Gonzales Quits/This Is Crap
This is bulls***! Congress ran this man through the mud over 8 fired US Attorney's? Asked him questions he couldnt possibly answer because most of it was classified, and Congress made him look like he was lying, and a bungling fool. When President Clinton fired all 93 US Attorney's!! And all this crap over Bush firing 8? These Attorney's served at the pleasure of the President. Why oh why is it alright for President Clinton to fire 93 US Attorney's and not this President? And Alberto Gonzales went through absolute hell with Congress who now think they run the entire Country, and the Iraqi Government.
Instead of Alberto Gonzales stepping down, we should have DEMANDED the Democrats in Congress step down.
Condradulations Democrats, you turned a NOTHING into SOMETHING and got what you wanted, a good man who did NOTHING wrong to step down. Friggen Morons
Where is the outrage over William Jefferson still in office, caught with $90,000 dollars in bribe money in his freezer? Where the hell are the investigations? Where the hell is the OUTRAGE?
Story Here
UPDATE:
President Bush Remarks:
This morning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that he will leave the Department of Justice after two and a half years of service to the department.
Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation with great appreciation for the service that he has provided for our country.
As attorney general and before that as White House counsel, Al Gonzales has played a critical role in shaping our policies in the war on terror and has worked tirelessly to make this country safer. The Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act and other important laws bear his imprint.
Under his leadership, the Justice Department has made a priority of protecting children from Internet predators, made enforcement of civil rights laws a top priority. He aggressively and successfully pursued public corruption and effectively combated gang violence.
As attorney general, he played an important role in helping to confirm two fine jurists in Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.
He did an outstanding job as White House counsel, identifying and recommending the best nominees to fill critically important federal court vacancies.
Alberto Gonzales' tenure as attorney general and White House counsel is only part of a long history of distinguished public service that began as a young man when after high school he enlisted in the United States Air Force.
When I became governor of Texas in 1995, I recruited him from one of Texas' prestigious law firms to be my general counsel. He went on to become Texas' 100th secretary of state and to serve on our state's supreme court.
In the long course of our work together this trusted adviser became a close friend.
These various positions have required sacrifice from Al, his wife Becky, their sons Jared, Graham and Gabriel. And I thank them for their service to the country.
After months of unfair treatment, that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accept his decision.
It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeding from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.
Full Text Of President Bush's Message
Instead of Alberto Gonzales stepping down, we should have DEMANDED the Democrats in Congress step down.
Condradulations Democrats, you turned a NOTHING into SOMETHING and got what you wanted, a good man who did NOTHING wrong to step down. Friggen Morons
Where is the outrage over William Jefferson still in office, caught with $90,000 dollars in bribe money in his freezer? Where the hell are the investigations? Where the hell is the OUTRAGE?
Story Here
UPDATE:
President Bush Remarks:
This morning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that he will leave the Department of Justice after two and a half years of service to the department.
Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation with great appreciation for the service that he has provided for our country.
As attorney general and before that as White House counsel, Al Gonzales has played a critical role in shaping our policies in the war on terror and has worked tirelessly to make this country safer. The Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act and other important laws bear his imprint.
Under his leadership, the Justice Department has made a priority of protecting children from Internet predators, made enforcement of civil rights laws a top priority. He aggressively and successfully pursued public corruption and effectively combated gang violence.
As attorney general, he played an important role in helping to confirm two fine jurists in Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.
He did an outstanding job as White House counsel, identifying and recommending the best nominees to fill critically important federal court vacancies.
Alberto Gonzales' tenure as attorney general and White House counsel is only part of a long history of distinguished public service that began as a young man when after high school he enlisted in the United States Air Force.
When I became governor of Texas in 1995, I recruited him from one of Texas' prestigious law firms to be my general counsel. He went on to become Texas' 100th secretary of state and to serve on our state's supreme court.
In the long course of our work together this trusted adviser became a close friend.
These various positions have required sacrifice from Al, his wife Becky, their sons Jared, Graham and Gabriel. And I thank them for their service to the country.
After months of unfair treatment, that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accept his decision.
It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeding from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.
