Specter: Administration has 18 hours to clarify Gonzales testimony on wiretapping

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking Republican, Arlen Specter (Pa.), emerged from a crucial Monday briefing and gave the Bush administration 18 hours to resolve the controversy over apparent contradictions in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s congressional testimony.

Gonzales took issue last week with former Deputy Attorney General James Comey’s description of internal dissent in 2004 over the legal authority for the National Security Agency’s (NSA) warrantless eavesdropping program. Frustrated Democrats called for a special prosecutor to investigate Gonzales for perjury, noting that several officials have publicly echoed Comey’s account. Those calls prompted Specter to request a classified briefing to clear up the dispute.

Specter aides released a statement late Monday that suggested a bombshell to come on Tuesday afternoon.

“Given the difficulty of discussing classified matters in public, I think it is preferable to have a letter addressing that question from the administration … by noon tomorrow, which will be made available to the news media,” Specter wrote in the statement. “The administration has committed to producing such a letter.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/specter-administration-has-18-hours-to-clarify-gonzales-testimony-on-wiretapping-2007-07-30.html

[mikelgb]

1. 1 hour to go

[endarkenment]

2. How many mulligans do they get?

This was the third time Gonzales got a chance to set the record straight and the third time he lied his ass off.

[acmavm]

8. Thank you. I pointed out yesterday that we can't lie like this and

the resident legal scholars jumped my ass telling me that this shit was kosher and he can have a re-do as long as the grand jury is out. Now that's bullshit. You might get a do-over, but you don't get as many chances as this bastard has gotten.

[ProudDad]

20. They get as many as they want (n/t)

[0007]

46. .......Was Alberto using junior's clubs and golf cart?

[Lance_Boyle]

3. WTF does "ranking member" SPECTRE have to say about this?

Let's hear from the Committee Chair, please. None of these second-tier schmoes.

[Acadia Blue]

21. Call Spector. I called his office and told them that Gonzo had to go.

[KansDem]

50. I wonder the same thing...

The Democrats have controlled Congress for some seven months now but NPR still does a bulk of its interviews with Republicans! Democratic statements are reported as third-party comments, but Republicans get air-time. And that makes them sound like they're still in the majority...

[marmar]

4. He's had plenty of time to "clarify" his statements.....

You can't clarify something when clarity is what you're trying to avoid..... Enough extensions. Time for Gonzo to face the music: Spending your whole career defending a lying, cheating, worthless, emotionally damaged drunk will eventually bite you on the ass.

[gratuitous]

5. Or what, Arlen?

You really like being lied to by this administration, and you don't mind looking like their little monkey, as time after time you've talked big to the cameras, then voted right down the administration line. It's a cute little act, but it's worn thin.

So what are you going to do about it, Arlen? If the White House issues it's standard "nothing to see here, old news, let's move on" statement, will that be satisfactory? Because I note from the article that you were "cagey" about what the next step might be, and you certainly didn't rule out the propriety of a non-responsive response from the White House. Which makes me think that the White House can say any old thing it wants to say, and you'll accept it as putting the matter to rest.

[Rambis]

12. He will return to his office and do nothing

As usual! That clown makes me sick!

[Double T]

6. Can't wait to hear THIS cooked up story.

How many truckloads of BS will Congress swallow before they do SOMETHING about these blatantly lying, no damn good, corrupt crooked criminals?

[wordpix]

51. BushCo is in the kitchen right now, all the principals, ready to serve up a steaming pile

[Jack Rabbit]

7. The clock is running

[peace13]

9. I thought the clock ran out today!

Sit down Arlen! Will the majority please begin to lead us out of the *ell hole?

[Marnieworld]

10. then what? they get a time out?

I want all Dem members in Congress to hold a press conference on the Steps of the Capitol to spell out how the executive branch hass created a Constitutional crisis. I want a united show of force against theses crimes against our Constitution, such contempt for the powers of the Legislative branch. These little moments are adding up but only if they put them all in the right context. The executive branch should not be able to get away with this or it's the end of the country period.

[TankLV]

43. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !

Whew! that was a good one!...

[Highway61]

11. Clarify????

When you were little and got caught in a lie with your parents did they give you "time" to clarify your words????:wtf:

Hurry up Gonzo...you got 18 hours...these guys have to go on vacation!

As Dylan said...."Everything Is Broken"

[stressfulreality]

13. unfortunately i'm willing to bet that they still get away with this...

Bush truly is above the law. Sickening.

[DavidDvorkin]

15. It's hard to bet against those SOBs

They get away with everything.

[stressfulreality]

18. it really makes you wonder... is Congress in on this?? wtf?!! nt

[AndyTiedye]

30. Congress is Being BLACKMAILED

What do you think all of that NSA wiretapping is for??
I mean the stuff that they can't even tell the FISA court about.
The FISA court never turns them down,
so what do you think it was that they couldn't risk even taking to the FISA court?

