Did Gonzales Lie to the Senate?
New testimony from FBI Director Robert Mueller suggests that the attorney general did not tell Congress the truth about warrantless wiretapping.
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YahooAt a House hearing Thursday, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller provided information that added to a growing body of evidence that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have perjured himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mueller appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the FBI's role in a number of controversial issues, including its use of National Security Letters. During questioning by committee Democrats, Mueller provided revealing testimony about the National Security Agency's Terrorist Surveillance Program, which is at the center of the renewed scrutiny of Gonzales' recent congressional testimony.
The disclosures began about an hour into the hearing, when Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) asked Mueller about his reported discomfort with the NSA's domestic eavesdropping program. "Can you confirm that you had some serious reservations about the warrantless wiretapping program?" he asked. Mueller replied tersely, "Yes."
Two days earlier, Alberto Gonzales had repeatedly insisted to the Senate Judiciary Committee that there had been no conflict within the Justice Department about the NSA program and that all disagreements had been over another, unidentified intelligence program. At one point, Gonzales expressed surprise that Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who also sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee and receives briefings about programs such as the TSP, would call his account into question.
Mueller was not present at the now-famous March 10, 2004 hospital room meeting between then-Bush legal aide Gonzales, Chief of Staff Andrew Card, acting Attorney General James B. Comey, and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was recovering from surgery at the time. But, according to Mueller's testimony, he "arrived at the hospital after Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card had left" and spoke briefly with the ailing Ashcroft about the his late-night dispute with the White House aides.
Rep. Shiela Jackson-Lee (D-TX) asked Mueller, "Did you have an understanding that the conversation [between Ashcroft, Gonzales, and Card] was on TSP?"
"I had an understanding that the discussion was on the NSA program, yes," he replied, later adding that the program in question was "a national NSA program that has been much discussed."
The revelations continued as Democrats were recognized by Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) to question Mueller. In an exchange with Rep. Steven Cohen (D-TN) about the bedside confrontation, Mueller said that due to conversations with Comey at the time, "I had understood the Department of Justice had some concerns about an NSA program." Since the FBI uses information provided by the NSA, he explained, "My concern was to assure that whatever activity we undertook as a result of the info we received was done appropriately and legally. At some point in time [Comey] expressed some concern about the legality of it."
Mueller also revealed that he had taken notes of his conversations with Comey and Ashcroft. If made public, these documents could further damage Attorney General Gonzales' version of events. Rep. Arthur Davis (D-AL) asked Mueller why he had taken notes of his meeting with Ashcroft.
"It was out of the ordinary," Mueller replied.
"What was out of the ordinary Mr. Mueller?" Davis asked.
"Being asked to go to the hospital and be present at that time."
When Davis asked if there were any reasons why he might mot submit his notes from the conversation with Ashcroft to the committee, Mueller answered, "Deliberative privilege." Davis said that he "would certainly ask this committee and our colleagues in the Senate to make a formal inquiry to obtain those notes."
Shortly after the hearing, Rep. Conyers officially requested that Mueller delivered his notes to the committee by August 1.
Mueller spent much of his time before the committee testifying about other longstanding controversies, including the FBI's use of National Security Letters, administrative subpoenas that contain a gag order that forbids the recipient from divulging their existence. The agency has been criticized recently for its excessive use of these subpoenas without probable cause.
Rep. Conyers also questioned Mueller about the FBI's treatment of members of Michigan's sizeable Muslim community.
In both cases, Mueller defended the FBI in general terms, though he admitted instances of wrongdoing. He also agreed to meet with members of the committee individually to discuss these issues further. Mueller's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the FBI, marked his first appearance before the committee in his more than six years as the head of the agency.
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The President's continuing support of Gonzales should be in question as well. Doesn't support like that demonstrate the general incompetence of the administration? Just because you can brand something as 'political' doesn't excuse criminal behavior.
How can you question the competence of this administration when it has repeatedly demonstrated that it has none whatsoever to question?
This is being played out this way to set up two branch's of govt against the congress. The congress needs to create the confrontation sooner than later and get key leaders on its side in this lineup before W.H. gang creates the next scenario and distraction. This is treason and a secret "coup" really took place on 9/11 . Just ask yourself who is
playing and by what rules. Congress needs the power to truly stop this gov't dead in it's tracks and take command of the Armed forces away from the executive. Neutralize the money. Have the congress tell the people of America not to work for a few days and not to pay their credit card debt and not to drive their cars. The congress may need to become the new Executive Branch and the State Govt's the new Congress. The congress needs leverage in order to get to the truth before chaos breaks out. Innocence has left the room.
Let me first say; As a Hispanic I am personally embarassed by Gonzales. With that said I say he is not lying. He really has no idea of what is going on around him. To prove my point, look at the idiot that hired him.
This is why you need these witnesses under oath, in open session, and with a full transcript of all proceedings.
And That is why the White House is in opposition to all the above conditions.
"Did Gonzales Lie to the Senate?" Do ursine mammals defecate in sylvan environs?
What's bothering me is the content of the lie, that is, what is not being publicly admitted about the surveillance program. It does seem obvious enough that it is at minimum, a program designed to intimidate and blackmail domestic opponents and even White House allies...completely Stalinist.
Goonzales is like Rice, Powell,just hired housekeepers. Real sad part is that Bush is Howdy Dody
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2804536690100762764LWrKmi
It would seem as if "executive priveledge" and imperial perogative cohabitate. This administration borders on, if not embracing, Fascism. The Republic is in disarray, there be but one solution: IMPEACHMENT!
