GOPer Urged White House To Fire Attorney

(AP)  The chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party was quoted Saturday as saying he urged presidential adviser Karl Rove and one of his assistants to fire the state's U.S. attorney.

McClatchy Newspapers reported that Allen Weh said he complained in 2005 about then-U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to a White House liaison who worked for Rove, asking that he be removed, and followed up with Rove personally in late 2006 during a visit to the White House.

"Is anything ever going to happen to that guy?" Weh said he asked Rove at a White House holiday event.

"He's gone," Rove said, according to Weh.

"I probably said something close to 'Hallelujah,'" said Weh.

The GOP party leader made clear his dissatisfaction with Iglesias stemmed in part from his failure to indict Democrats in a voter fraud investigation.

The Justice Department has said the dismissal of Iglesias and seven other U.S. attorneys was a personnel matter. White House involvement, Justice said, was limited to approving a list of replacements after the Justice Department made the decision to fire the eight.

The McClatchy story quoted Weh as saying he does not know whether Rove was involved in the firing of Iglesias or merely had been advised of the decision when the two talked at the White House.

"There's nothing we've done that's wrong," Weh told the papers. "It wasn't that Iglesias wasn't looking out for Republicans. He just wasn't doing his job, period."

Neither Rove nor the White House press office responded immediately to e-mails Saturday evening seeking reaction to the McClatchy story. A reporter left messages Saturday evening at Weh's home and cell phone numbers.

A White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said last week that administration officials were aware of the impending firings and offered no objections. But Rove "wasn't involved in who was going to be fired or hired," she said.

At a speech Thursday in Arkansas, Rove said of the general flap over the firings, "My view is this is unfortunately a very big attempt by some in the Congress to make a political stink about it."

Iglesias has said he felt pressed by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., to rush indictments against Democrats before Election Day last November.

Domenici and Wilson acknowledge calling Iglesias, but deny pressuring him.

"Part of the controversy behind this is prosecutorial discretion," Iglesias told the McClatchy papers. "What that means is it's up to the sole discretion of the prosecutor in the case of how to handle the indictment and when to issue it."

[kaliveotin]

The U.S. hasn't suffered these kinds of rampent dishonesty, corruption and incompetance from government in 140 years. Even the Nixon and Regan administrations could only dream of being as successfull at helping corporate or otherwise super-rich friends profit at the expense of the American people and nation. Today Haliburton announced they're skipping out, ahead of the posse'. Almost all of he Enron conspirators have
gotten off scott-free. Greed and averice have led this administration to steal scores of millions while leaving the bill to future generations who will have to pay the bills with interest long after these theives have absconded.
1% of the people have 99% of the wealth. 99% of the people, only 1% of the wealth. WAKE UP, you clueless nimrods!

[firststate]

"A White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said last week that administration officials were aware of the impending firings and offered no objections. But Rove 'wasn't involved in who was going to be fired or hired,' she said."

Rove has micromanaged, down to creating a lasting sound byte for each major step. DOJ just happened to dump a US Attorney, about whom the state party chair had complained to Rove and tapped one of Rove's aides as his replacement. They wouldn't have dared take one of Rove's people without permission.

It's "Shock and Awe!" It's shocking that this control-freak administration would claim they weren't involved. These guys have installed a "Party Agent" in each department to insure that each agency sticks to the official party line. I'm in awe that they can tell lies like Perino's with a straight face.

"At a speech Thursday in Arkansas, Rove said of the general flap over the firings, 'My view is this is unfortunately a very big attempt by some in the Congress to make a political stink about it.'" The stink came from beneath the rock under which they like to work to avoid scrutiny. Nobody else made the stink, they just told reported it.

"...Cummins then crafted an e-mail to his former colleagues, warning that the Justice Department would come after them if they, too, spoke out." At least these US Attys didn't have to fear the admin would out them, they'd face financial and economic for failure to goose-step.