A program of systematic blackmail of Congress would fit that bill, wouldn't it?

There was more than a hint of the abuse of raw intercepts during the Bolton hearings.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. Gonzo is on the mat. The referee is counting.

[The Stranger]

16. He should have been down for the count six months ago.

I cannot fucking believe this has gone on as it has.

[Acadia Blue]

22. All the RePIGS are corrupt and one-half the Democrats.

[Jack Rabbit]

26. True, he's been cheating

It's not fair to have the court-appointed squatter keep propping him up after he's been knocked unconscious.

[bdamomma]

17. stop giving this criminal more time, he is a criminal and should

be impeached.

[hatrack]

19. Or WHAT, Arlen?

Or FUCKING WHAT?!?!?!

[Acadia Blue]

23. Call his office and relay your feelings on this matter.

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Or he'll stamp his feet and hold his breath and be really, really

mad at them until they say they're sorry.

[SoFlaJet]

27. I love Jersey girls (they are the best)

oh yea or I'll pinch you SOOOO HARD!!! Specter = wet noodle

[JerseygirlCT]

28. Thanks! I bought a t-shirt to that effect once... wonder where it

went?

[SoFlaJet]

29. yup me Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen

me and my Jersey girl will have been together 25 years on the 20th of August-how has she put up with me this long?

on note; SFJ=Jersey guy

[JerseygirlCT]

33. I do love that song...

I married a Gisland boy myself. Together more than 26 years now.

How does the time go so fast?

[JerseygirlCT]

24. Have we seen any bombshell yet:?

I've been out and about.

[Supersedeas]

31. so has Specter rolled over and caved yet?

[brentspeak]

32. If it was Senator Brentspeak: "You have 18 MINUTES to cough it up, White House."

"You don't like that, Mr. Vice-President? Okay, you now have 18 SECONDS."

[donkeyotay]

34. It's Wednesday; Do you know where Arlene is?

Specter aides released a statement late Monday that suggested a bombshell to come on Tuesday afternoon.

“Given the difficulty of discussing classified matters in public, I think it is preferable to have a letter addressing that question from the administration … by noon tomorrow, which will be made available to the news media,” Specter wrote in the statement. “The administration has committed to producing such a letter.”

[Supersedeas]

39. and the phone with Rover...doing strategery

[librechik]

35. Crickets. Can you imagine the cataclysm if thise were AG Janet Reno?

I'm going deaf just thinking about it.

[treestar]

36. Did anything happen?

:hippie:

[ramapo]

37. I think they all went on vacation

...after passing the expanded wiretap bill.

Roll over...good boys and girls. What a useless bunch of big mouthed losers.

[wordpix]

54. maybe they're helping Bush clear brush, after which they'll have a good ol' Texas beef barbeque

[Javaman]

38. And then what? is spector threatening them with wagging the naughty finger at them?

it appears as if this fucked up white house doesn't give a flying fuck, they let dead lines come and go on subpoenas and don't bat an eye.

Rice
Miers

and now

Rove

Are all in violation of ignoring subpoenas, but what has been done to them?

will there be hint of spine growth? stay tuned

[donkeyotay]

40. So the rollover on FISA must have been the letter and the bombshell

No doubt it was a classified letter. It probably said give me everything I want or I'll send more anthrax...Arlen could have a career on Fox if he ever decides to leave congress.

[winston61]

41. Or what? I'm gonna hold my breath and stomp my foot?

Specter, you are a putz.

[TankLV]

42. Or what? this is getting awfully OLD, don'tcha think...

Nothing will happen...

I'm more likely to be struck by lightening or winning the million dollar jackpot...

On edit: The OP was written LAST WEEK. The time has come and gone...and THE SURPRISE WAS ON US!

FUCK YOU SPECTOR - YOU LYING REPUKE! but I repeat myself!

and the "surprise" is that THEY FUCK US ALL AGAIN EVEN WORSE!!!!

Don'tcha just love it...

[wordpix]

53. or Arlen is gonna take his toys and go home so those mean WH bullies can't play with them

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

44. This story is from last week - Arlen Specter changed his socks

from pure cotton to a cotton polyester blend. That was the bombshell.

[radfringe]

45. statement should have been

the administration has 18 hours to twist my arm and shut me up

[donkeyotay]

47. Arlen went for a ride on Airforce One and got the scoop

on the bullshit bombshell they were going to drop on the democrats. Good old Mr. Dependable.

[bobthedrummer]

48. Let's discuss classified matters that conceal crimes in public, Senator magic bullet theory

We, the people do that all the time...

[Rambis]

49. Shut up Arlen!

and go back to your hole. Everyone knows you are full of shite and will do NOTHING! You never have and you never ever will have the balls to stand up to these clowns so why waste anyone's time. NO ONE IS LISTENING TO YOU! FUCK OFF!

[treestar]

52. Looks like it was an empty threat - it is now August 16