Rove blamed for Attorney firings in Gonzales hearing; Specter raises prospect of impeachment

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/25036

Rove blamed for Attorney firings in Gonzales hearing; Specter raises prospect of impeachment
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2007-07-24 16:58. Congress | Impeachment

By Michael Roston, Raw Story

Senator Patrick Leahy kicked off an oversight hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales by accusing top White House adviser Karl Rove of playing a key role in the firing of 8 US Attorneys.

"The accumulated and essentially uncontroverted evidence is that political considerations factored into the unprecedented firing of at least nine United States Attorneys last year," the committee's chairman said. "The evidence we have been able to collect points to Karl Rove and the political operatives at the White House. ."

Leahy also described a Justice Department in a state of 'crisis.' He worried that most of the senior leadership in the department had resigned.

"I would joke that the last one out the door should turn off the lights, but the Department of Justice is more important than that," he stated. "We need to shine more light on the Justice Department, not less"

The Vermont Democrat went on to criticize Gonzales for failing to be forthcoming with information about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's use of National Security Letters and said it pointed to an inability to trust Gonzales and the Bush administration.

"With a history of civil liberty abuses and cover ups, this administration has squandered our trust," he warned.

more...

[wiggs]

1. kick. rec. nt

[Maccagirl]

2. "This administration has sqaundered our trust"

amongst every other valuable commodity. Gee, welcome to Bushworld, Mr. Leahy. We "got" it a long time ago.

[mmonk]

3. Good words.

The right messages.

[Bluestar]

4. I don't trust Specter to do the right thing

He is very big on grand gestures in front of the TV camera and he asks all the pointed questions. But then a few days later he caves and becomes a good little Republican once again. I am tired of this rope-a-dope approach. I need to see some action but I fear this is more posturing on Specter's part. Unfortunately, I think we have to get some Repubs off the fence with regards to this Bush cabal before anything can happen. But I think we're being taken for a ride.

[Yael]

5. You summed him up well

[Quantess]

6. He's a little like Gordon Smith-R of Oregon.

They both have wishy washy ways.