Specter: McConnell Letter Doesn’t Cut It, Waiting To Hear Directly From Gonzales
Specter: McConnell Letter Doesn’t Cut It, Waiting To Hear Directly From Gonzales
Yesterday, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, gave the Bush administration until noon today “to resolve the controversy over apparent contradictions in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s congressional testimony.”
Missing the noon deadline, the White House released a letter this afternoon from Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, which stated “one particular aspect” of the NSA’s domestic spying program, “and nothing more, was publicly acknowledged by the President and described in December of 2005.” Gonzales was also supposed to provide a letter of clarification to Specter by noon, but it has not been sent.
On CNN’s The Situation Room this evening, Specter briefly responded to McConnell’s letter, saying “I am not prepared to say” Gonzales didn’t lie “until we get Attorney General Gonzales’ letter.” Watch it:
Host Wolf Blitzer asked Specter how he would respond to an unsatisfactory letter from Gonzales. “If you’re not satisfied with that letter, I assume your conclusion will be like other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did lie,” said Blitzer.
“Well, if he doesn’t have a plausible explanation then he hasn’t leveled with the Committee, that’s right,” responded Specter.
Transcript:
BLITZER: Did the attorney general lie?
SPECTER: He did not tell us the whole story when he denied being involved in the U.S. attorney replacements. He was contradicted by three of his top deputies and by documentary evidence, emails. When you come to a question of whether he leveled with the committee. When he said that there was no disagreement within the administration on the Terrorist Surveillance Program. That depends upon the interpretation of the letter, which the director of National Intelligence McConnell, was sent today to Sen. Leahy and me. And beyond that, on the interpretation of those facts by…
BLITZER: Well, let me refer to this letter because this is a very complex letter, and a lot of it, to average people will sound like gobbledegook, but you’ve been given secret briefings, classified information, which obviously you’re not going to reveal. But based on what you’ve been told, and this letter from the Director of National Intelligence, does this clarify on behalf of Alberto Gonzales that he didn’t lie?
SPECTER: I am not prepared to say until we get Attorney General Gonzales’ letter. I was promised this letter from Admiral McConnell and a letter from Attorney General Gonzales today at noon. This one came at mid-afternoon. And I’ve been asked not to comment about it until we have the Gonzales letter. But the Gonzales letter will, in effect, interpret this letter. I can’t comment on it though, Wolf, without getting into classified information. And that, of course, I will not do.
BLITZER: So at this point, you’re not ready to say he lied or didn’t?
SPECTER: That’s right. I’m only prepared to say that there is a question that has been raised by what is in Admiral McConnell’s letter. And Attorney General Gonzales is on the verge of providing the information — to atleast give his side.
BLITZER: And you’re saying he was supposed to give you that letter by noon, it still hasn’t arrived. If you’re not satisfied with that letter, I assume you’re conclusion will be like other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did lie.
SPECTER: Well, if he doesn’t have a plausible explanation then he hasn’t leveled with the Committee, that’s right.
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82 Responses to “Specter: McConnell Letter Doesn’t Cut It, Waiting To Hear Directly From Gonzales”
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I know he probably perjured himself, but can’t we cut him a break? If we expose his nasty image too much, this might hurt the confirmation prospects of future latino attorney generals.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:42 pmUh oh
July 31st, 2007 at 6:42 pmIt looks grim for Gonzo.
Really grim.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:47 pm“If you’re not satisfied with that letter, I assume you’re conclusion will be like other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did lie,†said Blitzer.
TP:
“If you’re not satisfied with that letter, I assume your conclusion will be like other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he did lie,†said Blitzer.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:49 pmArlen “Magic Bullet” Specter will fold like a cheap suit, regardless of what crap the WH hurls at him from the other end of Pennsylvania Ave. He will cave, then weave some other CYA yarn as he always has. From how JFK was killed to the present, his standing tough and being a “maverick” has always been nothing but vapor.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:50 pmWHO GIVES A CRAP WHAT SPECTER THINKS/SAYS/DOES?? HE’S A LIAR AND MINOR, I REPEAT, A MINOR PLAYER HERE.
LEAHY IS THE IMPORTANT PLAYER - HE’S THE COMMITTEE CHAIR!!! GET IT STRAIGHT!
