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Lindsey
May 11th, 2007, 12:43 AM
Part of Gonzales's testimony today before the House Judiciary Committee today was worthy of Abbott and Costello. From Salon.com's "War Room (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2007/05/10/gonzales/index.html)" blog:

[Rep. Robert] Wexler [D-FL]: If I understand it correctly, you testified that Karl Rove talked to you about voter fraud in New Mexico in fall 2006.

Gonzales: Yes, New Mexico and two other jurisdictions. That's correct.

Wexler: Mr. Iglesias is selected for the termination list in early November 2006?

Gonzales: I think on Election Day -- well, I don't remember when he was selected. I wasn't involved in that process ...

Wexler: And it's your testimony [that] you did not select Mr. Iglesias to be put on the list, correct?

Gonzales: His name was brought forward to me, recommended along with others.

Wexler: Right. You did not select him? Did Mr. [Kyle] Sampson select him?

Gonzales: Mr. Sampson was charged with coordinating this effort.

Wexler: He didn't select him?

Gonzales: I have not spoken with Mr. Sampson about this.

Wexler: Right. Did former Deputy Attorney General [James] Comey -- did he select them?

Gonzales: ... He wasn't in the department at that time, so ...

Wexler: So he didn't select them.

Gonzales: I don't think he selected them.

Wexler: That's right. Did Mr. [Paul] McNulty select them?

Gonzales: I haven't spoken -- I haven't asked that question to Mr. McNulty.

Wexler: Mr. McNulty told us he didn't select them. Did Mr. [David] Margolis select them?

Gonzales: Again, I haven't spoken with Mr. Margolis.

Wexler: He didn't select them. We've talked a lot about the president's authority to have who he wants where. Did the president select Mr. Iglesias to be put on the termination list?

Gonzales: No.

Wexler: No, the president didn't select him. Did the vice president select him to put him, Mr. Iglesias, on the termination list?

Gonzales: No.

Wexler: No. OK. So the president didn't, the vice president didn't, you, the attorney general, didn't. All of the assistant and former deputy attorney generals didn't put Mr. Iglesias on the termination list. So who did?

Gonzales: Well, what's important, Congressman, is that there was a consensus recommendation made to me. How he got on the list was less ...

Wexler: So a group of people put him on the list?

Gonzales: What's less important is that I accepted a recommendation and I made the decision. I accept responsibility for the decision.

Wexler: No, no, you made a decision, according to yourself, as to accepting the termination list. But you've also said you didn't put him on the list. So somebody else, other than you, other than the president, other than the vice president, other than every deputy attorney general that's come to this committee, put him on the list. But with all due respect, Mr. Attorney General, you won't tell the American people who put Mr. Iglesias on the list to be fired. It's a national secret, isn't it?

Gonzales: Congressman, if I knew the answer to that question I would provide you the answer. I have not spoken with the individuals involved ...

Wexler: So you don't know who put [Iglesias on the list]. Why was Mr. Iglesias put on the list by this mystery person?

Gonzales: Well, again, I wasn't surprised to see Mr. Iglesias' name recommended to me based upon conversations that I had had with the senior senator from New Mexico. He had lost confidence in Mr. Iglesias. Let me just say, Mr. Iglesias' story is a great one, it's the American dream, and there are many good things about his performance, and I very much admire him as a person.

Wexler: But you won't tell the American people who put him on a list to terminate his employment.

Gonzales: I accept responsibility for ...

Wexler: You accept responsibility for making the decision ultimately to accept the termination list, but you will not come forth and tell the American people who put Mr. Iglesias on the list to be fired.

Gonzales: Out of respect for the integrity of this investigation and the investigations occurring at the Department of Justice, I have not made that inquiry with respect to other fact witnesses.

Wexler: But you were OK with firing them, but you won't tell us who made the recommendation to fire them.

Gonzales: I think I was justified in relying upon the senior leadership in the department ... Let me just say this: I did not make the decision with respect to Mr. Iglesias ...

Wexler: I know. You haven't made any decision ... You have been very clear about that.

Gonzales: I accept full responsibility for this.

Wexler: But you won't tell us who put Mr. Iglesias on that list?

Gonzales: You would have a better opportunity to access ...

Wexler: I would?

Gonzales: The committee would, the Congress.

Wexler: Are you the attorney general? Do you run the Department of Justice?

Gonzales: I do. And it has been frustrating to me to not be able to ask these kinds of questions. But I want to respect the integrity of this investigation, and the investigations going on within the department. If we all came up here ... and had the same testimony about events that occurred over two years, you would look at that with great suspicion. You would wonder ... "Have you guys talked to each other about facts?"

Lindsey
May 11th, 2007, 12:48 AM
One reader had some thoughts as to the source of the names on the list:

Maybe the names...

...appeared on a burning bush.

...appeared on 8 golden plates.

...appeared as cracks on a tortoise shell.

...were seen in chicken entrails.

...were seen holding hands in a dream by Kekule.

...were part of a secret coded message in a plastic ring at the bottom of a CrackerJack box.

Just trying to be helpful.

Judy G. Russell
May 11th, 2007, 10:43 PM
One reader had some thoughts as to the source of the names on the list:

Maybe the names...

...appeared on a burning bush.

...appeared on 8 golden plates.

...appeared as cracks on a tortoise shell.

...were seen in chicken entrails.

...were seen holding hands in a dream by Kekule.

...were part of a secret coded message in a plastic ring at the bottom of a CrackerJack box.

Just trying to be helpful.
ROFL!!! The burning bush reference may be all too real given Goodling's background!

ndebord
May 11th, 2007, 11:13 PM
ROFL!!! The burning bush reference may be all too real given Goodling's background!


Judy,

Or perhaps the words suddenly appeared in thin air above a burning shrub.

Judy G. Russell
May 12th, 2007, 07:56 AM
Or perhaps the words suddenly appeared in thin air above a burning shrub.As the people all stROVE to read them...

Lindsey
May 13th, 2007, 11:29 PM
ROFL!!! The burning bush reference may be all too real given Goodling's background!
George Packer had a good piece (http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/05/14/070514taco_talk_packer) in the New Yorker's "Talk of the Town" this past week about the total lack of accountability in this administration.

--Lindsey

Judy G. Russell
May 15th, 2007, 06:49 AM
George Packer had a good piece (http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/05/14/070514taco_talk_packer) in the New Yorker's "Talk of the Town" this past week about the total lack of accountability in this administration.Well this comment may be right: "Wolfowitz’s ally Richard Perle once said that to express public doubts about the Iraq war “would be fatal.” "

The reason why, of course, being that these are the people who led us into this morass.