Specter Dresses Down Gonzales: ‘I Don’t Think You’re Going To Win A Debate About Your Preparation’
Specter Dresses Down Gonzales: ‘I Don’t Think You’re Going To Win A Debate About Your Preparation’
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said today that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ opening testimony continued “a pattern of not being candid.” Specter proceeded to ask the Attorney General to resolve his contradictory statements, noting that he should be able to answer them since he has spent weeks preparing.
Gonzales interjected, “I prepare for every hearing, Senator.” A livid Specter responded, “Do you prepare for all your press conferences? Were you prepared for the press conference where you said there weren’t any discussions involving you?”
Gonzales, put on the defensive, conceded, “Senator, I already said I misspoke. It was my mistake.” When Specter pressed about the specific question of whether he prepares for press conferences, Gonzales said “we do take time to try to prepare for the press conference.”
“Let’s move on,” Specter said. “I don’t think you’re not going to win a debate about your preparation, frankly.” Gonzales chuckled. Watch it:
Specter concluded, “I’d like you to win this debate, but you’re going to have to win it.”
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Orrin Hatch is “questioning” Gonzo right now. Hatch’s “questions” are more like obsequious, leading, infantile back-slapping. What a whore.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:52 amI didn’t think I’d ever approve of Arlen Specter, well you never know.
Bet Orrin Hatch can’t change my opinion of him.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:53 amSpecter concluded, “I’d like you to win this debate, but you’re going to have to win it.â€
Watch Specter as he flip flops on Ali G. He’ll play ‘good cop / bad cop’ for awhile, trying to make people think he has some integrity, but will magically turn into a Bushlicker at some point in time.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:53 amMisspoke ? Oh you mean LIED !
April 19th, 2007 at 10:54 amDemocrats are doing a poor job of making their case in my opinion. This hearing is drifting into irrelevance. DEMS get you shit together and bury this guy or you will have lost credibility entirely and can forget about challenging Bush for the rest of his term.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:55 ama little ‘toot’ from Arlen Sphincter. big deal
April 19th, 2007 at 10:56 amHe has had weeks to prepare and coordinate his lies with the rest of the repuke mafia memebers. He will never tell the truth, ever. Heck his boss the mafia don W has never told the truth, so why should he? He should be on a polygraph machine.
Hating the repuke mafia daily
April 19th, 2007 at 11:00 amUnfortunately, considering how long the committee has given Gonzo to prepare, practice, and memorize his testimony does anyone really think they will catch him on anything substantive?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:04 amAnybody keeping track of the “I don’t recalls” head must be spinning.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:05 amSpecter said. “I don’t think you’re not going to win a debate about your preparation, frankly.†- - Umm, a double negative is a positive, Arlen. I don’t think that came out right.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:06 amDems are waisting their time trying to determine that Goinzo made these decisions. Instead they should focus on the bases on which these decisions were made - that is where potential illegality has taken place. Feinstein seems to get this.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:06 am‘Top Cop’, indeed.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:14 amThis guy is a joke.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:14 amDon’t worry folks, the grill is just getting warmed up.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:16 am…
Yep, that was THE best moment so far this morning.
and from Specter of all people.
huh, go figure.
…
April 19th, 2007 at 11:17 amHe is not doing well. If Hatch act is pissed, Fredo’s whacked.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:21 amSenator Hatch, how does the back of your throat feel?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:21 amAbu Gonzales is just working on behalf of his client .
April 19th, 2007 at 11:22 amFurther evidence of the corrosive death of this great nation by the disease of incompetence. Authoritarian Rape-Public-Cans salute and enable such destruction makin them an enemy #1.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:24 am“While I am grateful for the public service of these seven U.S. attorneys, they simply lost my confidence.”
- Alberto Gonzales, March 6th, USA Today Op-Ed
“During those conversations, to my knowledge, I did not make decisions about who should or should not be asked to resign.”
- Alberto Gonzales, April 15, Washington Post Op-Ed
For more on the lies and contradictions of Alberto Gonzales, see:
April 19th, 2007 at 11:25 am“Gonzales’ Dueling Op-Eds.”
