Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be ‘Senate-Confirmed’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/13/gonzales-lies/

Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be ‘Senate-Confirmed’

A little-noticed provision slipped into the Patriot Act in 2005 allows the President to appoint “interim” U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without Senate confirmation. On Jan. 18, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales assured the Senate Judiciary Committee that the administration never intended to take advantage of it:

GONZALES: And so let me publicly sort of preempt perhaps a question you’re going to ask me, and that is: I am fully committed, as the administration’s fully committed, to ensure that, with respect to every United States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney.

I think a United States attorney who I view as the leader, law enforcement leader, my representative in the community — I think he has greater imprimatur of authority, if in fact that person’s been confirmed by the Senate.

But in mid-December, an e-mail by Gonzales’s chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson (who resigned yesterday), showed that the Justice Department clearly intended to skirt the Senate altogether and use the Patriot Act provision to appoint U.S. attorneys that would serve until the end of Bush’s term:

There is some risk that we’ll lose the authority, but if we don’t ever exercise it then what’s the point of having it?

Gonzales also told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department was “working with home state senators to get U.S. attorneys nominated.” But as the Washington Post notes, e-mails show that “as early as last August,” Justice officials “discussed bypassing the two Democratic senators in Arkansas, who normally would have had input into the appointment.”

[mod mom]

1. Truth is sooooo pre 9/11

:sarcasm:

glad to be the first recommendation.

NOW LET'S SEE ACTION TO IMPEACH THESE BASTARDS!

[AndyA]

2. Gonzalez must be removed from his position immediately.

We cannot tolerate a liar in this position.

It's bad enough that we have an Executive Branch that is staffed by liars, who are not capable of performing the tasks they must perform. We cannot have an Attorney General of our country who is anything less than totally honest and ethical.

[Kikosexy2]

7. Call, email...

write letters, etc....DEMAND, DEMAND, DEMAND FOR GONZO'S REMOVAL..AND DON'T LET UP...we pushed out Rummy...we can do the same with Gonzo..

[Scriptor Ignotus]

3. perjury is ok if you're a republican -- duh eom

[ourvoicescount]

12. It does seem that way...

[tblue]

18. cheating is ok, starting wars is ok, letting people rot in Ward 18 is ok, IS ANYTHING NOT OK if you

are a Republic?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. "we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney."

"Will have." Refers to actions in the future. Does not cover things he's already done. That's the "Get out of jail free" card.

It all depends on what your definition of "is" is.

[thereismore]

5. It's a weasel statement. He is just saying he will try his best. Hard to

prove he did not try his best. He is just a stinky imp.

[maxsolomon]

6. can we impeach SOMEONE, please?

bush
cheney
gonzales
gen. pace
rove

nancy?

anyone? just one?

or even issue a subpoena?

or stop writing blank checks that let our soldiers get killed?

[babylonsister]

10. I agree! So many to choose from! Let's do it! nt

[Lasher]

13. We're up to our eyeballs in impeachable administration cronies!

So many opportunities, yet seemingly so little will to take advantage of them.

[kenfrequed]

17. Let us be focused.

Impeachment is for Presidents. The other cronies have committed offences that are criminal in nature and can be brought to trial for it accordingly.

Call your Senators and Representatives.
Call for them to support impeachment for the president.

Tell them to hold hearings and investigations into abuse of power by individuals in this administration.

And it would be a good idea to call on them to do away with the Patriot Act as well.

[Lasher]

22. I'm all for being focused but impeachment does not apply only to presidents. (EOM)

[kenfrequed]

27. True-all executives can be impeached

But impeachment trials beyond the president are not terribly common on a federal level.

[benld74]

8. A-Typical of this administration

Say 'A' knowing full and well 'B' was accomplished previously. When 'B' pokes its ugly head out for all to See and become pissed off about, trot out 'C' as why you said 'A' and why 'B' was done covertly? When the people tie A, B, and C together, another reason for the manner they did things will pop up and take everyone for suprise. Just get rid of the whole lot of 'em like the vermin they are.

