Gonzales Admits "Confusion" In Firings

Attorney General Has No Intention Of Resigning Despite Criticism Over Termination Of Prosecutors

(CBS/AP)  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, amid a growing clamor for his resignation, acknowledged Friday there is confusion about his role in the firing of U.S. attorneys and said he doesn't "recall being involved in deliberations" over which would be ousted.

"I believe in truth and accountability, and every step that I've taken is consistent with that principle," Gonzales said when asked why he is not heeding calls to resign. "I am fighting for the truth as well."

Gonzales said he had his former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, coordinated performance evaluations for the 93 U.S. attorneys "to see where changes might be appropriate."

"I signed off on the recommendations and signed off on the implementation plan, and that's the extent of my involvement," he told reporters after a round-table discussion in the U.S. attorney's office in Boston with state and federal law enforcement officials about a Justice Department initiative to thwart online predators.

Sampson, testifying Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, contradicted Gonzales' earlier accounts of not being involved in the decision-making. Calling them inaccurate, Sampson said he and the attorney general had talked several times about the firings and the process for carrying them out.

The administration maintains that the firings were appropriate because the prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the president.

The White House predicted Friday that Gonzales will survive the crisis.

"I can tell you that the president has confidence in him," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. President Bush "believes the attorney general can overcome the challenges that are before him," she said.

The president may still have confidence in Gonzales, but the exit door is always unlocked, CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reported.

Publicly, the White House has said continually that Gonzales retains Mr. Bush's confidence, even while it has also said that Gonzales and his department must address Congress' concerns and questions.

For his part, Mr. Bush was not rushing to defend his old friend from Texas.

Asked about Gonzales during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans on Thursday, Mr. Bush did not defend his longtime friend, according to one official who attended the session and demanded anonymity because it was private.

Instead, Bush tepidly repeated his public statement: The attorney general would have to go up to Capitol Hill and fix his problem, according to this official.

"It's hard to imagine that he (Gonzales) survives because there's so few Republicans that really want him to survive right now," Jim VandeHei, executive editor of Politico.com, told CBS' The Early Show.

In his meeting Friday with reporters, Gonzales said his "primary focus was ensuring that the White House was kept advised on what we were doing and that Kyle was consulting with the appropriate senior officials, people who knew about the performances of the United States attorneys."

"From time to time, Kyle would tell me things that would tell me that this effort was ongoing. I don't recall being involved in deliberations involving the question of whether or not a U.S. attorney should or should not be asked to resign. I didn't focus on specific concerns about individuals," he said.

In Washington, House and Senate investigators spent hours behind closed doors Friday interviewing Michael Elston, chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, about the firings and the different accounts of them.

Sampson's testimony did not go well for Gonzales or the White House. Sampson testified that prosecutors put on the list to be fired got there in part because they were not deemed "loyal Bushies." In the aftermath, Gonzales provided an inaccurate account of his own involvement, Sampson said.

"There obviously remains some confusion about my involvement in this," Gonzales said Friday. "At the end of the day, I know what I did. And I know that the motivations for the decisions I made were not based on improper reasons."

Sampson told the panel that the White House had a large role in the firings, not limited involvement as the Justice Department originally claimed.

One-time presidential counsel Harriet Miers joined Gonzales in approving them. And under questioning from Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sampson said that looking back, he should not have advocated the firing of one prosecutor in particular, New Mexico's David Iglesias.

Congress began its spring break Friday, but there were intense activities taking place behind the scenes.

Elston did not comment as about a dozen news cameras recorded his entrance to the Judiciary Committee suite, where aides to Schumer waited with House aides to question him. No lawmakers were expected to attend the session, spokeswoman Melanie Roussell said.

The congressional lawyers were expected to ask Elston about McNulty's account. McNulty in early February testified before Congress that seven of the U.S. attorneys were fired for performance reasons, and that one, Bud Cummins in Little Rock, Ark., was being moved out so he could be replaced by a former aide to White House political adviser Karl Rove.

