President sidesteps questions about visit to Ashcroft

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

President Bush isn't saying much about whether he ordered then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and his former chief of staff to get then attorney general John Ashcroft to approve the president's eavesdropping program from a hospital room.

At a White House news conference today, the president was asked twice if he ordered the trip to Ashcroft's bedside. The president declined to comment, saying only that there was "a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen."



Read more: http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6530992

---

Think Progress:

Bush Dodges Comey’s Accusations That He Personally Arranged Ashcroft Hospital Visit »
During a press conference today, President Bush was confronted about recent accusations made by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey regarding the White House’s shocking efforts to seek legal sanction for its warrantless wiretapping program. According to Comey, Bush personally directed a White House effort to bypass Comey’s authority and seek approval from John Ashcroft, who was then hospitalized and in intensive care.

The New York Times writes today that “Americans need to know who dispatched Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card to Mr. Ashcroft’s hospital bed.”

NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell pressed Bush on this point. “Sir, did you send your then Chief of Staff and White House Counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill to get him to approve that program,” she asked, “and do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is appropriate?”

Video at the link:
more:http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/17/bush-comey-dodge/

[notadmblnd]

1. it's not speculation

there's been testimony indicating White House involvement. Even if the pretzledent didn't order it directly, the people that speak for him did and since he didn't stop them, he approved.

[radfringe]

9. heh.... and there's even MOOOOOORE speculation

after his little comment...

gee, do ya think it ever crossed his tiny little brain that by NOT answering the question it would create even more speculation? ......

like....ummmm........

Why didn't he answer the question? Does he have something to hide?
he didn't answer the question, guess that means he DID have direct involvement and knows he broke the law......
He's afraid to answer the question because he knows it means his butt in a sling.....

[fasttense]

2. The dancing supremes' select, crazy king george

of the United States of America, has spoken. Now move along you no account peasants and slaves.:+

[peacetalksforall]

3. Man, that's kind of a bold question from Kelly O'Donnell, employee of the

the always acquiescing, obfuscating, and pimping MSNBC owned by GE and Microsoft. I'm shocked.

[OnyxCollie]

5. Kelly O'Donnell is okay.

I used to watch her on the Cleveland news channel. My roomate in the early 90's had a crush on her. Had a signed picture on the mantle. Norah (rhymes with Whorah) O'Donnell is the one to be wary of.

[peacetalksforall]

10. So, we can say that MSNBC has a Keith and a Kelly, but only two

out of so many others - who all might as well be getting their paycheck from the WH.

[OnyxCollie]

11. In the past, I would have mentioned David Gregory.

But I think he has been replaced by a pod person.

[Spazito]

4. Interesting, bush couldn't simply say, "I did not send them"

which says to me he did exactly that and he can't lie because Mrs. Ashcroft and those manning the phones in the room next to Ashcroft's hospital room know who was on the other end of the telephone. Had the call been made by someone other than bush, he could deny that he sent them and there would be no proof otherwise.

I am glad the media is asking the question, they need to continue to ask AS WELL AS actually investigate further.

[maddezmom]

6. Next question for the MSM, why did you block the security clearances for an investigation?

Bush Blocked Justice Department Investigation
By Murray Waas, National Journal
© National Journal Group Inc.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Updated at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today that President Bush personally halted an internal Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales and other senior department officials acted within the law in approving and overseeing the administration's domestic surveillance program.


President Bush made the decision to deny the security clearances for the investigators, Alberto Gonzales said in his testimony before the Senate.


The investigation, by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, was halted when lawyers who were going to conduct the investigation were denied the security clearances that would have allowed them to view classified documents related to the surveillance program. President Bush made the decision to deny the security clearances for the investigators, Gonzales said in his testimony today.

