Cheney Relying on Gonzales’ Retroactive - FALSE NARRATIVE - Notes For His Get Out Of Jail Card

[kpete]

Is Cheney Relying on Gonzales’ Retroactive Notes?
By: emptywheel Tuesday December 23, 2008 7:06 am 17

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Cheney's willingness to repeat Gonzales' story puts the notes Gonzales made to (presumably) back his side of the story back in play.
VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3LI2pFndE4&eurl=http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/12/23/is-cheney-relying-on-gonzales-retroactive-notes/

There are several more details that make me believe this document was crafted to support a false narrative of what happened on March 10. Gonzales explained to DOJ's IG that he took the notes to memorialize Congressional reactions--which is precisely the issue that is being contested.

Gonzales said that his intent in drafting the notes was to record the reactions of the congressional leaders during the meeting, as opposed to recording any operational details about the program that were discussed.

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We also asked Gonzales why on that first evening he did not leave the notes in the Justice Command Center, a facility available to him for storage of TS/SCI materials. Gonzales responded that he did not recall thinking about it, and that he might not have “felt comfortable” leaving the notes there at that time.

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Gonzales said his decision to take the notes with him when he left the White House was “instinctive,” and that he wanted to “protect” the notes. He also stated that his decision to take the notes was in part based on the fact that he was remaining with the federal government and would continue to be involved with the NSA surveillance program as Attorney General.

This sure makes it sound like, so long as Gonzales was going to be involved in the illegal wiretap program, he intended to keep those notes in his personal possession. Finally, we know that Gonzales retrieved the notes in response to Jim Comey's testimony revealing some of Gonzales' actions on March 10.

Gonzales said his decision to take the notes with him when he left the White House was “instinctive,” and that he wanted to “protect” the notes. He also stated that his decision to take the notes was in part based on the fact that he was remaining with the federal government and would continue to be involved with the NSA surveillance program as Attorney General.

And that he then used those notes to prepare for his July 24 testimony--the testimony at which he first publicly alleged that Congressional leaders supported the continuation of the program in spite of DOJ concerns about its legality.

Gonzales told us he also used the notes in connection with his preparation to testify before a congressional committee in July 2007. According to Steven Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, Gonzales produced the notes to Bradbury and other Department officials on July 19, 2007, as they helped prepare Gonzales for his appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 24, 2007.

In other words, Gonzales took the notes after it became clear he might get in trouble for his actions; he treated them as personal CYA rather than official record; and his testimony based on the notes alleged that Congressional leaders assented to the decision to continue the program.

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more at:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/12/23/is-cheney-relying-on-gonzales-retroactive-notes/

[atreides1]

1. But, but , but

Gonzo either doesn't remember or can't recall! How can those notes help Cheney? Unless Gonzo admits that he lied to Congress, which will never happen!

[Winterblues]

2. We knew all along that Democrats were being set up and yet they willingly went along anyway.

It makes no difference what Laws the Bush* Cabal broke or what atrocities they committed democrats were bound and determined they were going to ignore it and or become complicit in it..There will be NO ACCOUNTABILITY..The new King is the same as the old King....