Gonzales: Deputy Advised Attorney Firings

Attorney General Says Paul McNulty "Signed Off On The Names"

(CBS/AP)  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday he relied on his resigning deputy more than any other aide to decide which U.S. attorneys should be fired last year.

His comments come a less than a day after Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty announced he would resign at the end of the summer — a decision that people familiar with the plans said was hastened by the controversy over the purge of eight prosecutors.

Democratic opponents of the Bush administration say the firings were politically motivated and have called for the resignation of Gonzales, the top U.S. law enforcement official who heads the Justice Department.

President George W. Bush has steadfastly supported Gonzales, saying the firings were appropriate based on the attorneys' performance, but conceding that Gonzales and the Justice Department did a poor job of communicating to Congress how the changes in the federal prosecutor offices were handled.

"You have to remember, at the end of the day, the recommendations reflected the views of the deputy attorney general. He signed off on the names," Gonzales told reporters at a National Press Club forum in Washington. "And he would know better than anyone else, anyone in this room, anyone — again, the deputy attorney general would know best about the qualifications and the experiences of the United States attorneys community, and he signed off on the names."

Gonzales also called McNulty's pending departure "a loss. ... I'm really going to miss him." But he said he relied on McNulty's views more than another other adviser, and said he was reassured by his deputy as recently as March that the firings all were justified.

"The one person I would care about would be the views of the deputy attorney general, because the deputy attorney general is the direct supervisor of the United States attorneys," Gonzales said.

The attorney general, who has long been a confidant and associate of George W. Bush, has apparently surmounted a wave of calls last month for his resignation in the wake of the flap over the firings of the federal prosecutors.

Republicans taking part in a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week defended him, saying that Democrats should back away in their continuing investigation of the firings. That contrasted sharply with calls from some Senate Republicans for Gonzales' resignation earlier this year.

McNulty was the third top Justice official to leave in recent months, reported CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. Gonzales' liaison to the White House, Monica Goodling, and his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, have also resigned.

"It seems ironic that Paul McNulty, who at least tried to level with the committee, goes while Gonzales, who stonewalled the committee, is still in charge," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McNulty's resignation is expected to be the start of significant turnover at the department, particularly within the office he heads. Possible replacements for McNulty, according to several Justice officials, include Kevin O'Connor, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, who also serves now as Gonzales' staff chief; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein; and Susan Brooks, top prosecutor in Indiana, who is vice chair of the attorney general's advisory committee.

[imprisonbush]

Gonzo's blatant attempt to blame McNulty is pathetic deceit. How does he look at that ugly mug of his in the mirror each day? Do his kids get beat up at school because of who their father is? This would not surprise me. he has no dignity or honor. God help the USA.

[toldyouso21]

GONZO says, "I don't recall...but if I DID recall, McNulty did it!"

These morons in the Bush/Cheney gang are even inept at lying, which is pretty amazing when you consider how much practice they get at lying.
Posted by ddaymichael at 08:28 PM : May 15, 2007


THAT is not amazing, what is amazing is that the public and Congress continually allow them to get away with it. Reinforcement of bad behavior ensures bad behavior.

[wb4mmv]

Are 'I don't know' and 'Someone else did it' really good reasons for Alberto Gonzales to stay in as head of the Justice Department. He didn't even know how many lawyers were in his department the other day. Why would most Republicans defend his unabashed incompetence?? If this guy is the best Republican lawyer in the country, Republicans should be very worried. George Bush and Iraq aside, that they won't do anything should certainly cause the electorate to wonder about their ability to govern at all.

[vincan-2009]

Why would anyone believe anything Gonzales says? He has proven to the country and the congress that he can't remember a thing and never will. He is a rubber stamp mouthpiece for the Bush regime and only has thoughts that he is told to have. Of course, since being installed as attorney general he has approved every illegal action this administration wanted.

[vincan-2009]

Why would anyone believe anything Gonzales says? He has proven to the country and the congress that he can't remember a thing and never will. He is a rubber stamp mouthpiece for the Bush regime and only has thoughts that he is told to have. Of course, since being installed as attorney general he has approved every illegal action this administration wanted.

[vincan-2009]

Why would anyone believe anything Gonzales says? He has proven to the country and the congress that he can't remember a thing and never will. He is a rubber stamp mouthpiece for the Bush regime and only has thoughts that he is told to have. Of course, since being installed as attorney general he has approved every illegal action this administration wanted.

[wb4mmv]

Are 'I don't know' and 'Someone else did it' really good reasons for Alberto Gonzales to stay in as head of the Justice Department. He didn't even know how many lawyers were in his department the other day. Why would most Republicans defend his unabashed incompetence?? If this guy is the best Republican lawyer in the country, Republicans should be very worried. George Bush and Iraq aside, that they won't do anything should certainly cause the electorate to wonder about their ability to govern at all.

[ddaymichael]

Falwell used to bully the hillbillies into making donations and thinking 'right' with his BS about fire & brimstone. I wonder what he thinks about fire & brimstone now?