July 31st, 2007 at 6:50 pmOur endless violations of your basic rights as Americans are classified .
July 31st, 2007 at 6:53 pmDemocracy Now !
Is this Gonzo thing still news?
Jeez, Dems… will you never learn?
July 31st, 2007 at 6:55 pm… stated “one particular aspect†of the NSA’s domestic spying program, “and nothing more, was publicly acknowledged by the President and described in December of 2005.â€
which means…?
gonzo “mislead” by insinuating there were other programs?
July 31st, 2007 at 6:55 pmoops?
or was that on purpose?
gonzo’s gonzo?
?
Would highly recommend not relying on Specter to do the right thing in any case. Any Democrat who thinks Specter will be the point man in any effort to take Gonzo done needs to have his head examined.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:55 pmBREAKING NEWS……26,000 soldiers being sent to Darfur Region in Sudan. Why is the UN invading a sovereign, independent country? Please TP, jump all over the UN about this.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:56 pmActually I think Specter might be “getting it” this time.
I think he, and other members of congress know, that if Gonzo is permitted to mock the Justice Dept and our Constitution publically like this, then any credibility our government ever had will go out the door.
July 31st, 2007 at 6:57 pmMaybe Abu Gonzo ,should work in Paraquay ,as his clients butler ,a job more suited to him .Perhaps the next president should have him waterboarded ,if he isn’t forthcoming !
July 31st, 2007 at 6:57 pmIs this Gonzo thing still news?
Jeez, Dems… will you never learn?
Comment by Philonous — July 31, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
Are you still ignoring the news, and the subversion of the american constitution and our core values as a nation? Geez, Repervs, will you never learn?
That explains why your latest foreign policies involve selling weapons to more Arab dictators in the guise of protecting them from Iran. It’s a redux of Saddam’s lead up to the gulf war. Another GOPerv failure in the making.
Can’t we just impeach Gonzo for his crimes and move on to the rest of the crime family?
July 31st, 2007 at 6:58 pmI never thought America would be run intothe ground by a self-righteous criminal war monger like Bush.
He and Dick Cheney and Karl Rove are taking this country apart piece by piece.
-GSD
July 31st, 2007 at 6:58 pmRB-Chicago’s point is well taken. Where is Leahy on this and did McConnel brief Leahy as well? If not why not? Specter is the ranking MINORITY member after all and not the chair of the committee. Is Leahy being shunted?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:00 pmBREAKING NEWS……26,000 soldiers being sent to Darfur Region in Sudan. Why is the UN invading a sovereign, independent country? Please TP, jump all over the UN about this.
Comment by Eric — July 31, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
July 31st, 2007 at 7:01 pm———————————————-
I told the TPers about this nearly a week ago, they don’t care.
Ok, what is the reason for testifying under oath if you can lie and then when you are caught in your lie, you get to take it back. Sheesh…do overs in hearing testimony. Pretty lame.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:02 pmNice try to spin that, and derail the thread Eric @ #11
July 31st, 2007 at 7:03 pmNo no #18… it’s ok because Gonzo had his fingers crossed under the table when he was testifying. (sigh)
July 31st, 2007 at 7:04 pmAnd now what Senator Specter will do?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:05 pmHe is known to play the media well, but that will not be sufficient this time.
I told the TPers about this nearly a week ago, they don’t care.
Comment by Philonous — July 31, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
We do care, the UN is acting despite you GOPervs not caring. Hypocrite, liar, and fool.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 pmAnd then Specter will be forced to shake his finger at him really, really hard.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 pmPolice Find Body of 2nd Slain South Korean
Washington Post - 6 hours ago
By AMIR SHAH AP GHAZNI, Afghanistan — Police discovered the body of a second South Korean hostage in central Afghanistan, and the Taliban threatened Tuesday to kill more captives if their demands were not met by a new deadline.
Why doesn’t South Korean Christians just butt out of Afghanistan. The Taliban just wants to be left alone. The sooner the West leaves this area, the better off things will be. Think Communist has taught me this is so.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:09 pmI told the TPers about this nearly a week ago, they don’t care.