Full Text Of President Bush's Message
Labels: Gonzales Quits
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 9:15 AM
18 Comments:
Good post! I think he has just had enough of the slander and critizism, that he has dealt with. The democrats jumped all over him and they were totally hypocritical. Clinton can fire as many as he wishes and not a word but Bush does and all hell breaks loose. I can totally understand your frustration. I wonder if the timing had anything to do with Bush saying that if anyone was still with him after labor day, he wanted them to finish out the term??
I agree Marie, Gonzalas had no reason to resign other than being tired of having his name and reputation run through the muck by Democrats who have nothing better to do than ruin the life of a good and decent man.
youre right on spot Marie..its called a double standard girl!..sheesh whats with them anyway!
You ask "where the hell is the outrage?" It's right here on your blog, Marie, and I'm outraged as well. I hate the fact that they did this to Gonzales. Some moreon on Ken's post called Gonzales a "stepnfetchit"! We've sure got a lot of really stupid people in this country!
Jenn,
Thank You.
I wonder if the timing had anything to do with Bush saying that if anyone was still with him after labor day, he wanted them to finish out the term??
Good question!
I'm thinking this was weighing down the DOJ and in order to get things done they have a job to do and all this political crap was interfering.
I still think this was a big mistake but I could be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ken,
It seems there is no other reason than the Democrats went after him, they got him and they are partying!
Hypocritical Bastards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Angel,
Yep Yep you're right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gayle,
I saw the dufuss, Old Fart? LOL!
I know other people are as outraged as me as you are, it's just only showing up on blogs and not the Drive By Media!
I feel so awful that Congress drug this man through hell and yet they confirmed him to begin with!
At some point Congress is going to have to take responsibility for it's actions.
So let's review:
All anyone has to do to get rid of a cabinet officer is to make unsubtaniated charges, demand documents that never existed and then create a phony scandal when they are not produced and you can force the official's resignation.
I'd say that would set a precedent for any future Dem Administration, but we all know the rules that apply to Republicans never apply to Dems.
There was plenty of actual proof of Dem misdeeds under Clinton and they just kept right on truckin' like nothing ever happened.
That's today's Democrats for you. Knowing they have absolutely nothing acceptable to contribute to the nation, they hide the truth by putting all their assets to work attacking (as usual) and attempting to "criminalize" as much of the Bush Administration as they can. It's of supreme indifference to them when they destroy lives and careers, or deprive the country of the service of good people like Gonzales.
Personally, I believe they're striking out big-time for 2008;
They already have the American people disgusted with their Congressional "leadership", now the voting public is watching them do this BS.
When a Republican majority returns in 2008, they durn well better use their leadership proactively and, unlike in the last go-round, refuse to allow the Democrat minority and the MSM to push them around.
Completely agree, Marie. The Dems are more interested in keeping President Bush's administration in constant flux, not allowing the admin to accomplish anything.
THEN they point out that the admin isn't accomplishing anything. And that is what people latch on to trying to discredit President Bush.
It's political bullsh!t at it's finest.
Marie said: Instead of Alberto Gonzales stepping down, we should have DEMANDED the Democrats in Congress step down.
Good point Maire, except, We don't make ANY demands anymore..Have you noticed?
How much support did Gonzales get within our own party? Not to much I’m afraid.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but here are the names of some of the people who called for Gonzales' resignation:
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine),Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.),Sen. Tom Coburn, (R-Oklahoma),, Sen Jeff Sessions, (R-Alabama)Arlen Specter, (R-Penn.).
Also these high-ranking Republican officials gave testimony directly contradicting A.G.'s testimony:
CIA Director, General Michael Hayden,
FBI Director, Robert Mueller,
Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte
Not to mention officials from A.G.'s own Justice Department:
Deputy Attorney General James Comey
Senior Counselor, Monica Goodling
Chief of Staff, Kyl Sampson
Gonzales has no one to blame but himself for his resignation.
As to the US attorney firings:
By tradition, U.S. Attorneys are replaced only at the start of a new White House administration.
U.S. Attorneys hold a "political" office, and therefore they are considered to "serve at the pleasure of the President."
At the beginning of a new presidential administration, it is traditional for all 93 U.S. Attorneys to submit a letter of resignation. When a new President is from a different political party, almost all of the resignations will be eventually accepted. This is what Clinton AND George W. Bush both did.
The attorneys are then replaced by new political appointees, typically from the new President's party.