?when was hatch pissed? it looked like he was kissin Gonzo’s butt tge whole time…
April 19th, 2007 at 11:25 amSpecter talks big for the cameras, but then Rove or Cheney calls him up to remind him of the dirt they have on him, then he recants everything he said before.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:26 amyes Senator cornyn alberto is a good and decent man who believes in torture and arresting Americans on secret evidence while he spies on them in their own homes !
April 19th, 2007 at 11:26 amGone-zo sure does look like a bad B-actor today. It looks like he’s been taught how to act by his Bushie handlers and when he speaks, he looks like he is repeating lines that he’s been practicing for weeks.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:30 amThe president serves at the pleasure of the citizens of the Uniited States. 7out of 10 of which don’t approve of his performance.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:30 am…and he speaks in the fey voice : “see how innocent I am”
April 19th, 2007 at 11:32 amIs being lied to and liking it a prequisite for the Rape-Public-Can Reich? If so then it explains their masochistic personality.
The color of the sky is blue, I wonder what the color of their sky is in their world.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:34 amokay, he was only mildly irritated, but that is SOMETHING. The fact is these guys have to play to their constituents too, and even though Hatch’s state knows what they’re getting, he threw a little wrench to Fredo with that “preparation thing”. It has solidified my view that this is over already.
Maybe i’m just being naive, but i feel as justice may have some hope if there is a hearing to come to the TRUTH (dammit) and an (R) is snide to another (R) on live television.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:36 amOMG what a pissy little queen!!!!!!
April 19th, 2007 at 11:39 amOK, I’ll admit that I’m a little uninformed about this hearing (and I’m at work so I can’t listen to it), but is Gonzo under oath this time?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:43 am8:54:40 pacific standard time
“I have no recollection of that meeting.”
This is the moment that it is OVER! Or we have no hope.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:50 amSpecter is as despicable as Hatch. Indeed, he talks tough, poses, etc., but he’s always there for Rove and Abu G. Specter’s job is to allow republicans to pretend there is still some basic human decency left in the party… but not.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:50 amGo Russ Feingold !
April 19th, 2007 at 11:50 am, Plausible deniability , is Abu’s defence ,he had a good process in place , didn’t make the decisions , wasn’t part of the process but knows there was no impropreity involved in the decisions he wasn’t involved in ! WOW !
# 30 just like Abu ,I don’t recall ?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:51 amAnother Loyal Bushie with a faulty memory.
What a shocker.
“I don’t recall”
“I don’t remember”.
Memo to Keith Olberman and Jon Stewart, please make a “Gone-zo - I don’t recall” video compilation for our amusment. Thank you in advance.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:52 ammisspoke = lied
April 19th, 2007 at 11:52 amSessions is up now, another party weasel. Sessions reminds me of that little actor can’t remember his name that plays the consumate weasel. He has played a few times on Boston Legal.
Anyone know that actors name?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Yes. He’s under oath. I can’t believe that this freekin slimy, facist, professional political whore was a Texas Supreme Court Justice. On second thought, it’s Texas, so I’ll believe anything. Them Texans be loving them some one-sided “justice”. Even when they’re the victims. They seem to like it like that, down there. Must be a combination of the heat, gasoline fumes, cow farts, and dust.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:55 amWhattya know! Gone-zo remembers something! He sure has a great memory about Harriet Mier’s plan to fire all US Attornies.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:56 amRuss Feingold is the smartest guy on the committee.
April 19th, 2007 at 11:57 amHenry Gibson?
April 19th, 2007 at 11:57 amSnap!
April 19th, 2007 at 11:58 amLeahy just snagged the little liar’s convenient memory lapses.
Henry Gibson?
Comment by smafdy — April 19, 2007 @ 11:57 am
veeerrrrrrrrrrry interesting.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:01 pmShorter Gonzo: “I don’t recall and anyway, it’s all Kyle Sampson’s fault”. He is a real slimebag.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:02 pmYour right Chuck somebody is lying aren’t they !It probably isn’t the guy who can’t recall .
April 19th, 2007 at 12:02 pmYes Abu we also believe this is a serious matter,Making an end run around the senate thru the patriot act is TREASON !
April 19th, 2007 at 12:05 pmWhy doesn’t he just save us all some time and ask Gonzales “why are you making us look so bad? Cowboy up, son!”
