Looking deeper into the Gonzales interviews this morning....

[kentuck]

"Screw you guys! I'm not going to be the fall guy!" Is that what he was saying?

His interviews this morning have thrown gasoline on the still coals. It has blown up like a carbomb on the White House lawn.

First of all, he did not have to go on the shows - Face the Nation or FOX News with Brit Hume - but he did. Second of all, he did not have to answer the question about telling Andrew Card about it, but he did. Why?

Because he has testified to the Grand Jury and he must feel they are setting him up as the fall guy. And he has made the decision that he is not willing to play that role.

He says he told Andy Card that night and that the President was informed the next day. About two weeks later, everything pertinent to the Plame case was given back to the White House counsel, which was Albert Gonzales himself.

He also says that he knew nothing about the Plame affair, which would mean he had not seen the memo that was passed about on the trip to Africa.

Relevant to the entire matter was the request by the CIA to investigate. Was that George Tenet? We could assume but not definite yet. Tenet may have been pissed off to the max that one of his own was exposed by Novak and whomever. That later led to him leaving and receiving the Medal of Freedom - as a sop to keep him quiet.

But, this story has burst into full flames.

[ewagner]

1. Hmmmm...

I saw only a brief post on Gonzalezs' appearance on TV. Is there a more definitive link?

It certainly looks like Alberto may be sweating out an "obstruction of justice" charge from Fitzgerald. (At least from the link I saw). It also appeared from that link that Alberto was distracted and nervous. Was that true?

[goodboy]

2. Could Asscroft also get charged in this? (nt)

[kentuck]

3. He was on Face the Nation on CBS and also FOX News...

with Brit Hume. I think Shieffer was shocked by his response that he told Card that night. He was blinking more rapidly than normal, it seemed to me, although I am no expert on the matter.

But he did not have to go on the shows and he did not have to answer the question. But he did. Why?

It may be that they are trying to set him up as the fall guy and he's not willing to play the game...

[cornermouse]

6. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4179945

and here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1650032

[aquart]

4. WHAT happened?????

[Pirate Smile]

5. Here you go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1650032

[kentuck]

7. Josh has more info on talkingpointsmemo.com

which may help to tie it together a little better. But it appears from here that it has finally blown up.

[whistle]

8. This has me dizzy.....you mean that Alberto Gonzales confessed

...to having an indirect role in the outing of Plame? What I'm reading in your summary is that Gonzales is revealing confidential client/attorney conversations while White House counsel at the time the actual outing took place. This is a ping pong ball that's wildly bouncing about.

[kentuck]

11. I think he is saying the opposite...

He did not know about the Plame leak. He is covering himself, it seems to me.

[DefenseLawyer]

9. I would say at the very least

Alberto blames the Fat Man for keeping him from getting the Supreme Court nod. That might, and I stress might, cause someone to stop playing ball, but more likely he is just in full CYA mode with the rest of them.

[leftchick]

10. Transcript from CBS via TPM.....

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/07/24/gonzales-raises-questions-for-andy-card-to-answer/

<snip>

Writing in the New York Times, Frank Rich highlights a troubling issue that arose from early on in the leak investigation:

As White House counsel, was the one first notified that the Justice Department, at the request of the C.I.A., had opened an investigation into the outing of Joseph Wilson’s wife. That notification came at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2003, but it took Mr. Gonzales 12 more hours to inform the White House staff that it must “preserve all materials” relevant to the investigation.

On CBS’s Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer noted that this time gap would have “give people time to shred documents and do any number of things.” Gonzales argued that he asked for and received permission from the Justice Department to wait until the next morning to order White House staff to preserve all documents regarding their contacts with journalists about Valerie Plame. But he did tell one person the night before…

SCHIEFFER: Let me just ask you the obvious question, Mr. Attorney General. Did you tell anybody at the White House, get ready for this, here it comes?

GONZALES: I, I told one person, ah, in, in the White House of, of the notification, and, and —

SCHIEFFER: Who?

GONZALES: and immediately — ah, I told the chief of staff. And immediately the next morning, I told the President and, shortly thereafter, there was a notification sent out to all the members of the White House staff.

[thinkingwoman]

12. Gonzales unhappy about being passed over

for the Supreme Court maybe?

Hmmmmm. :shrug:

[kentuck]

14. Possibly, but there is more than that, I think....

He was the name that was most talked about , even by the Democrats, until Bush surprised everyone and announced Roberts. But, I believe he is covering his own butt and letting it be known that he is not willing to take the fall for Rove or Bush...

[thinkingwoman]

16. you may be right about that...

but I hope he doesn't get off that easy...unless of course he tells where ALL the bodies are buried. Then, maybe...

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. You mean this is about to fully hit the oscilating rotary device?

DUCK it is gonna spray every which way.

[ewagner]

15. Just read through the links

Gonzalez is leaking the truth for two reason (IMHO):

First, if indictments come down for obstruction of justice, his testimony is going to come out anyway, and, he may be indicted for obstruction anyway.

Second, this is a way of admitting the obvious.....If Andrew Card is indicted, his "head's up" to Card will be front and center.

He's trying to salvage what little shed of his honor he has left...if there's any at all....

[understandinglife]

19. I agree with you. And, Gonzales has always been on my list of ...

... targets, ever since the outing. How could it be otherwise -- and, what really will matter is how much discussion he had with Bush regarding what Rove and Libby were conspiring prior to Novak's article, and how much discussion he had with Bush subsequent to the outing regarding Rove, Libby and other's roles. Those may be topics already covered by Fitzgerald as he queried Gonzales in front of the grand jury.

Gonzales, Powell, Rice, Card, Ari, Bolton are all expendable as far as Rove and Libby are concerned; they'll burn everyone before they take the hit.

Peace.

www.missionnotaccomplished.us

[madrchsod]

17. add some of this and that

then throw in that just maybe gonzo may need fitzgerald in the future.he knows it`s better to have fitz working for him than against him.
gonzo also knows he`s just their mexican american day laborer.

[CatWoman]

18. check out the Crooks and Liars video clips

http://www.crooksandliars.com/