[ddaymichael]

GONZO says, "I don't recall...but if I DID recall, McNulty did it!"

These morons in the Bush/Cheney gang are even inept at lying, which is pretty amazing when you consider how much practice they get at lying.

[trillion1]

Isn't there even one of these nut cases that is mature enough to take responsibilty? bush blamed bad intellegence,Wolfie blamed his girlfriend, Rummy blamed the generals.

[bareemperor]

NOW GONZO REMEMBERS?

I hope the appropriate suspect points the appropriate finger at Bu$h...

[randalds]

Today the world is rid of one of the most vile and evil predators of the 20th century. Jerry Falwell preyed on the poor and undereducated. I will never forget the ads he produced at the end of the century. "For a gift of only $40 we will send you this valuable phamplet entitled 'How you can survive the carnage of Y2K,"

Good riddance to a cancer upon humanity, and may you rot in hell!
Posted by dallison7 at 06:46 PM : May 15, 2007

I always thought Pat Robertson's "Prayer Pancakes" was the biggest scam of the televangelists, but he and Falwell were always neck and neck when it came to ways to fleece the flock of idiots that followed them! LOL

BTW, CBS does have a Falwell story with a comment box on the US section now.

[dallison7]

Today the world is rid of one of the most vile and evil predators of the 20th century. Jerry Falwell preyed on the poor and undereducated. I will never forget the ads he produced at the end of the century. "For a gift of only $40 we will send you this valuable phamplet entitled 'How you can survive the carnage of Y2K,"

Good riddance to a cancer upon humanity, and may you rot in hell!

[susanhelit]

Wow, that was the fastest memory recovery I've ever heard of! After all those 'don't recall's, suddenly Gonzales remembers????

Maybe he should see what else he could remember if he himself resigned!

[randalds]

I personally hope the Dems continue this silly parade. The American people couldn't care less about nine attorneys that lost their jobs (most people would probably agree that the less lawyers we have in this country, the better), and this has cost tons of money and gone absolutely nowhere. No crimes, nothing. Sort of like the Clinton impeachment. And we all know what happened in the following election...

Keep on, Dems!
Posted by mike71067 at 01:13 PM : May 15, 2007

I hope they continue this "silly parade" too! After all the longer this clown is in the public eye the longer this scandal gets dragged out and the more obvious the incompetence and the corruption of the Bush administration becomes. If the Bushies had any brains at all they'd fire Gonzales, nominate a new AG and move toward getting this mess off the front page. Luckily for us democrats they ain't that smart. lol!

[toldyouso21]

Convenient that McNulty offered his head, and Gonzales conveniently seized it... "look... I didn't do it, er I mean, I don't remember doing it... I was told I was there when it happened, I mean I take full responsibility... I mean... Paul did it, yeah... it was Paul."
Posted by changeit4 at 01:56 PM : May 15, 2007

Funny how Gonzales did not seem to think McNulty knew that much or was responsible for that much in the first round of hearings--only when the man is leaving does Gonzales put the "kick me, I am the scapegoat" sign on McNulty. Of course no one believes this--but it will be interesting to see which one of the Republicans tries to pretend this is acceptable--it will say a lot about them still marching lock step with Bush--Bush has something on them all--maybe they all found out that their party had something negative to do with 9/11 so they have to protect each other because if the one who really did it goes down, they all go down. LOL

[toldyouso21]

personally hope the Dems continue this silly parade. The American people couldn't care less about nine attorneys that lost their jobs (most people would probably agree that the less lawyers we have in this country, the better), and this has cost tons of money and gone absolutely nowhere. No crimes, nothing. Sort of like the Clinton impeachment. And we all know what happened in the following election...

Keep on, Dems!
Posted by mike71067 at 01:13 PM : May 15, 2007


You are right. We could not care less about 9 attorneys losing their jobs. But we may care if the courts and prosecuting of cases get so corrupted that people who are card carrying GOP walk free while everyone else is prosecuted, or if resources are used to trump up charges or frame people based on their political affiliation. We will really care if the size of a sentence or judgement is tied to what party the plaintiff or defendant belongs to or when warrants are okayed to go after political rivals or to keep one party in power--and when the courts and DOJ get stacked---THAT is what is at stake, and THAT is why we care. And I am an independent who cares.

[generey]

Yea right. Talk about a fall guy. Probably got more $$$ to take the fall than I have earned in my lifetime.

[toldyouso21]

Remove Gonzales. Hasn't he jaywalked or something that would get him sent to Gitmo?

Pleeeaasse!!!!!!!!
Posted by Terrapin78 at 12:20 PM : May 15, 2007


He committed perjury when he lied under oath to Congress and said he had not attended any meetings and that he had not been involved in the firings at all, no meetings, no memos....he was caught in a lie that Republicans would have buried a Democrat for--but since Bush told them all he is staying--they have backed off and said "yes sir"

[stick130]

We all know that Fawell was full of venom and hate for the ***. I will gladly forget his name.