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Gonzales' Safety Net
Former congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman writing today in The Los Angeles Times:
No matter how many members of Congress lose confidence in Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales, President Bush is unlikely to let him go. If Gonzales resigns, the vacancy must be filled by a new presidential nominee, and the last thing the White House wants is a confirmation hearing.Already, the Senate is outlining conditions for confirming a Gonzales successor. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has said that his panel would not hold confirmation hearings unless Karl Rove and other White House aides testify about the firing of U.S. attorneys to clarify whether "the White House has interfered with prosecution."...
Moreover, the Senate might use such hearings to do more than secure testimony from White House aides about the firings, as Leahy indicated. It also might use the opportunity to probe the Justice Department's role in mistreatment of detainees, four years of flouting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and other serious matters.
Rather than face such scrutiny, the White House may prefer keeping a drastically weakened Gonzales in place.
Via Scott Horton.
Josh
Zachary
"Rather than face such scrutiny, the White House may prefer keeping a drastically weakened Gonzales in place."
The Big Stall is on...
Every layer of protection between Cheney, Rove and W, and the Hot Seat, will be exhausted. If Waxman's investigation into WMD lies broadens to Cheney, because Condi refuses to appear, despite Congressional subpoenas, who will they install as the firewall, the way they have in the DOJ firings?
Who's their "WMD" fall guy, like Goodling and Sampson have become in the DOJ dominoe row? Or have they already set-up Tenet to take the rap on that one, according to Ari Fleischer today on MSNBC, Tenet and the CIA are the guilty parties for telling a trusting GW Bush all those exaggerated WMD tales...
Seems to me we all saw this coming back at the time it was happening, the way they twisted the evidence and ignored the truth, then blamed it on the "intelligence"...
We should have known. They could never really claim to have "intelligence..."
May 1, 2007 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
My thoughts, exactly. Gonzales may at this point be a spear in the administration's side, but this spear is barbed; far worse to rip it out rather than leave it lodged in.
May 1, 2007 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is out of control...
May 1, 2007 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
baaaad I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E.
BAD!
May 1, 2007 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
We need to send this message to Congress; either vote to override Bush's veto, or you will be targeted for replacement in 2008.
Any lawmaker who refuses to resist this veto should lose their job, Republican or Democrat, because they have blatantly defied their own constituents' mandate to end this war NOW!!!
May 1, 2007 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
As we have been discussing on TPM and TPMMuckraker for some time now, this is exactly what is keeping Gonzo in place. His "I can't recall" act and Bush's unreserved vote of confidence are simply stonewalling measures to lock Congress out of what the WH does not want them to see. There will be no confirmation hearings for any WH nominee until Dubya's gig is over. At this point the only way I can see to rachet up the investigation is to set the impeachment process in motion...beginning with Gonzo. Congress may end up impeaching the entire administration--in absentia--because at this point BushRoveCheney are not about to allow any of their minions to respond otherwise.
May 1, 2007 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a case of plugging the hole in the dam with your finger. Our country can't afford such poor actions in their leaders. There is no question he is unfit for the job, and if the truth must be pulled from them like teeth, then there is no reason he should not be impeached. A man with no credibility cannot be allowed to run our Justice Department.
May 1, 2007 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Surprisingly, for the coauthor of "The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizen", Holtzman doesn't mention the possibility that Congress could impeach Gonzales.
May 1, 2007 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
When you have a lackey and a flunky like gonzales, I suppose you're never going to find another - to do your dirty work and lie about it and look like a total fool on TV.
I wonder if gonzales is a masochist. What else would explain this?
If he's involved in the DC Madam case, we can speculate masochism.
Plus, this guy knows so much dirt on junior. How can you possibly cut him loose?
May 1, 2007 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The stalemate will be broken soon. The precipitating moment will be this evening's veto of the Iraq Withdrawal Bill -- a blatant flashing of the middle digit to the American people.
May 1, 2007 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Codeword "rice".
I couldn't let that one pass without a post...
"The Blogs" need to work together, and keep a hotlist of those Congress people who do not vote to override Bush's veto, then put them on the "dump list" for 2008.
If we can accomplish all we have over the past few years, surely "the blogosphere" can keep this list on the front burner until the next election, and let our lawmakers know that will be one of the inevitable consequenses of not boting to override Bush's veto.
NO EXCUSES!!!
May 1, 2007 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a tangled web they weave when they dissemble to deceive...Congress?