Comment by Philonous — July 31, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
It will interesting to see what they can do to reduce sectarian strife. If it works, maybe Bush can take a lesson from it.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:10 pmHow long is Specter going to wait?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:11 pmI know he probably perjured himself, but can’t we cut him a break? If we expose his nasty image too much, this might hurt the confirmation prospects of future latino attorney generals.
Comment by Nachos of Justice — July 31, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
No, we cannot cut him a break, Nacho. He’s the Attorney General, and he’s held to a higher standard.
Gonzo is not a liar because he’s latino, and it will have no effect on any possible future latino AG candidate.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:13 pmI know I seem to always be throwing out videos to watch or books to read, but here is another video. Beings this whole Gonzales thing seems to center around illegal surveillance of American citizens and rigged/stolen Presidential elections I thought I would throw this out. I watched this video this morning. If you have not seen it yet, please watch it and pass it to everyone you know.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:14 pmIt is called “Hacking Democracy“. Troubling is an absolute understatement. It shows how absolutely vulnerable our voting system is right now. We have 16 months left to go before we select the next president. This is serious.
I told the TPers about this nearly a week ago, they don’t care.
Comment by Philonous — July 31, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
I should have said “didn’t care at the time.” My mistake.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:14 pmThese trolls would love to try to distract patriotic Americans from Gonzo’s crimes, Bush’s incompetence, Cheney’s destruction of the Constitution and Ted Stevens’ criminal behavior. that’s why all the whining and bead-clutching from the likes of Eric The Moron and Philonass. Too late, your thieves and liars have been caught dead to rights, give them a nice wave as they shuffle off to prison…
July 31st, 2007 at 7:16 pmInteresting post Ronjass. Maybe unpatriotic Americans are being distracted by more world impacting events like 26,000 soldiers being sent to Darfur or S Korean missionaries being executed in Afghanistan? Gonzalez and Stevens should get whatever punishment fits the crime. More important is exposing the lame logic of Think Neville Chamberlain, I mean Think Communist, er…Progress.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:30 pm#5 - exactly - Arlen will send Justice and McConnell another firm letter.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:31 pmRove is setting a impeachment trap for the Dems. They are going to be occupied with impeachment for the next 17 months, with no agenda. Perfect!
July 31st, 2007 at 7:34 pmJudging by Specter’s previous history, once he gets the letter from Gonzales he will say he’s satisfied no matter how weak the rationalization is. This is just political theater designed to marginalize Democrats from the debate.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:36 pmEric… your posts are off-topic and not just hysterical rantings and BS spin, but strawmen writ large. Nice try sparky.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:39 pm#31: Gonzalez and Stevens should get whatever punishment fits the crime.
This is the part of your post that I agree with. And the only way to ensure it will happen is to bring it to the public’s attention. Congress–especially Republicans like Specter–will do nothing unless they hear from their constituents.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:40 pmThey are off topic because Think Communist is too chicken to post them as stories. Get used to it wiseA. TP is the real straw man………matter of perspective there sparky.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:41 pmBREAKING NEWS……26,000 soldiers being sent to Darfur Region in Sudan. Why is the UN invading a sovereign, independent country? Please TP, jump all over the UN about this.
Comment by Eric
July 31st, 2007 at 7:43 pmYou continue to post this and I will tell you again; Darfu would not allow the U.N. until now. Soverignty was respected.
Eric you need to get your facts straight. And as a strawman your are the definition.
#34 BINGO… which underscores RB-Chicago’s pointed question up-thread… where is Leahy? Has he been “briefed” by McConnell and if not why not? Why is the MINORITY ranking member and not the chair the conduit for the White House (Gonzales, McConnell, et al) to address the committee? And outside the halls of Congress and into the media, why is CNN getting Specter and not Leahy on the program?
Why is the MINORITY member and not the chair the go-to person for this kabuki?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:45 pm#37 more arm-flapping lies and BS. “Think Communist”…? ROFLMAO what are you, clowning it from the 1950s?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:46 pmShrub and Big Dick need to keep Fredo happy so that when retire to Paraguay, they’ll have someone who can help them find the Germany consulate, act as courier to their banks in New York and Zurich, and continue to be their all round fixer. I wonder if they’ll ever hear the answer to their most frequently asked question: “Is it safe?”
