructing justice to advance the political and financial fortunes of one's allies, that's it. If *this* is the what turns the tide against BushCo, I'm happy to back-burner our differences until it is done.

Last November, a lot of people worked like hell to elect people that didn't represent their views 100%, and a lot more held their noses and voted, knowing that Dems in Congress--*any* Dems--would be better than the Repukes. Now, all of those folks can hold their heads high knowing they did the right thing.

The nation and the world need us to come together to accomplish Job #1, which is to remove the Emperor from his thrown. I would support any Senators with knives on this Ides of March, but, realistically, impeachment will have to do, and will serve us better in the long run.

Yes, we disagree about many things. Iraq, Iran, AIPAC, trade, corporate power, etc. When we are working through those issues, I'll lay into DiFi or anyone else with as much opposition as I can muster.

But here, now, none of that matters.

In WWII, Churchill and Roosevelt knew Stalin was a monster. But Hitler was a bigger monster, and a more immediate threat, so they worked with Stalin to defeat him. I believe this is an equally important moment in history, if not more important.

To the breech!

[Supersedeas]

12. Dems are beginning to focus on the real scandal here