WASHINGTON D.C., July 29, 2007
Leahy: AG Has One Week To Fix Testimony
Senate Judiciary Chairman Gives Alberto Gonzales A Chance To Clarify
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Gonzales Has One Week
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, says Alberto Gonzales has one week to clarify his testimony. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., says the AG deserves a chance to clarify.
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Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, shown here being sworn in on Capitol Hill Tuesday, is accused of telling "half-truths" to the Senate Judiciary Committee. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
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"He has a week to correct it if he wants," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said. "If he doesn't correct it, then I think that there are so many errors in there that the pressure will be very, very heavy, whether it's a special prosecutor, special counsel efforts within the – within the Congress."
Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Gonzales repeatedly and emphatically said the president's secret warrantless domestic spying program was not the subject of internal disagreement in 2004 within the Bush administration. But FBI Director Robert Mueller, appearing Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee, said it was.
Now Senate Democrats are calling for a perjury investigation, claiming Gonzales has, "at a minimum," provided "half-truths and misleading statements" in testimony to Congress, most recently over secret surveillance. The Bush administration says it still supports Gonzales and that his testimony didn't contradict Mueller's.
Four Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the solicitor general to appoint a special counsel to investigate.
"The irony is though, the Department of Justice, which is supposed to be very impartial – it's supposed to be impartial to law enforcement – is being shredded by his activities," Leahy said. "And if you lose confidence in law enforcement, it hurts everybody all the way down to the cop on the beat."
The ranking Republican on the Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, told Bob Schieffer that Gonzales should be given a change to set the record straight before a perjury investigation goes ahead.
"What we want to do is find out what the facts are so that we can formulate public policy and legislation and get the Department of Justice back on its feet," Specter said. "I think it's premature, until he's had a chance to review the record and supplement his answers."
But this controversy, Specter said, resonates throughout the country because it goes to the core of the integrity of the justice system, and he said it is time for Gonzales to step aside.
"There's no doubt, as I have said repeatedly for months now, that the Department of Justice would be much better off without him," he said.
However the Senator did not join the New York Times which said in an editorial on Sunday that Congress should consider impeaching Gonzales.
The problem cannot be completely solved, Leahy said, by President Bush firing Gonzales.
"Well, many of us said he should fire the attorney general, but I think it's more than that," Leahy said. "I think he has to state, 'We have made' — we, the administration – 'made some bad mistakes in saying we're above the law.' Nobody's above the law. The president's not above the law. You're not, I'm not. And it's got to go back to the rule of law."
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See all 232 CommentsFredo is the poster child of what can go wrong when we vote the most unqualified morons into the White House.
Next time, America, THINK before you vote.
all southern, all christian, all snakes...
bush loving, redneck, reborn republican snakes.
they still love bush in the south.
war, hate, arrogance, creepy republican religious snakes...
nothing good comes out of the south.
(fix the testimony)
nothing good comes out of the south." Funny, this didn't upset me. Obviously this writer has led a sheltered life. I am a southerner, North Carolina qualifies me. I am not a Republican, I don't hate a soul, and a religious snake? Well, I am religious...a retired Methodist Minister.
It is the non thinking, uninformed, bigoted contributor to this blog that, not only makes the rest oif us "tune out and turn off", but it doesn't say a lot for CBS.
If the United States people accept these ongoing deceptions and corruption, then what is the point of having laws? What is the value of having a separation of powers and oversight from the Legislative and Judicial branches of government? If the actions of Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, et al, are considered acceptable, then we are now living in an "anything goes" society and all of us ought to feel free to do whatever we wish.
Posted by preacherbob1 at 04:39 PM : Jul 29, 2007
Coming from a minister, I find it ironic that you would blame the messenger. Says alot about the Ten Commandants doesn't it!!
Posted by studio41 at 04:42 PM : Jul 29, 2007
No.
"Next time, America, THINK before you vote."
Don't hold your breath.
I'm afraid the Dems control of Congress will be short lived with their 14% approval rating. However, our corrrupt liberal MSM wolfpack "will do anything" to prop their pals up...................stand by.
That's the problem with the Dems, they don't know we're in a war. A war with a fascist shadow government that spits on the Constitution and sets themselves up as absolute rulers. The government of Bushit and Chickenshit.
Dems, this is not the time to make nicey nice. It is time to initiate impeachment proceedings.
But only a few of you have the guts to take on the machine. And the Repub machine stonewalls at every turn. The Dems may lack guts to take on the criminals, but the Repubs ARE the criminals. Traitors and cowards.
They appear painted with the same brush, there is no soul within the group.
Expect nothing else, this is the new right-wing.
but for the good of those elected.
the republican party is the party of war, hate, rednecks and reborns...
the kind of people that elected bush.
ha,ha,ha.
that's the south for you, folks!
+ report abuse
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and after the vomit you spewed..what makes you any better?
Keep up your stupid, useless postings about the do-nothing Congress. Everyone with a brain sees the republicans are completely stonewalling every positive initiative being proposed. You thought the republicans lost the last election? Wait until Nov 2008. The corruption and scandals in this White House is so deplorable, even the Evangelicals will be voting for Democrats!! That should work out good for you particularly - once we have socialized health care in this country, you'll finally be able to have that big ugly thing removed from your shoulders.
to something the rabid liberal masses want to hear.
why are they all fired up about??
oh these so called facist criminals are way to hard on terrorists. the liberal masses wants us to tone it down.