April 19th, 2007 at 12:07 pmSchumer - “Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-LLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP”
April 19th, 2007 at 12:10 pmWe really need to line these MFers up against the wall… Dear god they are slime.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:11 pmSchumer nailed him: You’re damned if you do - you’re damned if you don’t.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:13 pmFu*k Arlen Specter. He is only saying this, because there is a camera present. As soon as it comes time to vote on this, he will say there wasn’t enough evidence or some bullshit and then vote to let everything be dropped.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:14 pmLindsey Graham is stuck between party loyalty and having his senatorial power challenged by the US attorney clause slipped into the Patriot Act. I’m really surprised by this from Graham. Maybe he knows his constituents are watching.
Somehow he will end up being a Party Man.
Cracks are forming between the senate and the WH.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:18 pmSpudge_Boy:
That’s Spector’s S.O.P.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:20 pmDick Durban your my new Hero !
April 19th, 2007 at 12:25 pmEverybody clean and pretty, now on with the show…
April 19th, 2007 at 12:26 pmA good rope and a stout tree limb ,cowboy up ,Abu !
April 19th, 2007 at 12:34 pm55 times that he answered he doesn’t recall ,if I remember correctly .
April 19th, 2007 at 12:36 pmI lost count……
April 19th, 2007 at 12:38 pmImagine a month of rehearsing in front of the mirror trying to look sincere repeating I don’t recall ,I don’t recall .
April 19th, 2007 at 12:38 pmNow Abu once more with feeling I DON’T RECALL !
Let Dennis Kucinich gain heart through these hearings ,Impeach Cheney,A criminal with 17 % approval,Patriots on both sides applaude your efforts ,and it’s the republicans best chance for political survival ,and that fact is dawning on them .
April 19th, 2007 at 12:43 pmI have the Peter Gabriel song “I Don’t Remember” running thru my head.
“I don’t remember,
April 19th, 2007 at 12:44 pmI don’t recall,
I got no memory,
of anything at all………..”
Interesting that Aub G “can’t recall” having made the decision, but he knows he made the decision. Also, Kyle Sampson was pretty much in charge of the whole operation, you’ll have to ask him almost anything of substance about details because ol’ Abu doesn’t recall, yet Kyle Sampson testified that no one told Carol Lam that the DoJ was concerned about her immigration performance while Abu insists that she was “acutely aware” of the concerns.
Does one need to deposit one’s head up one’s a$$ in order to follow that logical labyrinth?
April 19th, 2007 at 12:47 pmThese hearings must suck. There’s no juicy updates.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:51 pmStand by, they recessed for lunch.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:55 pmThere is so much juice, TP’s pumps are probably backed up trying to handle it all…..:)
so true Raven!
“I Don’t Remember” by Peter Gabriel - the Bush administration’s theme song.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:57 pmThe Dems have blown this opportunity. The caboose is reaching the station much too long after the engine (weeks ago at this point) arrived. The best they can do is needle him.
Tension has to grow for this event to usher Gonzo out. Instead it’s petered out. If they can’t ratchet up some self-righteous indignation and get some headlines (a la the GOP) Gonzo is staying.
He doesn’t care if he’s reviled and has noones respect; that’s the charateristic trait of the despicable GOP.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:03 pmwhat the hell are YOU watching klaus?
April 19th, 2007 at 1:06 pmokay, so i have a thing with time, so i have to revise the earlier time that i thought fredo had to go. it appears the second he raised his right hand, he was lying (thereby hopefully ensuring time behind bars).
hardly know how to express this level of outrage and the major news outlets let us rely on the net. MSM is failing us folks.
9:26:38 or thereabouts when he admitted to conversation with rove. what were they doing with their time when they were “preparing”? did fredo AGREE to harikari, holy crap?
there’s no way to deny the committee is going to finish up just making sure everyone at home knows they are in NO way associated with this so-called administration-more-like-a-ship-of-fools!
April 19th, 2007 at 1:09 pmGod in Heaven, how many innocent people in Texas died because of this amoral, psycopatheic liar?
When does this nightmare end?
