Unblemished Veteran Sen. Domenici Ensnared in Political Scandal Over U.S. Attorney Firings

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

Unblemished Veteran Sen. Domenici Ensnared in Political Scandal Over U.S. Attorney Firings

03-24-2007 6:25 PM
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (Associated Press) -- Sen. Pete Domenici, known as the quintessential straight shooter in the mannerly Senate, is an unlikely figure to be caught up in the political scandal over federal prosecutor firings.

An elder statesman with an untarnished reputation during his six terms, the New Mexico Republican commands equal parts affectionate respect and fear in Congress for his power, his loyalty, and his sometimes bullying ways.

It's his cantankerous streak _ well known to colleagues who have tangled with him on budget and spending matters _ that may have landed the 74-year-old Domenici at the center of the growing furor.


President Bush stands with Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., before speaking about border security and immigration reform at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, N.M., in this June 6, 2006 file photo. Domenici, known as the quintessential straight shooter in the mannerly Senate, is an unlikely figure to be caught up in the political scandal over federal prosecutor firings. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Revelations that Domenici phoned one of the ousted U.S. attorneys and complained to President Bush and the Justice Department about him helped touch off a larger congressional investigation into the firings, which has embarrassed the administration, threatened the job of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and sparked a showdown between the White House and Congress over whether Bush's aides should have to testify.

Read more: http://omaha.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8O2R79O0&_action=validatearticle

[originalpckelly]

1. Here's the clue of the trouble he's in:

"Domenici has hired prominent Washington lawyer Lee Blalack, best known for defending jailed former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., against bribery charges..."

[Cha]

2. And randy's in

jail.

[aquart]

10. And where is Cunningham now?

All I can think is that Cunningham was so corrupt he should have got life in Marion. And Black kept the sentence doable.

Which makes me wonder how clean Domenici is, despite his reputation.

[BeHereNow]

3. Lesson for Sen. Domenici: Don't dial while Republican

I read Senator Iglesias's editorial in the NYTs
CLEARLY he was the victim of Republican thuggery
and Domenici was an operative in the ousting.
Note that Representative Wilson asked him to
break the law regarding discussion of indictments.
Disgusting, when you think about it.

From the Times:

"Politics entered my life with two phone calls that I received last fall,
just before the November election. One came from Representative Heather
Wilson and the other from Senator Domenici, both Republicans from my state, New Mexico.

Ms. Wilson asked me about sealed indictments pertaining to a politically
charged corruption case widely reported in the news media involving local Democrats.
Her question instantly put me on guard. Prosecutors may not legally talk
about indictments, so I was evasive. Shortly after speaking to Ms. Wilson,
I received a call from Senator Domenici at my home. The senator wanted to
know whether I was going to file corruption charges —
the cases Ms. Wilson had been asking about — before November.
When I told him that I didn’t think so, he said, “I am very sorry to hear that,” and the line went dead.

A few weeks after those phone calls, my name was added to a list of United States
attorneys who would be asked to resign — even though I had excellent office
evaluations, the biggest political corruption prosecutions in New Mexico history,
a record number of overall prosecutions and a 95 percent conviction rate.
(In one of the documents released this week, I was deemed a “diverse up and comer” in 2004.
Two years later I was asked to resign with no reasons given.)"

BHN

[BeHereNow]

4. Why aren't the Citizens of New Mexico demanding the resignation of their criminal representatives?

Domenici and Wilson should both be forced to resign for their actions
in the Iglesias case- who knows what else they have been up to?
They clearly felt they could break not only federal, but state law.
Why aren't the people of New Mexico demanding replacements
for Domenici and Wilson?

BHN

[rusty_parts2001]

5. I saw him on CSPAN last week and he looked......

well, kinda old and dare I say it, senile.

[Rydz777]

6. As a minimum

Dominici is up for re-election next year in a state that is increasingly trending blue. This just may be the incident that will lead him to decide to retire "to spend more time" with his family. I predict New Mexico will soon have a second Democratic Senator.

[karynnj]

7. Can you imagine the AP calling an embattled Democrat

an unblemished veteran Senator. Imagine 2004, "Unblemished veteran Senator John Kerry was attacked by ....." " The unblemished DNC head, Howard Dean ...." Aside from it sounding like it was written by someone for whom English is not a first language, it just seems to be biased. An apple can be unblemished or you can have an unblemished record or complexion, but I have never hear it used as an adjective for a person.


Also, if he's known for "bullying", what was this?

[UpInArms]

8. DeLay: "I am the federal government."

kinda like that - bullying ?

[Hand]

9. "Unblemished"? Heh.

Another euphemism for "hasn't been caught yet." :grr:

[radfringe]

11. I swear - memory problems among republicans are contagious...

More recently, there have been whispers that the senator is getting forgetful and increasingly temperamental in his old age. His supporters angrily dismiss those reports as Democratic efforts to undermine Domenici's popularity and loosen his seemingly unshakable grasp on his Senate seat.

Libby couldn't remember that Cheney told him about Plame

Gonzales can't remember firing US attorneys

Members of Gonzales's staff can't remember who directed who to fire US attorneys

White House staff can't remember when they heard about whatever

No wonder all the "loyal bushies" are 'surprised' when something hits the fan

[w4rma]

12. It's time for that mousy looking man to spend more time with his family. (nt)

[SpiralHawk]

13. Nuclear Pete is just a STOOGE republicon crony for the nuclear and coal

industries, and should get his corrupt, lying crony ass heaved out of the Senate.

America don't need no more corrupt Stooge republicon cronies.

[Robbien]

14. I believe this sad sack of a sorry butt kissing headline should be seen

by a few more eyes.

kick and recommended

[Rose Siding]

15. Oh, yeah, TOTAL "straight shooter", until he ADMITS that he isn't-

Before bolting from the Senate chamber, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) shouted at Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR,) "I just violated the rules!"

Domenici had interrupted Wyden's introduction of an amendment under the pretense that he was attempting to ask a question. Rather, he blasted the Senator's plan, after doing so announcing, "I just violated the rules! I didn't ask a question, I gave a speech. I hope you listened."

Wyden had been on the Senate floor for nearly five hours. Under Senate rules, a lawmaker can push a vote on his or her amendment so long as they can stand on the floor.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Senator_bolts_from_chamber_after_shouting_0427.html