Comments (40)

Angry One wrote on May 10, 2007 11:17 AM:

For the latest news, document dumps, email archives, hearing transcripts and other essential materials in the firings of U.S. attorneys, see:
"The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents."

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:18 AM:

Seriously, just let the TPM staff write the next round of questions for the Democrats. I have a feeling they would be much more illuminating.

modmom wrote on May 10, 2007 11:21 AM:

Yes, Counsel to the President has time/energy to devote to worrying about one of the DOJ's 93 USA's financial concerns over a divorce.

Nice try (not).

Rusty wrote on May 10, 2007 11:26 AM:

Yeah - I hope they are reading/watching TPM over the recess. I'm really not impressed at all by these questions. It's as if no one besides Conyers has really prepped for this.

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:28 AM:

modmom-Nail meets head.

Didn’t the hearing end with questions designed to vindicate Gonzales from knowledge of the firings because DOJ is so large? Now we find out that people that have the entire federal government, nay, the world, to keep track of, are concerned about the financial concerns of one US Attorney.

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:29 AM:

I think Rep. Sanchez was prepared, she just got flustered.

katymine wrote on May 10, 2007 11:32 AM:

Just what is the salary for a USA?

Do they receive cost of living adjustments for the area of the country?

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:33 AM:

Agree about Sanchez- she was at least decent. But let's be honest- I think any Muck Raker could have done a better job in that first round. Given that we know the Republicans are loathe to perform any sort of oversight it's imperative that we have some top notch folks on that committee- so far I'm not seeing it.

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:36 AM:

Why should Gonzales be permitted to limit the scope of the investigation? By definition, the investigation is a mission to learn what happened. If as time goes on new knowledge is acquired, congress has every right to ask him about it.

It’s absolute bullshit that he can dodge questions about other USA’s terminations because they were discovered later.

Come on House, you can do better than this.

Arkansan wrote on May 10, 2007 11:39 AM:

katymine-Griffin’s starting salary in Arkansas was around $142,000. I don’t know if it’s adjusted for cost of living elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 11:41 AM:

Hey Meirs, I could use a better salary too!!!

What BS!

anon, too wrote on May 10, 2007 11:53 AM:

If I become a loyal Bushie, will the money fairy visit me, too?

Rebel wrote on May 10, 2007 11:53 AM:

Harriet Miers sounds so compassionate and helpful to Yang. I wonder if she helped set up that $1.5 million sign on bonus Yang got too?

bordersmuggler wrote on May 10, 2007 11:53 AM:

@11:33 AM

"Given that we know the Republicans are loathe to perform any sort of oversight"

Small wonder that Rove/Cheyney were given carte blanche for six years by these stagnant fossils from the red states.

Richard L. Adlof wrote on May 10, 2007 11:58 AM:

READ: Yang was broke but had too many scruples though so we could not pay her to come to the darkside directly BUT she would take payola to play on the other side . . . Thus mitigating that which she wrought.

Citizen 92 wrote on May 10, 2007 12:05 PM:

I think and important question here is exactly HOW did Miers know of Yang's "financial situation?"

Miers knowing about the "financial situation" would be pretexed on Miers (or Gonzales, for that matter) knowing SOMETHING about ANYTHING which they pretty much wholesale claim they don't.

klyde wrote on May 10, 2007 12:06 PM:

What does a USA make? What kind of financial difficulty was Yang in that she needed a $1.5 million dollar bribe signing bonus.

My security code was shame, something no bushie has.

gcs wrote on May 10, 2007 12:13 PM:

Anyone else see a pattern here?

Gonzo is pulling the exact same bullshit Bushie pulled with Iraq, which is, just keep making up excuses, and change the excuse from moment to moment. And what happens? Incredulous lawmakers, citizens, or reporters unable to comprehend that the president or in this case AG is lying right to his face actually entertains the various answers and by doing so they become legitimate and part of the conversation. Performance issues, WMDs, helping a USA earn more money, bringing democracy to Iraq, I started a process, fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here, and on and on.

We need a Senator with SOME BALLS who will say something like, "Mr. Attorney General, you're a liar and you've disgraced your office." But I'll take something like, "have you no decency sir?"

bordersmuggler wrote on May 10, 2007 12:13 PM:

Too bad Miers couldn't have helped Yang get alimony from her ex.

John wrote on May 10, 2007 12:19 PM:

This is the most ridiculous excuse yet. I can't wait for Yang to come testify about her "financial difficulties." While USA's don't earn private attorney money, they aren't exactly working for minimum wage. And how the hell could Miers know her situation? Were they good friends? That's not exactly something a USA would be telling someone in the White House. Simply ubelievable!

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 12:22 PM:

Why isn't Karl Rove having "financial difficulties" on his $161,000 salary? The same salary he's had for the last 6 years?