[donkeyotay]

9. This was "slipped in" in 2005? I still think we should get to the bottom of this

I thought it was Arlen Specter. Then he denied it. Then it was someone in his office. Who slipped it in? Is the WH legislating?

A little-noticed provision slipped into the Patriot Act in 2005

Is this in the Consitution? "The people will be ruled by laws slipped into legislation by anyone with slipping in access."

[originalpckelly]

11. This is the second lie pointed out by someone. The first was earlier this year when Gonzales...

testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and said that he'd never make a change in the US Attorney position for politics. That's a bald faced lie, because Bud Cummins was ousted for political reasons, so that Rove's protege could take over the job.

[Sherman A1]

14. Time for Mr. Gonzales to Go....

Resign, Impeach, Carried off in irons and turned over to the DOJ for Conspiracy.

[Up2Late]

15. He's such a scumbag.

My apologies to any actual scumbags out there, who might be offended being compared to this human turd.:mad:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. Byebye Alberto

It's been not nice not knowing you.

[peacetheonlyway]

19. CSPAN Press Conf. with Gonzales just finished

#1 He says he supports all the firings
#2 he says they were done without his knowledge
#3 he was nervous as hell and stumbled wildly during his chat and kept saying "poor performers"
#4 He is "BEGGING" congress to stay confident in him
#5 Regarding his Chief of Staff, the guy resigned YESTERDAY but is here today, hmmmmm,
sounds like some serious paper shredding is going on.


Can't congress demand, immediately all documents related to firing NOW and put a moratorium on paper shredding.

REmember when Gonzales gave everybody 12 hours to shred documents related to a prior investigation?

this guy is a major asshole and watching CSPan Republican callers ask for his resignation NOW was like
music to my ears.

this guy has a matter of months before he's going the route of libby.

good riddance Mr. Torture man.

[indepat]

20. Anyone who does not now believe the US Patriot Act was all about seizing total control and

punishing political enemies and nothing about pursuing the war on terrorism is either a god-damned fool or an idiot or both.

[Contrary1]

21. Can anyone find the entire transcript of that hearing?

I found an earlier one on Jan. 18, where there was disagreement on whether or not Gonzales needed to be sworn in. Why would they even argue about that? But, as far as I can tell, at least with that particular session, the nays won.

[snappyturtle]

23. If Gonzales admits to "mistakes" that is unacceptable &

he should be out of there.....plus I'd like to see him testifying in the future as a lowly citizen!(Hope SNL does a skit about this.)

[robinlynne]

24. Oh bsister, this is good reading!

[robinlynne]

25. ok. just for clarification. How do we know he was under oath?

He has only been under oath once that I can recall.

[Contrary1]

26. That's what my post above was about

It does not look like he was sworn in, at least for part of the hearings held that day.

[robinlynne]

29. And that makes all the difference. Damn.

[Spazito]

31. He WAS under oath when he went before the the Senate Judiciary

Committee, as stated by Senator Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

“I am outraged that the Attorney General was less than forthcoming with the Senate while under oath before the Judiciary Committee. It is deeply disturbing that this plan appears to have originated from high-ranking officials at the White House and executed in secret with a complicit Department of Justice.

http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200703/031307.html

I believe the referral to lying under oath in the OP refers to this committee appearance by Gonzales.

[lovuian]

28. Every Senator who voted for the Patriot Act in 2005

are part of the New World Order
cause any person with a Brain would see what Bush was up to

I know Feingold didn't vote for it

[ArmchairMeme]

30. Power to the people

I liked the comment that Donkey said,

"Is this in the Consitution? "The people will be ruled by laws slipped into legislation by anyone with slipping in access.""

The Repubs have been doing this with every bill that has been passed since the beginning of this misadmin. It seems that these items will continue to become apparent the longer we the people watch them closely.

We are a force to be reckoned with now and in the future. We have our bill of rights and must use them on those "with slipping in access" - they are the most sleazy ever to assume power in this country.

[grizmaster]

32. I don't see in the transcript that Gonzo was under oath

here's the link to the hearing

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2473