[j-whitman]

Skyk,, You're right on,, You oviously followed how Hitler took over & controlled Riechstag,, This GOP has controlled Congress & thie media in much the same way.

[randalds]

Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, but sadly not surprising. It seems that just when you think this administration has sunk to new levels in slime and sh*it (while dragging our country down with them) they show they have even further to sink. this is NOT a presidential administration, it's a crime family engaged in an on-going criminal enterprise and it's the American people who are being screwed. they're raping the treasury, murdering our troops for profit and firing (or worse) any one who won't play along with them. This is NOT a presidency, it's an organized crime.

[neojoker]

It sounds like tyranny and blackmail to me. The Mafia is alive and well. It's called the Bush Administration.

[starleo146]

I am just exausted by all this. The last time I woke up I was in America,How come they all can not be thrown out .What else can they do to harm the U.S. they should be tried for something. We are just not screaming enough to the right one. They have decided the heck with the people they are working for themselves now before the end lets get all and do all we can for us the white house.

[antoniof123]

I am going out on a limb here, I think they are lying. I mean they have gotten so good at it and as we keep lifting up the carpet we just find more and more creepy crawly things. I am afraid that if we keep going we are going to find Jimmy Hoffa's body under this rug.

[scott4261]

I have read in various blogs from conservative posters that Bill Clinton dismissed all U.S Attorneys upon assuming office. Yes, and every president has that perogative. George W. Bush exercised it as well.

Bud Cummins, a Republican U.S. Attorney from my state of Arkansas, who was one of those fired, told Dan Eggen of the Washington Post that he was surprised to find out that a Karl Rove protege was taking his job. This prompted the Justice Department to call him about his interview with the Post. Cummins then crafted an e-mail to his former colleagues, warning that the Justice Department would come after them if they, too, spoke out.

Along with shock, there is rage that Alberto Gonzales, with the White House%u2019s blessing, has tampered with the long-standing tradition of changing U.S. Attorneys only when an administration changes hands, unless a prosecutor engages in misconduct. To my knowledge that is certainly not the case with Cummins.

Of course, U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. But something tells me that something much more sinister is at play here and it leaves a rotten taste in my mouth!

[baldfrog-2009]

I had to rewrite this folks I am sorry.
What the heck do you expect from the pastie faced law breaking hiding behind Scooter's Skirt Rove.By the way do the TAX PAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY are they paying Rove's(Don Segrehetti goher of Waterate's salary.
Ever noticed how all the sleazy Republicans have pastie fat faces and the good ones don't. I mean I think some of them are cool( Chuck Hagel) so this is a non-partisan deal here.I just don't think this county should be run by a set of goons who who break the laws of the Constitution Lie to The People of This Country and then those who could stop them pass meaningless Resolutions giving em more power and let them go on lying saying wait till next year after loosing a football game.We'll stop em them for ya then folks.Yeah wait till next year indeed.Tell that to the families of those who will die for the criminals trying to run Our Country.What has happened to Our Country.Pass the one law to stop the war.One law that's all it takes guys.Get them out of there with impeachment for lying. And for God sake take Rove off the salary until this Libby thing is sorted out at least.What is wrong YOU Congress?Stop arguing with each other it's what Rove wants.They had John Warner go over to the White House to introduce plan "B" to divide you a few weeks ago.Now all of you have a plan "B" and keep dividing each other.Fire Rove!Plan "A" for playing dodge ball with Joe Wilson's wife.
And CBS please bring our Andy Rooney and the whole crew to light em up

[springfever0]

The Republican head in New Mexico says, "It wasn't that Igesias wasn't looking out for Republicans... in trying to justify his position. Yea right. He went to Rove on behalf of all of the people of New Mexico not partisan political interests. He and Rove sat around and talked about the public interest. It's laughable.

Interesting too that no one but Republicans in New Mexico seemed to have been complaining; two of whom were facing reelection campaigns and violated ethics when they contacted the US Attorney alledgedly based on a rumor. They worked to get rid of him because he didn't play ball. He wasn't "looking out for Republicans".