July 31st, 2007 at 7:49 pmI wonder why Eric is supporting the genocide of black Christians by Arab militias?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:50 pm#42 Because it fits in with the UN = evil meme, distracts from the criminal conduct of his party… and this administration and besides, ‘darkies’ (Christian or otherwise) don’t really matter in their GOP world-view.
July 31st, 2007 at 7:53 pmSnowball - where are you coming from? Are you able to read sarcasm or is Harry Potter as far as it goes?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:54 pm#44 So your off-topic attempt to derail the thread from the criminal conduct of this administration was “sarcasm”…?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:56 pmYou tell them, Eric!
ALRIGHT!
July 31st, 2007 at 7:57 pmI guess the Republicans always love a genocide. First they sided with Hitler, then with Milosevic, now it’s with the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed. Why should anyone be surprised?
July 31st, 2007 at 7:59 pmI didn’t think TPer’s were this slow. Please read the sarcasm slowly:
Off topic will always be the case until Think Communist starts posting news. I already told you to get used to it Sparky - so do it.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:00 pmSo, the noon deadline wasn’t a deadline, or was it a deadline and we can expect Specter to honor that deadline with some type of punishment for missing said deadline? Or was it simply just a bunch of Specter bullshit?
July 31st, 2007 at 8:02 pm#48 nice try sparky. Your lying BS and spin to try and distract form the CRIMINAL activities of your party and this administration will fail. The more you post OT drivel, the more pathetic your side works. So quite the contrary, please.. do continue.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:04 pmComment by wijg — July 31, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Just Specter BS, he’ll keep changing the goal post.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:04 pm#49 The latter.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:05 pmMan, yu on fiah, Eric!
July 31st, 2007 at 8:06 pmYu tell dem like it iz!
You is a great credit to our skin!
White Power, 4evah!
Nazi trolls , damn …. a flavor I hadn’t experienced .
July 31st, 2007 at 8:40 pmName jacking on the last thread ,
slurs toward gays , and now white power ?
Does anyone else sense how desperate this seems ?
Am I the only one that thinks CCDeville is appauling and should be reported?
July 31st, 2007 at 8:41 pmfreeman,
What else has this thing said?
Thanks.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:42 pmEric you do a wonderful job of defending the morally and constitutionally indefensible .
July 31st, 2007 at 8:45 pmGood career move in a police state .
Am I the only one that thinks CCDeville is appauling and should be reported?
Comment by trueblue — July 31, 2007 @ 8:41 pm
The above post is the most blatantly offensive I’ve seen. When I first saw it, I thought it was a troll parody.
After reading some other posts, it seems very likely that this is The Joker back to his old tricks. What a jerk!
July 31st, 2007 at 8:46 pmtrueblue,
I will send C.C.’s above comment to TP and see if they want to do something about it. They were very good yesterday about cleaning up the mess.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:48 pmThanks Egreggious.
May I ask why the addition of Esq?
July 31st, 2007 at 8:56 pmWhy TP doesn’t have registration to post is beyond me. Would prevent name-jacking and allow actual troll removal.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:58 pmThanks Egreggious.
May I ask why the addition of Esq?
Comment by trueblue — July 31, 2007 @ 8:56 pm
We were making fun of the trolls’ penchant for titles.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:07 pmPerhaps the American people don’t care if they find themselves in a fascist state .Democracy requires involvement from individuals that work for peanuts,at jobs they largely hate, without basic health care or vacations (see europe )until they’re 70 .Send their children off to be raised by the state at 5 years old,climb into their car, coincidentally, within minutes of all they’re neighbors and upon returning home ,too tired to think switch on mindless entertainment ,or a video game just like their neighbors ,till they become unconscious .
Individuals who have virtually renounced their autonomies in favor of the herd mind ,ever the little people ,thankful ,submissive ,too tired to take control of even their own lives!
Not an Artist among them .
We could renounce oil use right now,we the bloggers writing on TP ,right now ,but that would inconveinience us ,and despite the deaths of 3/4 of a million people ,and the impending destruction of our planet through fossil fuels ,we couldn’t do that .
NOT ENUF AUTONOMY !
SHEEP !!!
July 31st, 2007 at 9:09 pmWANT TO REMAIN A CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY ?