Gonzales was upset with McNulty's testimony and would have preferred that he had said all eight were fired for performance reasons, according to Justice Department e-mails forwarded to the two committees. Bush has criticized the department for not giving Congress an accurate account of the firings.

[bvckvs-2009]

It's a shame that Bush keeps creating one mess after another, and then says its up to others to fix it.

He's clearly not a man used to taking responsibility for his actions.

[msmithdznr]

How long are the these morons going to continue to take the fall for "king george"? It's over Georgey, say goodnight.

[observantx]

Great.

Now if he would only shut his trap about everything else we might be able to salvage something out of the last six year nightmare of lies, b*llshit, and idiocy.

[tuckerndfw]

From the story:

"I don't think the attorney general's statement that he was not involved in any discussions of U.S. attorney removals was accurate," Sampson said at a Senate Judiciary Committee inquiry . . .

Translation:

Gonzo lied to Congress and the American people.

So, when do his impeachment proceedings begin? (if he refuses to resign or Bush refuses to fire him)

And, when is he going to be prosecuted for lying to Congress?

Speaking of prosecutions, why isn't the Director of the FBI (Mueller) being prosecuted for his admitted crimes? (in his words: "mistakes were made" when FBI illegally spied on Americans)

[liberalvet]

ROTFLMAO --- You know Gonzo has to be sweating it. Definition of a career ending move - - Be a friend of George Bush and accept position in is administration. These idiots never learn... Bush has no spine and will never admit to a mistake. He will burn anyone and this nation to the ground before he will admit a mistake.

[rochest]

day-by-day the impeachable offenses keeps growing more and more departments in this administration are showing that they have ignored and broken many laws... the cancer has spread .... I believe the man at the top who has never really ever taken responsibility for this mess may be is hoping Daddy or his rich oil buddies somehow are going to bail him out. Maybe he'll try to pay us off with one of those tax cuts for everyone... you know the ones where most of us got $300 and some got a million and more. well since we can't recall this government I say let the impeachments began.

[starleo146]

You talk about a man that will stick by someone no matter what, he did it with Rumsfeld, Rove, now Gonzales that even I knew every time he went before the committee he was lying through his teeth he still stands by him I cannot believe this man ,PRES BUSH give it up tank this guy before you look like a bigger fool than you already look. You need to be impeached for all you have done to this country it is unbelievable to me.

[imprisonbush]

This administration is absolutely unbelievable. As a first step, Pelosi needs to quickly get with the program and retract her statement that impeachment is off the table. Bush and Cheney are clearly the spawn of Satan and need to be removed from office forcibly, prosecuted, jailed and hung in public.

[changeit4]

My great-grandma said "it'll all come out in the wash." Gonzales has another few weeks to try to hide his dirty laundry. Won't matter though. He's been hung out to dry. You can't have too many cliches for a cliche administration!

[misands]

This administration is so unbeliably incompetent that sometimes I think I must be dreaming this.
I can't imagine how this Gonzales guy could possibly survive this. In addition, the fact that Bush doesn't seem to be too upset by Gonzales lying to Congress proves to me that he was in on it the whole time and also shows his utter contempt for the other two branches of government. Bush should demand his resignation, however why won't he? Perhaps it's because he's just as deep in this as Gonzales.

[abbe7]

"Embattled AG now accused in teen *** scandal 'cover-up' Attorney General Gonzales among officials who allegedly ignored abuse of minor boys."


http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54861

[huskerarmy]

"You talk about a man that will stick by someone no matter what..."
That's because his sole claim to integrity is that he won't throw those under the bus with whom he's been complicit.

[toldyouso21]

Loyalty can be a gret and admirable strength or it can be an ugly, unforgiveable weakness.

A mother, too loyal to her husband can ignore his midnight tippings to the maid's quarters or their childrens' rooms and will steadfastly ignore the cries or rape and molestation--or blame the victim never the husband. A super loyal employee, will commit crimes for a boss, or cover up the boss's crime.

