This diary provides live-blogging of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing involving Alberto Gonzales.
This is #12 of the series.
Part 13 is Here
Please recommend new live blog diaries and unreccommend any old diaries.
Part 11
Ellicat's excellent pre-game summary
Television coverage is now on C-Span3, which will carry the full hearing.
Internet Video
C-Span 3
Real Audio
Windows Media
Audio Only
CapitolHearings.org
No pictures please as a courtesy for dial-up users.
New diary starts when current one reaches around 250 comments.
Here's a summary of what happened before the lunch break, courtesy of Magorn
Overture: Pat Leahy lays to the wood to the AG says flat out that it looks like he lied under oath.
Surprise support from Arlen Spector who tells Gonzales that he regards this as a re-confirmation hearing, and that his job is in jeopardy. Goes into full prosecutorial cross-examination mode about halfway through his questioning. The "I don't recalls" start flying.
Brownback, and most especially Hatch, play loyal party toadies and try to run interference for Gonzo, but even then he's busy turning their lifelines into a noose. Brownback lets Gonzales opine on EXACTLY why each of the removed were dismissed. His answers feel like something hastily cobbled together ex post facto from the personnel files. ( They will in my opinion come back to haunt him badly) eg. One of the attys had "management Issues" which Gonzo defined as the fact that the US Atty brought in one of Justice's staff mediators to resolve a personnel dispute in the office (Eg what he was SUPPOSED To do under government HR rules)
Cornyn throws all shame to the wind and even busts out the utterly Tired "b-b-but Clinton" talking point and then promptly changes the subject to inquire about Rush Limbaugh's pet cause: the Border guards who went to jail for shooting a drug dealer in the back.
Leahy smacks down the talking point- HARD
Feinstein then brings the thunder and lays the wood to Gonzo on both sneaking in the replacement provision in the Bill, and most especially the firing of Carol Lam. Gonzo begins sounding like an Amnesiac version of Porky Pig.
Feingold gets to the heart of the matter: that these firings have severely damaged the credibility and appearance of impartiality of Justice as a whole.
Schumer that smacks the HELL out of Gonzo over the NC Atty firing and the e-mail where his deputy essentially lays out a plan to sneak Rove's guy in there and then stall congress on the confirmation hearing.
Next Graham tried to rehabilitate Gonzo without appearing too sympathetic, but in the end gave up in disgust.
To today's live-blog diarists:
- Link back to the previous diary only.
- Copy the remaining diary volunteers list into your new diary entry.
Part 13: FleetAdmiralJ
Part 14: fanaa
Part 15: bewert
Part 16: mardish
Part 17: Uniter
Part 18: joanneleon
Part 19: Abraham Running for Congress when I turn 25
Part 20: bumblebums
Part 21: litigatormom
Part 22:
Part 23:
Part 24:
Part 25:
If you would like to volunteer, please reply to my first comment to be added to the list.
The only witness today will be Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Committee Members:
Patrick J. Leahy
CHAIRMAN, D-VERMONT
Edward M. Kennedy Arlen Specter
D-MASSACHUSETTS RANKING MEMBER, R-PENNSYLVANIA
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Orrin G. Hatch
D-DELAWARE R-UTAH
Herb Kohl Charles E. Grassley
D-WISCONSIN R-IOWA
Dianne Feinstein Jon Kyl
D-CALIFORNIA R-ARIZONA
Russell D. Feingold Jeff Sessions
D-WISCONSIN R-ALABAMA
Charles E. Schumer Lindsey Graham
D-NEW YORK R-SOUTH CAROLINA
Richard J. Durbin John Cornyn
D-ILLINOIS R-TEXAS
Benjamin L. Cardin Sam Brownback
D-MARYLAND R-KANSAS
Sheldon Whitehouse Tom Coburn
D-RHODE ISLAND R-OKLAHOMA