"The president of the United States makes the decision," Gonzales said in response to a question by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who wanted to know who denied the clearances to the investigators.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x282014

[Spazito]

12. Agree, a very important follow-up question that should be asked

Comey's testimony has taken this travesty from a dry-as-dust, complex scandal (for the majority of the public who's political education consists of the 20 second blip on the television, etc) to a scandal with all the elements of a Tom Clancy book or movie with the key "scene" being the late night hospital visit, a "scene" even the most disinterested person would understand and be interested in, imo.

As another poster wrote, this is the kind of story, thanks to Comey's testimony, that may actually be investigated ala Woodward & Bernstein and Watergate. We will have to wait and see whether that, in fact, becomes a reality given the current state of the mainstream media.

[maddezmom]

21. I've sent it to a few media outlets today

We will see if they follow up. If someone has contacts with KO....maybe they could send it again. :D

[donkeyotay]

23. So the Decider decided to deny security clearances into an investigation

of his own illegal acts. Isn't that obstruction of justice, or is that a presidential pleasure, too? The looters should have stayed in Texas.

[Roland99]

7. Well, Frat Boy, why don't you clear up that "speculation"????

HMMM?????


ASSHAT!!

[xchrom]

8. we can call this the Crawford Crawl. n/t

[sabra]

13. President sidesteps questions about visit to Ashcroft

Source: AP

President Bush isn't saying much about whether he ordered then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and his former chief of staff to get then attorney general John Ashcroft to approve the president's eavesdropping program from a hospital room.

At a White House news conference today, the president was asked twice if he ordered the trip to Ashcroft's bedside. The president declined to comment, saying only that there was "a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen."

Read more: http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6530992&nav=0jsh

[BOSSHOG]

14. What a fucking idiot

"A lot of speculation about what happened." Yo dickhead, you had the opportunity to clear some of that up but then you'd be exposing yourself as a destroyer of the constitution huh. Speculate on this!

[dicknbush]

15. I can hear it now....

In the Oval office...The expiration is coming down (Ashcroft the useful idiot) signed off on the spying every 45 days. March 11th was the deadline for the latest sign of and it was going to expire. Comey had checked it out and and came to the conclusion that IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW!!!

Bush in the Oval office: "THat ivy league prick Comey is not going to stop us from breaking the law. Take this over to Ashcroft and get his sorry ass out of bed and have him sign this"

Card: "But he is not the AG Comey is acting AG"

Bush: "Fuck that. I say he is the AG make him sign it! Fredo wheres Fredo??"

Fredo: "Siiiii Seeeennnor?"

Bush: " Hey you lazzy ass wetback get Ashcroft to sign this paper!"

Fredo: "Siiiiiii Sennnnnnoooor whatever you say Senor."

[brentspeak]

16. A lot of speculation...which he refuses to end by telling his side of the story

[peaches2003]

17. Must make the assumption

that the answer is 'yes' or he would have answered. A 'NO' wouldn't hurt him. This time he didn't even flat out lie, so there must be plenty of evidence or someone is singing.

[truthisfreedom]

18. This is rovian. Create confusion, obfuscation, and taint the whole story by making it seem like

there are multiple parties with differing views. One small problem, rove... nobody is disputing that this happened, and as you recall, there were multiple witnesses to both the event at the hospital and the event at the WH immediately afterward. That's what happens when you run into a smart guy like Comey who makes sure there's witnesses to the execution of your illegal plans, misters rove and bush.

[rodeodance]

20. not quiet---as bush said will not talk about it-------

[maddezmom]

22. there have been no denials about this to date

The MSM needs to continue to ask the questions

[rodeodance]

19. Wow! CNN just reported *'s nonresponse to the Comey question

Forum Name General Discussion
Topic subject Wow! CNN just reported *'s nonresponse to the Comey question
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x909052#909052
909052, Wow! CNN just reported *'s nonresponse to the Comey question
Posted by Skidmore on Thu May-17-07 01:14 PM

with full details of the events leading up to Gonzo's visit to Ashcroft and his subsequent appointment to AG. Who da thunk it?