I dare you 2 read for 1 minute. peace,pw
9/11 - The Twin Towers and Common Sense
http://journalof911studies.com/letters/g/CraneAndCommonSenseByFrankLegge...
By Frank Legge, Ph.D.
Before the roof of the North tower of the World Trade Centre became hidden in dust it was falling at a rate which would have brought it to the ground in 10.5 seconds. The US administration expects us to believe that this fall rate is reasonable for a fire and plane damaged building. For comparison the roof on the right in this drawing, freely falling in a vacuum, would take 9.2 seconds.
Thanks to Joe Plummer of Stop the Lie for this thought-provoking drawing.
http://stopthelie.com/fire_initiated_collapse.html
Data published by NIST shows that the steel was not hot enough for the collapse to begin. There are also engineers who have worked out that, even if collapse did begin at the damaged level, it would not continue, but would quickly come to a halt.
That may be hard to validate, unless you can deal with complex calculations, but what about this time difference, just 1.3 seconds? Does not ordinary common sense tell you that the block on the left will be slowed down if it has to crush its way through over 90 storeys of cold steel and concrete? Would it not take more than 1.3 seconds longer than the one on the right, freely falling?
Does this not imply that the undamaged, unheated lower part of the building suddenly lost structural strength in some way? Is there any explanation other than explosives that could account for this sudden loss of strength?
No steel framed building has ever collapsed due to fire except on that day, when three tall buildings came down, and they came down impossibly fast.
One of these three buildings, WTC 7, was not hit by a plane and showed little evidence of fire. It took no more than half a second longer than free fall to collapse. This building was occupied by the FBI, the CIA and the DoD. Is it feasible that al-Qaeda could have got past all these sensitive organizations to lay explosives without inside help?
It is instructive to note that there were four other buildings at the WTC which were badly damaged by fire and falling debris but behaved in the usual way: they did not collapse.
To locate peer reviewed papers which substantiate these claims see: http://journalof911studies.com/
Frank Legge
http://journalof911studies.com/letters/g/CraneAndCommonSenseByFrankLegge...
===
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF 9-11 WEBSITES (GOOGLE IT) THAT PROVE THAT THE BUSH/PNAC
ADMINSTRATION PLANNED AND ORCHESTRATED 9-11...HERES A FEW OF THEM
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http://www.reopen911.org/
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http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/
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http://www.PatriotsQuestion911.com
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http://ae911truth.org/
A new page, featuring statements from more than 140 Engineers and Architects, has been added to http://PatriotsQuestion911.com
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Sounds like Mueller has found a reason to be cooperative. Wonder what it is? If the investigation proceeds without be derailed, he and his notes are gonna be on the hot seat...
The American people should DEMAND that the Bush Administration submit to sworn testimony.
I am glad that this information is becoming public. Perhaps now Gonzales can be impeached and then the House and Senate can focus their attention on impeaching Bush and Cheney.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess YES, HE LIED HIS BUTT OFF!!!!
Is it not odd how when Slick Willy lied it was all about sex? But, when a typical political removal of federal prosecutors occurs (just like under the clinton administration) it's all about a lie. Sounds just like the kind of fighting that goes on in a playground to me.
Impeach Gonzo and the other 2 liars, Bush and Cheney A.S.A.P. before they make a complete mockery of our consitution, bill of rights and the justice system. Opps, they have already done all of that!
least of Gonzales' worries are his warrantless wiretapping. Actually, another investigation is brewing in both the Senate and House Judiciary. It seems there is a common thread between the DOJ nationwide firing of attys by Gonzales: the previously fired and resigned DOJ attys ALL had Tenet Health care and Novation subsidiary Medicare fraud lawsuits in the BILLIONS PER State.
"I see dead DOJ attys" should be the topic of Tom Flocco's next blog on his website, because he has reported that TWO of Texas DOJ's that linked the purchasing fraud and were a day away from Senate Subcommittee Medicare fraud against Tenet accidently DROWNED the day before in their pools....
Then Gonzales fired the remaining DOJ THREE MEN on the case. All lawsuits were settled within 90 days of each other nationwide-CA to Fla. Seems our new Governor's old AG job also settled pennied to the dollar as the other lawsuits....
And we have a dead MD DOJ atty-Luna, who was investigating (according to reports) DC Madam escort services and the affiliation of the Governor Ehlich-past Governor. Luna was filled, and WITHIN 30 days, the other DOJ atty on the case was fired by Gonzales. I am sure that was a co-incidence too....
One of the many problems with the FBI and the DoJ during the Bush years has been that these agencies have been very uncooperative about complying with Freedom of Information Act requests. I have been trying to extract information from them for years about a matter which is being covered up. It is about high-level serious government misconduct. They have confirmed that they have records about it, but refuse to release them. I have numerous official (and mostly evasive) replies which I would like to share with journalists. Email me and I'll be glad to send scans. I am also willing to describe other evidence I have obtained about the matters about which I have been trying to obtain official disclosure (mpwright9@aol.com).
"Did Gonzales Lie To Congress?" Is that like asking "Was Pope John Paul II Polish?" or "Does a bear s#!t in the woods?"
A better question would be - Has Torquemada Gonzales Ever Told The Truth While Being Questioned?
No, I'm sure that everything Gonzales said was perfectly honest and above-board, no political motivations whatsoever, not trying to manipulate the legal system in any way, either for his boss OR for Mexico...naww, never happened...
Yea great! Crooks investigating crooks...