Loyalty can be a sick syndrome where the target of it is perceived as 'almighty, indispuable, all powerful and people will lie, kill, take the fall for, or lay down their life for their leader.

Many people have blocks of loyalty among family or a few friends, but it takes a very complex apparatus and a willingness to give up individual thought for large amounts of people to subscribe to this kind of behavior. almost always such power over a group leads to extreme behvior as if the leader wishes to test the loyalty of his sycophants by becoming more and more outrageous and seeing if they can suck it up.

"Do you really, really, really love me?" Then lie for me. commit treason for me. go to jail for me. Falsify documents for me. Torture for me. give me immunity for war crimes. Give me immunity for breaking laws. cover for me.

People must remember that to be able to be filled with such awe and unyielding loyalty requires a great vast emptiness in a soul and a willingness to displace a lost or nonexistence sense of character with another's will.

[aaabee-2009]

I could give Bush a few points if he would learn from any of his mistakes.

Doing the same thing every time and expecting different results....

Bush leads by example. His people would have more accountability if he expected it of them. But to expect accountability of others, one has to expect to be held accountable in return.

Do you get the feeling that maybe Daddy Bush didn't really teach Dubya that even rich heirs to the oil legacy needs to show accountability?

[abbe7]

"Embattled AG now accused in teen *** scandal 'cover-up' Attorney General Gonzales among officials who allegedly ignored abuse of minor boys."


http://www.worldnetdaily.com
/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54861

I really wonder ... was it censored by some automatic editing or manually (I mean the ***) ?
So, just follow the link to see " S E X " writtent in full :-)

[inventagod]

How this pack of liars and thugs is still in power must only be due to threats and blackmail...
No other Congress would have allowed things to go without punishment for so long.
If you add up the pieces, we have:
one fascist administration,
making defense contractors rich,
using the Pentagon as their own army,
using the justice department as their own police force.

[bogusbones]

I wish Congress would go to the root of all the problems in the administration, to the man that has created and concocted the deep divisions in our country, to the man that manipulates every move for political advantage, to the man that could care less for the success of the country, to the man that our President trusts with blind devotion, Karl Rove. If we uncovered half of the unlawful acts this despicable character has been involved in, he'd be in jail for fifty years. Please wake up and smell the manure, Rove is in the middle of it.

[roger_inkart]

I just read the list of postings and did not find ONE defending the Bush administration. Used to be there would be about 3-4 pro-Bush posts for every one critic. Then it was about even. Then we became the majority. Now, only the most etreme Bush zealots seem to bother trying to defend the administration.

[rzipper1]

Finally checks and balances on the Katrina Administration. Shame on those Republicans who placed their party before their duties as Senators.

The Bush Presidency can be summarized with two words. Arrogance and Incompetence.

The Republican Congress never held them accountable.

[rafterman1]

"Now, only the most etreme Bush zealots seem to bother trying to defend the administration."

Even the most extreme righty is beginning to realize how foolish they look trying to defend some of this stuff. This Gonzales stuff is a perfect example. A few diehards will break out with "where's the proof?". No testifying under oath, in public or transcript. Two weeks of missing documents. One aide taking the fifth. Another saying Gonzales had "not been truthful" in a press conference. I mean, come on. Even a loyalist has to realize something stinks here.

[marcodele]

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."
"Brownie, you're fired."

"Rummy, you're doing a heck of a job."
"Rummy, you're fired."

"Gonzy, you're doing a heck of a job..."

[toldyouso21]

Please wake up and smell the manure, Rove is in the middle of it.
Posted by bogusbones at 10:15 AM : Mar 30, 2007


Rove may be in the middle of it, but Bush is at the forefront. People need to stop buying the "bungling, I really don't know what I am saying or doing Columbo act of Bush. Bush manipulates, plays the harmless 'fool' pretends to be clueless and out of the loop while everyone else around him is supposedly leading America (and him) wrong.