A Department of Justice list noted that "in 1981, Reagan's first year in office, 71 of 93 districts had new U.S. attorneys.
In 1993, Clinton's first year, 80 of 93 districts had new U.S. attorneys." Similarly, a Senate study noted that "Reagan replaced 89 of the 93 U.S. attorneys in his first two years in office.
President Clinton had 89 new U.S. attorneys in his first two years, and President Bush had 88 new U.S. attorneys in his first two years."
In contrast to the 2006 dismissals, Presidents rarely dismiss U.S. attorneys they appoint.
Kyle Sampson, Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice, noted in a January 9, 2006, e-mail to Harriet Miers: "In recent memory, during the Reagan and Clinton Administrations, Presidents Reagan and Clinton did not seek to remove and replace U.S. Attorneys they had appointed, but instead permitted such U.S. Attorneys to serve indefinitely under the holdover provision."
There is no precedent for a President to dismiss several U.S attorneys at one time while in the middle period of the presidential term in office.
The attorney's that were fired serve at the pleasure of the president.
Joanne said... There is no precedent for a President to dismiss several U.S attorneys at one time while in the middle period of the presidential term in office.
Yes, incoming adminstrations do replace US attorneys epescially if they are investigating the incoming administration for corruption as Jay Stephens was, a former Bush-appointed U.S. attorney fired by Clinton in 1993
Jenn,
Surely you're not using the Clinton firing of Jay Stevens to justify what Bush/Gonzales did. Or to suggest that if Clinton did it and got away with it, why shouldn't Bush/Gonzales. Surely no one believes that Bush/Gonzales should have emulated Clinton in their firings of US attorneys?
My opinion is that if there was evidence that Clinton's firing of US attorney Stevens was political, i.e., for political reasons, then the Congressional Republicans should have used their power of Congressional oversight to investigate.
In the case of the US attorneys who serve at the president's pleasure and who are "political" appointments, the word "political" does not mean that they are to belong to the political process. It means they are appointed by the party in power.
Nobody wants the White House or the Congress interfering in our judicial process. That's why they are separate branches.
If it happened politically under Clinton, it's wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Why did Gonzales lie about the reasons for the firings if the president has the right to fire whomever he decides he wants out of the US attorney spot?
Remember, Gonzales got in trouble when it was revealed that the reasons given for the firings was poor performances, and then, further on, under investigation by Congress, we found out that was a lie. In fact, a couple of the attorneys had been given outstanding reviews, and the DoJ had even give Iglesias a favorable recommendation when he left!
Gonzales had no need to lie. None. It's the lie and the cover-up that brought attention to the US attorney scandal.
This comment has been removed by the author.
This comment has been removed by the author.
When Clinton fired Stevens the democrats controlled congress and the Republicans could not hold a hearing to see who was cleaning the bathrooms.
Later when Republicans were elected to control congress they did hold hearings and fought Clinton and the democrats to a standstill on this very issue and of the investigation of Whitewater. The resulting report neither exonerated or convicted the Clintons on their corruption.
Gonzales is a Bush loyalist, he is not the best nor the brightest but he is loyal to Bush. He could have told the Leahy and Schummer attack committee to buzz off, it is the President's perogative to fire these people because they serve at his pleasure and of course it's political. If they thought he was breaking the law by firing someone that was investigating the president that attorney could step forward and say so. There would be a leg to stand on going after Gonzales and the prez if that were to happen. There wasn't and there isn't an investigation so it was a legal firing period.
The reason that you need someone like Gonzales has become readily apparent in order to administer in Washington DC nowadays. After the Clinton's brought their gangster style version of corruption to Washington DC you're going to have to do everything you can to keep the wolves at bay and that includes putting people in charge of departments that are loyal and not always the best and brightest.
The Congress needs to be swept clean of all those holdovers from that animous period. Making sure the Clintons do not get another term is imperative to changing the enviroment in Washington. The legacy of "I'll get you" has got to stop in order for the country to move forward.
I hope the Democrats have thick skin if they win the White House in 08. The second there is a whiff of political blood in the water, watch the repressed attack mode from the Right.
I was pretty ticked too, the politics of personal destruction exercised by the Dems is unfathomable!!
Post a Comment
<< Home