May 1, 2007 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bush probably does not get his way here. If Gonzalez stays in place the House can and will impeach. With 21 GOP Senators facing re-election in 2008 there probably isn't much appetite for going down with the Bush ship of state.
May 1, 2007 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever happened to the "no confidence" motion that was being talked about? I liked that idea.
May 1, 2007 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
But Congress can remove Gonzales.
If 2/3 of the Senate is demanding his resignation and he won't resign -- then Gonzales should be impeached, convicted, and removed from office.
May 1, 2007 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no one in the universe who is confirmable that the Administration wants becuase that individual would have to immediatley hit the ground running towards investigating the Administration. Bush is only going to send jack-booted thugs. The only thing more attractive to Bush than Gonzales is NO Attorney's General cuz that would be carte blanche to run amok.
INQUIRY: Could Bush's failure to nominate a confirmable Attorney's General be considered obstruction of justice?
May 1, 2007 11:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Big IF. The spineless repubs in Congress are still taking their marching orders directly from turdblossom. No reason to think there would be enough of a turnaround to get that 2/3rds. This slow-motion stand-off will likely last until Jan 2009. If there is any good at all coming out of this, it is that Bushco is so hunkered down they can't likely do anything overtly to further trash the nation.
May 1, 2007 11:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excuse me if I'm being naive, but aren't replacements for Monica and Kyle going to have to be approved by the Senate? If so, those approvals can also be held up pending testimony from Rove, Myers, et al.
Also, a slightly different topic, but isn't there some way for Congress to limit Bush's ability to make recess appointments?
Security code: butter As in wouldn't melt in Bush's mouth.
May 1, 2007 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
STOP WITH THE CONFIRMATION. THEY DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT CONFIRMATION.
GONZO WILL QUIT AFTER CONGRESS GOES INTO RECESS, AND CHUCKLENUTS WILL RECESS APPOINT AN AG OF HIS CHOOSING. SIMPLE. HAVEN'T YOU BEEN FUCKED WITH ENOUGH TO SEE THIS WRITING ON THE WALL.
And yes, I am screaming!
May 2, 2007 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
The above rant is why THIS CONSTITUTION IS FUCKED. Precedent DIngleberry did one thing. He allowed ROve to actually crack open the fissures in the Constitution and show us all how to circumvent the right of law.
So, thanks you fucking piece of shit scumbag mothefuckers for showing us that we relied on decent human beings to have a common interest in NOT opening the little rifts and crevices in the Constitution, but you pukes have shown yourselves to be the bloodthirsty Fascist scum who care not one fucking iota for people, and all you cravenly lust after is power and control.
So this phase of the Great Experiment is over folks. Time for the next revision of the Great document. AND THIS TIME, MAKE SURE THE FUCKING HUMAN CONSTRUCTED entities (corporations, clones, and robots) DO NOT get the same rights as humans. Looking at it, it was 1865 when all this went down hill. Not even 100 years after composing the thing, did it take coporations to bastardizing and unlawfully circumventing it.
May 2, 2007 8:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush/Rove, et.al. have been conducting a RICO conspiracy since Day 1. Since the coming of oversight (something they probably weren't planning on, given Rove's "math"), they are doing what every criminal conspiracy does...destroying documentary evidence and obstructing justice through the stall.
They can't give an inch...it's far better for them to continue to act aggressively and ever more outrageously...ANY breach in the wall will allow shafts of OVERSIGHT sunlight to flood the murk and oily smoke.
In short, they are doing the only thing they can do. Until Bush makes it to Paraguay.
May 2, 2007 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bush and Co. have never been about anything except accruing power and lining their pockets, so it's no surprise that they would screw we the people to cover their butts. Time for the impeachment papers, kids.
May 2, 2007 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe torture will help AGAG's memory. Or maybe it would just kill him. Wouldn't that be a shame.
May 2, 2007 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever happened to the "no confidence" motion that was being talked about?
No compromise on the Iraq...bring home the troops!
May 2, 2007 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not the confirmation hearings, Fitzgerald could be confirmed in a day or two, it's that anyone who could be confirmed would be someone who cares about the rule of law. Rove, Cheney and Bush have made it absolutely clear that they will not put up with anyone who actually enforces the law.
Impeachment may be the only choice.
May 2, 2007 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone know the answer to this? Articles of impeachment are prepared by the House and served on Gonzo. A trial then must take place in the Senate. What if the WH simply says "Go impeach yourself!" and Gonzo refuses to show up. Who's going to march up to 1600 PA Ave and drag the SOB down the block?
May 2, 2007 11:35 PM | Reply | Permalink