Leahy runs into Gonzales this morning - warns he would demand complete information about the firings

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2946995

<snip>

It may only get hotter today amid allegations the White House was more involved than previously known. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy said in a statement this morning that hearings on the matter are not out of the question, and noted, "…we will summon whoever we need in our hearings to get to the bottom of this."

The situation intensified when Leahy and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales ran into each other at a conference this morning. Leahy told ABC News he had angrily warned Gonzales he would demand complete information about the firings, and would call former White House Counsel Harriet Miers to testify before his committee, as well as Gonzales' chief of staff Kyle Sampson and others. A White House spokeswoman confirmed that then-White House counsel Harriet Miers raised with an aide of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the prospect of asking all 93 chief federal district prosecutors to resign at the start of the 2004 term.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. If they had gone with firing all 93 and stuck with it

I don't think the questions would be raised as they are happening now. The WH could have easily stuck with Lindsay Graham's lame "give as many people as possible the opportunity". But, they didn't.

Mr. Loyalty in Chief has allowed some shady dealings, all through the filter of Karl Rove.

[Chimichurri]

8. a former US attorney was on CNN and said it was usual for a

changing administration to replace all 93 attorneys (dems to repubs or repubs to dems) but to have the same administration change all of them upon a second term would be unprecedented and would cause havoc at the Justice Dept. Either way they would have been criticized.

[riderinthestorm]

9. Dave Cummins (one of the fired) said on NPR that replacing all USA's goes back to Reagan

He said it probably precedes even Reagan but he didn't know specifically any farther back than that. Reagan, 41, Clinton and *43 have all done it when they assumed office.

This was on NPR's Day to Day program - FYI.

[Chimichurri]

10. Reagan came in after Carter, a republican took over a democrat

same as Clinton coming in after Bush SR a dem replaced a repub. It's normal for the incoming admin to change attorney when the party is different. It's unheard of to have the same admin to change out all US attorneys going into their second term. Which is what they originally wanted to do before they decided on firing the 8.

[riderinthestorm]

12. I know. It's wild that the MSM keeps parroting about Clinton without mentioning the rest

and I haven't heard any of them talk about the Patriot Act clause that allows this Admin to hire new USAs without Senate approval.

It's making me batshit crazy to hear the MSM spin this one for the White House.

[fooj]

2. I heard Ed Henry say that no laws were broken.

How can that be if Domenici was involved? The spin is in...

[Blackhatjack]

3. If Leahy cranks this up right away, it could get good in a hurry....

I predict Gonzales will never testify as AG, he will resign first.

[tanyev]

4. And poor Gonzo forgot to wear his invisibility cloak today.

*snort*

[quiet.american]

5. Why did Dems go along with confirming Gonzales in the first place.

I'll be glad to see Leahy hold hearings on this, but I can tell right now it will be little more than another smirkfest and parade of lies on Gonazales's part.

[Bandit]

6. "…we will summon whoever we need in our hearings to get to the bottom of this."

Doesn't he know Gonzales is way too busy to answer any summons?

[rateyes]

7. The BIG DEAL here is the plan to replace the

attorneys WITHOUT SENATE CONFIRMATION. Reversing that little provision of the Patriot Act should happen 1st thing tomorrow in both houses, and the bill sent to the pRresident tomorrow afternoon. And, then DARE Dubya to VETO it. No way he would get away with such a veto.

Then, don't confirm one damned replacement, and insist that the fired attorneys be given their jobs back, if they want them.

The Dems can play hardball, and they ought to do more than just have fucking hearings. They need to castrate that bunch, NOW.

[gratuitous]

11. That's it exactly

The "plot" to replace all 93 USAs is just so much moonshine, since their replacements would have been subject to Senate confirmation. The Bushistas held off firing the thorns in their side until just after Sen. Specter's self-writing legislation allowing them to replace USAs without getting confirmation from the Senate was enacted. Golly, what a coincidence, huh?

These facts are staring the Fourth Estate right in their monkey faces, and yet our intrepid news media folks seem determined to ignore them.

[rateyes]

13. You got it...

and I'm tired of our side pussy-footing around with these fuckers. They took an oath to uphold the Constitution, dammit. It's time we started putting some bite into our bark.