The same salary that funds his three homes? His Jaguar?

Maybe because he's on the take? Just maybe?

ahem wrote on May 10, 2007 12:24 PM:

Funny how Gonzo's memory suddenly becomes lucid about this, no?

Official A wrote on May 10, 2007 12:25 PM:

This is the most outrageous thing yet. Gonzales can't remember his name without seeing it in "the documents" but Harriet balances the checkbooks of Justice Department employees. This is surreal. It's time for the citizenry to step in and reclaim its government, these people have lost their minds.

Official A wrote on May 10, 2007 12:28 PM:

If I am questioning Gonzo and he comes up with this, my followup is:

"Are you fucking out of your mind?"

Perhaps he can't recall the answer to that, either.

Mike Valentine wrote on May 10, 2007 12:41 PM:

Code word screw. As in screw you congress I ain't sayn noten an you cants makes me.

Pete wrote on May 10, 2007 12:46 PM:

Did Miers help Yang find that plum job with Jerry Lewis' law firm?

feitlowitz wrote on May 10, 2007 12:53 PM:

Excuse me. Is any one paying attention? Debra Wong Yang leaves her post after getting a job offer with a 1.5 million dollar bonus. I don't care if she recused herself at some point following the offer. It still seems like at some point she was involved with the Rep. Jerry Lewis investigation and suddenly gets a job offer from the firm representing him involving what appears to be an unprecedented bonus. In fact, maybe firing her was part of the whole set up so it would look like she had to go rather than leave for the bonus. Something is rotten in Denmark on this one. No one gets a 1.5 million dollar signing bonus.

tomg wrote on May 10, 2007 1:11 PM:

I agree with gcs that this administration keeps moving the ball so they are the ones controling the conversation. Time to turn the tables around and demand answers. And for poor Alberto, it seems best to make the answers yes or no since his memory is so weak.

Observor wrote on May 10, 2007 1:11 PM:

He didn't read the editorial in the NY Times???? Come on .....

jeffgee wrote on May 10, 2007 1:18 PM:

The village was destroyed in order to save it.
Same logic, different day.

sawgrassyelladog wrote on May 10, 2007 1:19 PM:

Wait-- did Yang say she "recused" herself or "rescued" herself. It's all in the 's'. Either way, this Department can't find it's 'S' with both hands and a flashlight. Great defense: we're not corrupt, we're just too stoopid to remember whether we are or not.

Miss Jane wrote on May 10, 2007 1:19 PM:

The Lewis probe is very important, but during her tenure, the office was a mess. There's the botched investigation of Katrina Leung, the unsuccessful prosecution of a Clinton fundraiser and the high-profile pay-for-play investigation of the Hahn administration that drove him from office but only netted two lo0w-level PR guys for unrelated charges that most people think should never have warranted a federal prosecution. And let's not forget Milberg Weiss.

georgia wrote on May 10, 2007 1:21 PM:

Is the bonus akin to a bribe? Should Gonzo not have accepted her resignation, especially since it has been the supposed policy of this administration not to interfere with ongoing investigations?

Anonymous wrote on May 10, 2007 1:56 PM:

If I am questioning Gonzo and he comes up with this, my followup is:

"Are you fucking out of your mind?"

Perhaps he can't recall the answer to that, either.
Posted by: Official A

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jed Lewison wrote on May 10, 2007 2:40 PM:

I did some research and found out the following items which I have not seen reported:

- Debra Yang wasn’t the only U.S. Attorney hired by Gibson Dunn. There were two others, both deputy section chiefs who had worked in her office.
- Those three U.S. Attorneys are the only three government attorneys hired by Gibson Dunn in the past five years without a prior relationship to the firm (there were 58 total hires )

I can’t imagine there is no “there, there.”

http://www.jedreport.com/2007/05/congressmans_la.html

observor wrote on May 10, 2007 2:46 PM:

Let's not forget that Gibson partner Ted Olsen is responsible for Bush being in the White House. What do you think? They don't talk once in a while. This is unbelievable.

rasher wrote on May 10, 2007 3:04 PM:

Let's not forget, part 2-- William French Smith, Nixon's AG was a Gibson Dunn partner. And membership in the Federalist Society is practically a prerequisites for lawyers at the firm. The Reagan's, Ronald and Nancy, were/are clients. They represented them in a dispute with the IRS over Nancy's donated designer dresses, among other things...

georgia wrote on May 10, 2007 3:08 PM:

Yang joined (as co-chair) Ted Olsen's group in Gibson Dunn

see: http://www.gibsondunn.com/news/firm/detail/id/526/?pubItemId=8231

rasher wrote on May 10, 2007 3:15 PM:

Wm. French Smith = Reagan's AG, of course, not Nixon's.

georgia wrote on May 10, 2007 3:43 PM:

James Comey also had ties to Gibson Dunn