David Iglesias talks to NPR, will testify Tuesday

Melissa Block interviewed David Iglesias extensively on today's All Things Considered.   You can hear the interview at the Listen link here.  He's already been interviewed by Senate Judiciary Committee staff, and is scheduled to testify...

... at 2 PM next Tuesday.

He did not sound happy.

Iglesias all but confirmed that it was Heather Wilson and Pete Domenici who called him in October.  He kicks himself now for not following procedure and complaining up the Justice Department chain of command, but it's clear from the interview why he didn't -- Iglesias was a good soldier for the Fuehrer, and he didn't want to make trouble for fellow Republicans.  

Iglesias told Block plainly that if he had been asked to resign so he could share his position with another good Republican soldier for resume purposes, and asked how long it would take him to find another job, he would have been happy to resign.  Only the fact that Deputy AG McNulty lied under oath to the Judiciary Committee that the firings were all because of "performance issues" pushed Iglesias to come forward.

When asked whether he thought that the White House conspired with Heather Wilson to have him fired, Iglesias said that he couldn't say, without reading the memos and e-mails and phone logs of the parties involved, hinting at a course of investigation he may already have proposed to the Judiciary Committee staff.  I'd love to see the comittee hire him.

Whatever any of the other Pearl Harbor Day Seven say, it's clear that in David Iglesias' case, Deputy AG Paul McNulty lied to the Judiciary committee.

Will McNulty pay a price for his felonious act?

•  Tips for Justice

  Will anyone in this Administration ever pay a price for anything?

  by tbetz on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:49:05 PM PDT

•  Gonzales lies every time he appears

  Will HE pay a price for any of his felonious acts.

  Should be very popcorn-worthy to see John Conyers dig into this one.  

  by Dallasdoc on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:49:29 PM PDT

  •  I see that I left out which Judiciary committee..

    ... and I apologize.  I've updated the diary to correct my oversight.

    If I remember what I heard correctly, he'll be testifying before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary next Tuesday.

    I don't know when Conyers gets his turn.

    by tbetz on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:52:35 PM PDT

    •  Conyers or Pat Leahy?

      Hmmm... better get more popcorn this weekend.

      by Dallasdoc on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:57:40 PM PDT

•  This is complete baloney

  it's clear from the interview why he didn't -- Iglesias was a good soldier for the Fuehrer, and he didn't want to make trouble for fellow Republicans.  

  I heard the interview. He didn't want to make trouble for himself.

  by Elwood Dowd on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:52:51 PM PDT

  •  I drew my conclusion from his statement...

    ... that he would have been perfectly willing to resign to allow someone else to pad their resume in his office.

    You may be more correct than I, but there is no denying that Iglesias remained a good soldier for the Fuerher until McNulty lied about him.

    by tbetz on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 04:55:56 PM PDT

    •  Now he'll be a soldier for the furor

      Suddenly things are looking rather like Watergate.

      by curtadams on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 05:15:10 PM PDT

•  Whoa, what interview did you listen to?

  Because it sure as hell wasn't the one I just heard.

  Iglesias basically bucked the Republicans by refusing to cave in to their demands. Where are you coming up with the Hitler comparison?

  This was just front paged. I suggest you give it a read.

  According to Iglesias, who did notreveal which Republicans contacted him, said "all would be revealed on Tuesday" or something to that effect.

  Jesus, give the guy a little credit, would you?

  by Pager on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 05:14:18 PM PDT

  •  Iglesias didn't do Wilson's bidding...

    ... but he also didn't follow protocol and report the contact up the Justice Department chain of command as he should have done.  That failure to follow regulations (politically-motivated, to keep him in good graces with the Party) is going to bite his credibility in the ass.

    Moreover, if McNulty hadn't lied to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the reasons for his firing, Iglesias would have kept his lip buttoned about the whole thing;  again, for the good of the Party.

    We are extremely fortunate that McNulty and Gonzalez remain arrogant enough to tell blatant lies to a Democratic-majority Congress, or Iglesias would have remained a good soldier to the end.

    by tbetz on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 07:39:16 PM PDT

•  We'll see if they can handle the truth

  I just read this morning that Iglesias was the inspiration for the character that Tom Cruise played in the movie "A Few Good Men."  Not exactly the sort of personality you'd expect to just slip away quietly after being wronged.

  by elmo on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 07:27:23 PM PDT

•  Great diary...

  Thanks, recommended.

  by Mannabass on Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 08:42:41 PM PDT