Marcy Wheeler: White House Tries To Preempt Evidence-Gathering

[Hissyspit]

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/04/white_house_tri.html

White House Tries to Pre-Empt Evidence-Gathering
by emptywheel

Folks, let's make one thing clear. The primary reason behind White House attempts to push up the Gonzales testimony before the Senate has little to do with their desire to just put the USA Purge behind them. It likely has little to do with anything Kyle Sampson said on Thursday--Sampson's testimony still left Abu Gonzales in the "he said she said" territory he was already in after McNulty testified. I'd suggest the sudden rush has more to do with a question Schumer asked Sampson late in the hearing--when he asked Sampson if Monica Goodling had asked Assistant USA candidates about their voting habits and party loyalty. The Democratic strategy on this has become more clear--and Republicans have no doubt realized that Democrats are proceeding in such a way as to collect enough information to not just embarrass Abu Gonzales, but to charge him or key underlings. They've already gotten evidence of clear law-breaking. And by the time Abu Gonzales testifies before Congress, they may well have a fairly well-developed case against him.

So let's talk strategy. Schumer has made many allusions to having spoken to DOJ employees who have told the Committee more details on the USA Purge and related DOJ politicization. That detail about Goodling, which I noted in my hearing round-up...

Chuck Schumer seems to have certain suspicions about what Monica Goodling did. In particular, it seems that he may have well-grounded suspicions that she was administering loyalty oaths to Assistant USAs, a career position. I wonder if that's one of the reasons she has gotten so quiet of late.

...seems to be validated by the details of this profile on Goodling:

Charles Miller, whom Gonzales appointed as interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, interviewed with the panel in the fall of 2005. "They asked me what I'd done to support the president," Miller says. It wasn't a question Miller expected. He told them he'd voted for Bush.

MORE

[MiniMe]

1. Interesting. Must be why Leahy said that they wanted to interview other

people before Gonzo. They have a plan.

[pnwmom]

2. K & R. n/t

[ROakes1019]

3. Gonzales

My thoughts exactly. They want him to get in there to lie before the committee can do much investigating.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Can't answer the right questions without doing the proper investigation

And a proper investigation requires obtaining the right answers to the questions that will be asked.

Having Gonzales come before the Committee is ready will make it easier for Gonzales to escape.

[grannylib]

4. *lol* And since they couldn't get that, now Gonzo had to cancel vacay to

"prepare for his appearance"

Golly, if he wasn't involved, and if he's really got a handle on DOJ and is doing his job like a good ol' "heckuva job Al" then what's to prepare?

These people haven't the sense God gave a goat.

[MUAD_DIB]

7. Has Emperor Monketnutz issued his "You're doing a heckova job"

kiss of death yet? He stands behind his AG...just far enough away for Gonzo to take the bullet for him.

I hope that Schumer and Lahey take their sweet time and bring them all to justice.

[TacticalPeek]

6. K&R

emptywheel rulz!

[DCKit]

8. OUCH!!! Ur all just cruel!!!!

Picking on a poor migrant worker like that! For SHAME!!!!

[Robbien]

9. There is so much evidence out there

Ran into a thread by a new DUer who is researching another one of the people who is a major player in the DoJ and USA interaction and the Free Congress Foundation.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3191208#3193102

after he posted his entry to his site, he said

I had about 30-40 hits from the Justice Department this morning on my website. These people stayed on my site for 10-40 minutes. They literally couldn't get there fast enough. I'm not trying to brag but this story has LEGS...

[DemReadingDU]

10. wow, morning kick!

[liberalla]

11. Thank you for that link to MisterApologist

MisterApologist blog is a rewarding read.

[hwmnbn]

12. Another K&R for emptywheel....

she rocks!!