But if you look closely you see Bush micromanaging. You see as very vindictive and sneaky man. He leaked/outed the the documents about the agent (remember leaker in chief). Bush is the one who wrote Tony Blair and said if Saddam did not have WMD we would have to 'trick' him as an excuse to attack.... He is the one giving 'executive privilege for things he was supposedly not involved in (and therefore executive privilege does not apply--like the energy meetings)

Bush is a micromanager--this means his power grabbing little fingers are in EVERTHING. As for "*** blossom" He has Bush's ear, but Bush has Turdie's (and most other Republicans') ballz.

[tuckerndfw]

I could give Bush a few points if he would learn from any of his mistakes.

Posted by AaaBee at 09:51 AM : Mar 30, 2007

George Bush does not admit to making mistakes.

George Bush is literally a psychopath.

[terrapin78]

This "loyalty to Gonzo" shows again how out of touch this Administration is about the role they play for the American public. They seem to think that this is a Dictatorship and anything they do is OK.

Well they are starting to learn that they are WRONG!

Go Dems Go!!! Bring them all to Justice!

[dallison7]

Just the fact that Gonzales denied having a part in the firings is a clear indication that obstruction of justice has been committed.

When a child does something that he knows is not wrong he will admit it... only when he knows he can get into trouble does he lie about his involvement.

[tuckerndfw]

Now, only the most etreme Bush zealots seem to bother trying to defend the administration.

Posted by roger_inkart at 10:16 AM : Mar 30, 2007

I agree with most of your comment about Bush "supporters."

But, they do not typically defend Bush, they attack his opponents. Democrats, the Clintons by name, and "liberals" are mentioned more often by Bush "supporters" than anything else they post.

[heresmy2cent]

All laywers are professional liars by nature.

Mr. Gonzales is no different.

Gonzales will continue to lie and try to squirm his way out of this mess until material evidence shows him with his teat in the wringer.

He will then "gracefully" resign against the wishes of his president.

Politics and lawyering as usual.

[baldfrog-2009]

sampson=rove jr.
oh mr. rove i'll do anything you want me too.lie me up lie me down.cries mr sampson.is it my turn to be in the "barrel" for you tonight "baby cakes"?
they are all making bush bull bricks and "roll me over in the clover rover" is still doing the "blackberry rock" like in your face America.I'll have this little stooge sampson take the heat for me like all the rest of these little puppet clowns in town in town.look at that guys poor face!did i say something wrong?it's white and ashen like the all rest of those grub worms who never come out into the Light and just lie and lie.The grand daddy of them all mr. rove.i don't get it? we can try robbers,rapist,killers and thieves,impeach presidents,nail a son of God to some sticks for sins i didn't do you all that got that Book,(maybe Jesus was the First to take one for the Team)but if your name is Rove,or Cheney,or Dubya himself who i consult with the "Big Guy in the Garden." and all those Commandments we're breaking are ok cause my bro J.C. got my back our Daddy said it's ok in the Garden to kill,lie,cheat and all that stuff, and i'm lovin my neighbor an all that cool stuff cause karl put a Bible study on for us an Our version is the right one.yup K.R. you keep dancing but the karma momma is on the way the senate judiciary is fixin to have you pay your rather "large freight bill."

[gwagener]

Come on CBS, I still want to know what happend to the procecutor jobs. I know that Cummins was replaced by a Rove toadie without Senate confirmation, but what about the other jobs? Are they still vacant? Have they been filled with political hacks? What happens with those jobs in the future is more important than what happened in the past.

[perception5]

You want "proof" of our smearing corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack?????? Look at the racist slur they used to describe the AG......"CONZO".
CBS, you and your corrupt liberal staff have no "class".
CBS, you represent "posion" in the bloodstream of this great nation.

[passerby2]

"Cummins,..., acknowledged that he served at the political pleasure of the president..."


ahahaha

[fairandbal]

This is total proof that the MSM is totally binding to this administration and conservative politics in general. If this were a democratic administration all news media outlets would be blatantly calling for his resignation. The MSM is totally playing the patsy here. Whatever Bush wants is what Bush gets to them because they (MSM) are in bed with conservatives.

