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Gonzales Changes Story Again on Cummins
Under questioning from Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Alberto Gonzales gave a rundown of the supposed performance reasons behind the firing of each prosecutor. In most cases, his answers lined up with prior explanations from Justice Department officials, particularly answers given by William Moschella when he testified last month.
But there was one notable admission. Gonzales said that Bud Cummins was asked to step down just because the department wanted to "put a qualified individual in his place." In other words, there was not a performance reason for his firing. Gonzales said that he'd failed to indicate that in his January testimony before the Senate because he was "confused," since Cummins had first been asked to resign in June, not December.
Apparently Gonzales was still confused in February, though, because he was upset about Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty's testimony that there had been no performance reasons behind Cummins' firing.
Comments (28)
DonQ wrote on April 19, 2007 12:08 PM:Anyone know howe to lower the pitch of Gonzales's voice using software? I want to keep my blood pressure under control.
code word: "fire"!
Kathy wrote on April 19, 2007 12:09 PM:Those explanations were hysterical. He had no idea why he was firing the attorneys at the time, but he's gone back and dug through the files manufacturing examples of "poor judgment" and "laok of total control over their offices". If those were the criteria, he should have fired himself long ago.
Maybe he did, but he doesn't recall.
Anonymous wrote on April 19, 2007 12:12 PM:Someone must ask Gonzales whether he was aware that the supposedly better qualified “interim” USA Tim Griffin has lied about his prosecutorial experience, at least as posted on his web page. Shouldn’t that be reason for immediate dismissal, since Tim is only temporary anyway?
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If he doesn’t know how, or who, made the decisions, how can he be so assured that it was not to obstruct or misuse the authority of the AG?
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Cornyn said it; “CLINTON DID IT TOO!!!!” The lead sound bite on the nightly news>
louis wrote on April 19, 2007 12:14 PM:We’ve waited all day for that one, Gonzo's got his groove back, is smirking again. The world is a good place.
Cornyn said it; “CLINTON DID IT TOO!!!!”
Each administration replaces former admin's USA, what is unusual is letting go your own appointed USA. What is the history of firing your own USA's?
Pretty damn rare, no?
bibi wrote on April 19, 2007 12:16 PM:GO SCHUMER !!!
Nikki Allen wrote on April 19, 2007 12:17 PM:They pretty much have him by the balls. This testimony is amazing.
If anyone isn't already aware, you can listen to it via npr. I'm really impressed with the questions they are firing at him.
Anonymous wrote on April 19, 2007 12:18 PM:"what is unusual is letting go your own appointed..." Bingo.
Gonzales “takes issue” with Schumer’s characterizations.
Hiflyer wrote on April 19, 2007 12:21 PM:Abu is being thrown under the bus by the GOP members as well...obviously the White House has ordered it in an attempt to stop it from getting to Rove...
profmarcus wrote on April 19, 2007 12:22 PM:and those "qualifications" would be...?
http://takeitpersonally.blogspot.com/
Arkansan wrote on April 19, 2007 12:23 PM:Graham: It was not a problem with Cumming’s performance, just an opportunity to give another candidate a chance?
Gonzo: Griffin was WELL QUALIFIED.
THE NERVE!!! He just had to get that particular lie in, he has no shame.
This opens the door to the fact that Griffin was not well qualified and had to falsify his credentials to create the illusion. Please someone call Gonzo on the fact that they didn’t apparently even check the claims in Griffin’s resume.
Anonymous wrote on April 19, 2007 12:24 PM:WTF C-Span?! Idiots. Everyone is watching the hearing. Don't go back to that vote. Damn! Awful decision on their part. Gonzales is melting down like I've never seen someone meltdown. IT'S AWESOME!
midwestblue wrote on April 19, 2007 12:24 PM:Graham is kinda reaming Gonzales. His question about who liked this provision in the Patriot Act was good, but of course, it didn't go anywhere. Graham and Gonzales are "torture buddies," though.
Texboy wrote on April 19, 2007 12:27 PM:Sen. Graham just laid one where the Atty. General's lower apprendages join.
Nikki Allen wrote on April 19, 2007 12:27 PM:At this point how could he NOT resign?
Also, I understand that the answer "I do not recall" is a typical answer for a politician to give when they know they're fucked...yet still I'm disturbed by how many times he's actually said it..
Anonymous wrote on April 19, 2007 12:27 PM:Here's the typical Gonzales response:
sparkplug wrote on April 19, 2007 12:41 PM:"I-I--I-uhm-uh-uh-Senator"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a lying clown. Step it up Dems. Time to bring down this lying sack of shit.
re: whether carol lam knew of doj's concerns.
when gonzales says - lam knew there were "concerns", he means "she knew that some congressmen had raised concerns [fully set out in the doj correspondence turned over to congress]". of course she did! and she knew that she had responded to those concerns,and as far as she knew the concerns had been satisfactorily addressed!
this is not the same thing as knowing that the AG had continuing concerns. if the AG did, no one told her.
if the "concerns" the AG refers to were sufficient to justify lam's firing, then all any member of congress has to do to get rid of a bothersome US Atty is to write a letter to said US Attorney questioning some aspect of their leadership. such a letter = concerns = notice to the us atty = justification for getting dumped.
in other words, us attys better not do anything that would attract any attention at all, because "concerns" will get you fired.
what ever happened to DOJ backing up its US Attys?
DonQ wrote on April 19, 2007 12:41 PM:AG: Iglesias did not report Domenici's improper phone calls. So it's Iglesias's fault he got fired!
Bruce/Crablaw wrote on April 19, 2007 12:45 PM:It may be worth mentioning that you are witnessing Exhibit A in Alberto Gonzales' possible disbarment.
I don't know about Texas, but in Maryland they once disbarred an attorney for putting a slug into a parking meter, stealing twenty-five cents from the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. So a nationally publicized demonstration of premeditated perjury ought to get the job done.
Texboy wrote on April 19, 2007 12:49 PM:Gonzalez basically said that the dissatisfaction of Sen. Domenici was suffieint reason for his loss of confidence in Iglesias. Sen. Graham's point was that the loss of confidence in Gonzales by numerous Senator's is, by Gonzales's own standard, sufficient to make Gonzales the wrong person at the wrong time to remain in office.
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