April 19th, 2007 at 1:43 pmSpecter’s great in front of the cameras, but words are only words. Also, am I the only one that’s annoyed that I can’t follow the entire proceedings on television? I understand the networks cynically exploiting, over and over and over, the awful shootings of students and faculty, and the terribly raw emotions of these VT survivors, to sell more soap and hairspray; but why can’t it be fully covered by C Span? If it’s going to happen I want the pleasure of seeing Gonzo go down, moment by moment, in flames. Check my latest Gonzo cartoon (w/Bush as Napoleon) at: http://www.unclesammysays.com/Bush%20as%20Napoleon.htm
April 19th, 2007 at 3:03 pmSpecter’s GOP job is to talk tough and then fold when told to. I think Chuck Hagel may have the same job description.
April 19th, 2007 at 3:16 pmMartin:
April 19th, 2007 at 3:43 pmCSPAN 3 has it online: http://www.c-span.org
Not sure about TV - I killed mine about 20 years ago.
It’s time we started admitting the truth. The Bush administration, just like the Nazis, was elected to office,during a period of fear and uncertainty, regardless of the validity of those elections. Both regimes used anger and fear to corrupt the electorates will and intentions. Now, at this point in time, Bush, Rove(Rasputin) Gonzalez and yes Arlen Spector, who pushed the Patriot Act’s provision for “appointment” of interim federal prosecutors, bypassing the Senate, have attempted a treasoness quiet Pusch against our democracy.Spector carefully avoids his culpability.
The only thing they have failed to do is burn down the Reichstag(Senate). The Germans “Elected” Hitler, we, the American people “elected” Bush. We are the ones responsible and we are the ones who must make it right.
April 19th, 2007 at 4:30 pmLast word,
The Roman Republic would only yield the rights of it’s citizens during a time of grave danger to the republic, typically only for 90 days, after wich the Senate had to reassess, the situation. Both Republicans & Democrats are culpable in surrrendering the rights of americans to “Der Buscher”. We need to move against this “Corpocracy” with or wallets and our votes. No violence, just the power of the common man/woman using todays’technology to affect peaceful revolution.
April 19th, 2007 at 4:49 pmThe United States are desperately in need of a second political party to challenge the Republican party.
April 19th, 2007 at 5:14 pmUntil that happens the Constitution will be at the mercy of an elitist oligarchy.
Republicans are as conservative as New Deal Democrats. The difference is that wealth is now being redistributed in an ‘upwards’ direction.
Last,last word, (promise)
While we persue the American Dream, whatever that may mean to you, it is important to remember, that whatever that dream may be, we can not ignore what is blatantly going on around us. While we mow the lawns of our “McMansions”, or have the terrible “aliens” mow them for us, we can not allow the politicians to “handle things”. Democrat and republicans are the two sides of the same coin.
And coinage is so appropriate because of the obscene amounts of money involved. Regardless of who’s in power, haven’t we noticed that jobs have been continually lost since the 1960’s? First steel, then autos, now white collar jobs. McDonAmerica is here, The minimum wage may soon become the wage for all of us! We finance the new Chinese army with every purchase at Walmart, Target, or K-Mart!
Our Politicians are complicite, why do the allow it? So are we with our desire to ignore the obvious. Greyhound bus company used to say “leave the driving to us” Can we leave the driving to the professional politicians?
April 19th, 2007 at 5:20 pmAmerican Dream? My apologies to all who read my previous posts. It’s the dream of every soul on this planet, to better their lives and the lives of their children. It’s a world dream…
Art
April 19th, 2007 at 5:37 pmSounds to me like the socialist cry babies in the crowd are so very desperate for something to hate the Bush Administration for… that they will create scandals… hmmm a man fired people he was allowed to fire… their entire job is a pleasure seat for the President and they cry that it was “political”… ha ha ha… what a joke. So just like with Scooter Libby the Dems will ask the same question hundreds of times in hundreds of different ways until they think they get contradicing answers… then wha-la they accuse the accused of lying under oath… what a joke. If this is the best the Dems have, then I feel really good about 08! Keep it up you defeatist!
April 20th, 2007 at 3:17 pmthis humiliating video says it all:
http://www.govgap.com
April 21st, 2007 at 4:22 pm