[rafterman1]

"You want "proof" of our smearing corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack?????? Look at the racist slur they used to describe the AG......"CONZO"."

"Gonzo" is a racist slur? Are you retarded? Getting pretty desperate there I see. If anything LackofPerception, you are good for a laugh.

[liberalvet]

You want "proof" of our smearing corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack?????? Look at the racist slur they used to describe the AG......"CONZO".
CBS, you and your corrupt liberal staff have no "class".
CBS, you represent "posion" in the bloodstream of this great nation.

Posted by perception5 at 10:58 AM : Mar 30, 2007

LOL... Perception you are a joke. A NEOCON as yourself using the racist card, you should ashamed. NEOCON's hate everyone and everything that is not NEOCON. The only poison being feed to this great nation is by the hands of BS NEOCON's and their supporters.

[marcodele]

Bush has nicknames for all of his inner circle of buttkissers. Condy, Rummy, Brownie, et al.
Gonzo is not a racist slur you idiot.

[toldyouso21]

Why isn't anyone challenging that B.S about Carol Lam being fired due to her performance on immigration? Why doesn't the media or Congress fire back some tough quetions about her record?

Carol Lam is supposed to have a 100% conviction record on illegal immigration. She is supposed to be ranked 3rd in the nation on immigration control and it has also been written that she received a commendation in excellence from the US border control--IF all of this is true--then the reasons given for firing her are NOT the real reasons, so we have to go back to the fact that the day before she was put on the list, she was opening another corruption case against a Republican and THAT is what elicited the "She is a problem" email quote.

Congress should not let the DOJ slide here! Write your congressmen, if those accolades about Lam are true--they better (once again) revamp their story on why she was targeted!!!!

[iceman_1960]

"White House: Gonzo Still Our Guy"

It will be "Bedtime for Gonzo" soon enough.

The White House supported Donald Rumsfeld and Michael Brown for a while too.

[luvny-2009]

"I can tell you that the president has confidence in him. The president believes the attorney general can overcome the challenges that are before him."

That's just out and out BUSH$HIT, he lied and Bush is backing him. This has all got to stop, how the hell can they keep getting aways with this! He's condoning lies!

[iceman_1960]

Look for a speedy Gonzales exit before the end of April.

Bush has enough problems without this albatross around his neck.

[marcodele]

speedy Gonzales --- way too clever!

[shingles1]

Bush's nickname for Gonzales is "Fredo" after the most sad and pathetic loser in the Corleone family. Appropriate.

[hazelknows]

Cut off the head and the body dies... Karl Rove

must be stopped, everything this administration

has done, he has a part in. This is the only way

to stop this incompetent, out of control

republican government before the current war

stops and another war starts (Iran).....

[shingles1]

"CBS, you represent "posion" in the bloodstream of this great nation.
Posted by perception5"

"...and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

[iceman_1960]

Gonzales, Rumsfeld, Harriet Miers and Michael Brown should start a club.

They could wear lapel buttons that read "President Bush Backed Me 100%"

[aaabee-2009]

perception5 has no credibility. The links and facts he/she/it provides are cherry-picked.

[dogband]

Why would the white house remove someone from doing the job they specified, ie, firing judges who were not Bushie enough to suit them.

Blatant abuse of power run amuck. But then, what is new about this?

[tejasdemo]

Impeach Bush and Cheney !

[CBSTV]

Obviously, the President has no sense of shame.

I imagine a key reason that Bush is supporting Gonzales is that he doesn't want to find a new Attorney General who would pass a review of the Democratic-controlled Congress.

[diamtool]

I'm sure that Hunter Thompson's ashes are glowing red knowing that "gonzo" is being used as a handle for this stooge.
"Fredo", bush's nickname for him does seem more appropriate.
I hope they keep him around- this is really too much fun!

[inventagod]

In any other administration, this would have been grounds for replacement. The problem here, is Gonz was doing the bidding of the president, so a promotion/raise is in order...