'Lehrer Newshour' Did Sensenbrenner call for Gonzales head?

[jannyk]

Sensenbrenner (one of the craftors of the PA) genuinely seemed disgusted with today's (and prior) revelations of FBI abuse.

He said "I think heads should roll at the top of the Justice Dept. We've now got this report on top of the US Attorney firings and heads should roll.)

Did anyone else catch this?

[Ilsa]

1. Aaarrrrrgh I missed it. Too busy arguing with my medical

insurance company who is behind in paying claims.

[Annces]

2. Yes I heard it

The Bush administration is alienating some in the Republican party. Some people don't mind loss of civil liberties, they just mind loss of their own power.

[elfin]

3. Missed it - but surprised he named Justice instead

of FBI. Am a constituent and IF he said this, will give himn a RARE attaboy.

Maybe he will put me back on his "respond to" list. Whatta creep.

[jannyk]

4. Nope, I just watched it a second time. "He said

FBI has abused its discretion and very frankly heads should roll. Not Mueller, but those at the top that have allowed this to happen."

Then he immediately referred to the fiasco of the firing of the 6 US Attorneys and said that's got so bad that President has had to step in.

It was very obvious he was pointing straight at Gonzales. Mr. Sensenbrenner is not a happy man.

[TomInTib]

7. When he mentioned Presidential intervention, I understood him to be referring

to the raid on Jefferson's office.

But he was some kind of pissed-off.

[appleannie1]

8. Spector made a comment

directed at Gonzales too, in the attorney firing investigation. Something along the lines "you might be leaving sooner than you thought".

[TomInTib]

5. Not in so many words.

But he was pissed and used language about as strong as he was able to use and not be black-balled.

I just now finished watching the segment.

Mueller is in a whole lot of trouble.

Sensenbrenner did say that heads should roll, though.

[jannyk]

6. He also specifically said NOT Muellers head... nt

[salin]

10. is Mueller part of top of the Justice Dept? The FBI is under

the Justice Deptartment - but it is also its own entity. Interesting that he would make such a distinction.

[jannyk]

11. I think saying not Mueller was very 'pointed'

I think it was to leave no doubt who he meant. After watching it twice now he may as well have said "...but how about Gonzales?"

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

9. Oh, geez...

That's just Fat Jimmy diving for political cover. He'll be back to beating up kids for their lunch money by tomorrow.

[jannyk]

12. Ok, here are the 'words' thanks to MsWaverly

So who is he talking about then?

>>I am shocked. I think that the Justice Department has overreached. There's something seriously wrong with the internal management of the Justice Department, and that better be fixed, because if it isn't, the support for the internal part of our war against terrorism is going to evaporate rapidly.

REP. JAMES SENSENBRENNER: Well, you know, first of all, we do give law enforcement in this country a lot of discretion. And that's been the way since the beginning of the republic. The FBI has very clearly abused its discretion, and in its abuse of the discretion, is going to end up bringing about a reaction by the Congress.
I think the use of NSLs is going to have to be restricted by statute. And very frankly, I think there ought to be some heads that roll here, and I'm not calling for the resignation of Director Mueller. But whoever was responsible for this incredibly sloppy administration is going to have to be called to account.

And, remember, we've had this following the ham-handed dismissal of seven United States attorneys and a raid on a congressional office that actually forced the president to intervene to curtail the activities of the Justice Department. And I can't remember if that's ever happened in history.<<