NAME ONE HONEST INNOCENT AMERICAN JOE CITIZEN WHO'S RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED. THESE LIBERALS ARE WAY TOO WORRIED ABOUT CRIMINALS, TERRORISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS
Both Parties need to be Voted out and New blood needs to be brought in to correct the problem.
TERM LIMITS FOLKS It is the only way to get this straightened out and representation brought back to the People as it was intended by the founders who foresaw this kind of problem and Even Washington Jefferson and Hancock knew this could happen.
When will you learn and when will the Greater good of all take effect instead of the Powerful few who cling to Power like fly to ***.
IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE
Oh!!!! Please........Give me a friggin break. These
idiots in Congress are unreal. Looks like the same
old *** going nowhere. The idiots in Congress are
going on a month long recess in August. I wonder
if Gonzalez mysteriously resigns. Bush gets to appoint another one of his crooks for a new attorney
general without any senate confirmation. Probably
already planned.
America is FASCIST. The Israeli/American Elite RULE our Country.
OOh. One week or they'll give him a spanking with a belt and a finger in the face. Gonzo's fanny is sure going to be sore.
Translation THE FIX IS IN!!!
Term limits and public financing of political campaigns. The Supreme Court will also have to get rid of its ridiculous notion that "money" equates to "free speech"
Posted by rharrin1 at 06:47 PM : Jul 29, 2007
Because the right wing bible beaters have a very flexible idea of what is or is nor moral. Homosexuality and drug use is immoral, unless it's Ted Haggard. Hitting on teen boys is immoral, unless it's Mark Foley. Lying under oath is immoral unless it's done to cover up for their newly risen Christ, George W. Bush! Some lies are less lies then other lies. Hypocritcal pric*ks.
little does the world know that america has a dark side...
it's known as the republican, christian south...
formerly known as confederate rebel south.
the south never changed...
they just became reborns and republicans.
ha,ha,ha.
war, hate, rednecks, reborns...
nothing good comes out of the south.
Re-reading the testimony by Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey, who was acting AG at the time, one point is made absolutely clear. The surveillance program that was the topic of the hospital conversation, DoJ could not certify its legality. Neither Comey or Ashcroft ever signed off on its reauthorization, because of its questionable legality. In fact, the program was re-authorized without a signature from the DoJ. If the DoJ had found this program had little or no legal basis, those who re-authorized, put it in to practice, might well face more than perjury.
His administration is covering for him.
The Republicon Congress is implicit in the crime.
The Democrats do not have a chance to impeach.
The USA lost when Bu$h won.
hasn't won the fight against the taliban.
hasn't won the fight in iraq.
actually, that creep, bush, hasn't accomplished one thing in his eight year presidency.
but they still love that idiot, bush, in the south.
bush is a good christian...they say in dixie.
so we support him.
can you believe that *****?
war, hate, reborns, rednecks...
never a war the south couldn't lose.
nothing good comes out of the south.
Sen.Leahy continues to make threats that go no where and mean nothing as there is no teeth with in the Democratic Party.
Hearing after hearing and no one is found to be responsible for anything.
Posted by sjc_1 at 08:57 PM : Jul 29, 2007
Well it's like Bill Maher said the other night on his HBO special, Bush always wants to be the smartest person in the room, so he has to surround himself with complete morons and idiots for that to happen. Actually it's quite an accomplishment if you think about it. I mean do you know how hard it must have been to put together a complete staff of people more stupid then Bush? OMG they must have had to scour the trailer parks for years!
Posted by RandalDS at 07:44 PM : Jul 29, 2007
Never happen. Bush will commute the sentence faster than Gonzales can say, "I don't recall".
Posted by perception5
ok perception5 you have one week to correct your postings
"there are so many errors in there that the pressure will be very, very heavy"
Knowing that kind of behavior is going on, and doing nothing about it, well..that's a low-life person.
If I rob a bank, and I don't get caught, I get away with the money.
If I rob a bank, and I get caught, do I have up to a week to return the money without being charged with a crime?
What if I updated my voter registration from Democrat to Republican? Would that work, or is there a waiting period to commit crimes without fear of punishment?
Posted by hungry1968 at 09:06 PM : Jul 29, 2007
That's true, but you know I wonder if anyone has told the chimp yet that he can pardon everyone, but himself? Or are they all going to trot out of the office on the last day with their pardons in hand leaving him holding the bag? LOL!
Clarify? He lied again and again. What's there to clarify? This is redonculous!
Somehow I think Bush was absent the day that idea was taught in school...or too dam*n drunk or high to get it. And he still can't grasp the simple concept that he is a government employee. A public servant and nothing more. He is not a king. Not a dictator. Not above the law. There has to be a legal way to smack the stupid son of a bi*tch up side his thick skull and remind him of that. He works for us, not the other way around.
+ report abuse
***
what are you talking about? what law had he broken. you mean the law where he is suppose to listen to you in regards to respecting the rights of terrorists to kill us?
All are allegations, congress cant do shi t, your elected democrats cant do sh it..you know why??
whinning about some allegations does not make it real..congress knows that..the democrats knows that..pelosi knows that..france knows that, the UN knows tha, amnesty international knows that, the EU knows that.THAT IS WHY IT IS ALL ERRIE SILENCE from all the only person who seems to not understand that is you.
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