July 31st, 2007 at 9:11 pmDemocracy requires involvement from individuals that work for peanuts,at jobs they largely hate, without basic health care or vacations (see europe )until they’re 70 .Send their children off to be raised by the state at 5 years old,…
freeman,
Europeans have healthcare, more vacation time than we have, and are taken care of when they do retire.
I don’t understand your post.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:18 pmI know you do blu .
July 31st, 2007 at 9:31 pmFor humanity to survive as a viable species we like all other life must evolve !
Our technology is not the problem,our infantile spirituality threatens too destroy us ,our lack of autonomy enslaves us, prevents our evolution.
Democracy is a religion .Man is a god asleep ,who must awaken or perish !
I,ve got to go water the garden,I’ll be on the east coast for a couple of weeks,so It needs a serious soaking .I need a new planet these people aren’t ready for me .
Am I my brothers keeper ?
If you want to be happy practice compassion ,
If you want others to be happy practice compassion.
The Dalai Lama
Veritas where have you gone ?
July 31st, 2007 at 9:39 pmfreeman,
I understand what you’re getting at.
Thank you for clarifying.
I must say that your last sentence, “Man is a god asleep, who must awaken or perish” was very powerful.
I have a bit to think about tonight.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:42 pmThe sea is a king of a thousand streams ,
July 31st, 2007 at 9:44 pmwhy is the sea king of a thousand streams ?
because it lies below them .
namaste
July 31st, 2007 at 9:44 pmWell, I think they are going in to STOP a genocide, rather than invading and triggering one.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:47 pmWow. This thread got pretty sappy towards the end…
I think I’m gonna barf….
July 31st, 2007 at 9:54 pmWow, freeman.
We need to talk more often.
I’m sorry the troll had to reappear. It hasn’t diminished my exchange, however.
Thank you.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:57 pmnot sure where to put this… i’m going here as it’s closest to topic…
earlier on rachel maddow, she was talking about a gathering of
“newspeople”, dems, progressives, who met this morning with
pelosi and dem leaders…
just now i heard ellen ratner (talk radio news) reporting on
thom hartmann about this meeting…
both times, impeachment was brought up and it was reported that
pelosi was adament that they stick to the schedule and not
bring up impeachment…
well, i found the transcript of that meeting, and i gather, from what
i read, that pelosi is NOT ruling out impeachment…
http://www.talkradionews.com/ newsandcommentary/ article.php?articleID=827
use cntrl “f” to find the word “impeach”, and read from there…
for example:
Mike Tomaski:
I read where Jay Ensley is going to introduce language today to impeach the Attorney General of whom you spoke. How do you feel about that? Would you support that?
Pelosi:
Well I would like us to stay focused on our agenda for this week. I tell you our big issue today and tomorrow will be S-Chip […] we’re going to do our energy bill this week as well. So I’d like to see it be a week where we just everyday go out there and say the legislation process has worked its will and this is what we’re sending to the President.
I have no objection to somebody introducing whatever they do, but I would hope the focus would be on accomplishments that we have for the American people.
There is some sentiment in the public that a lot of what we do it political when it comes to the administration, believe it or not. It would be impossible to exaggerate how they have taken our country down in terms of democratic principles- they the White House. However what we want to do is show accomplishment and then say, “okay we’ve made this difference, now lets deal with some of these issues.â€
We’ve for a long time jnow had Henry Waxman and others, Mr. Conyers and others pointing out what they are doing wrong. We have a contempt of congress that is lively right now. The committee acted, hopefully the administration will respond. If they do not we’ll have to act upon that.
So we have a full plate. If they want to add that to the plate, that’s fine but I don’t want it to be at the expense of reform, children’s health, energy independence.
[…]
go nancy… sounds like she’s being very careful to me…
go congress!
July 31st, 2007 at 10:36 pm…
Dick may have stabbed Gonzo in the back.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:53 pmhuh…
i’m surprised no one has anything to say about
the above information concerning speaker pelosi’s
latest opinions on impeachment…
i thought it heartening…
August 1st, 2007 at 12:56 am…
Comment by katy — August 1, 2007 @ 12:56 am
katy,
Don’t know why I missed it earlier. I’ve bookmarked it to read in the morning. Too late now.
Thanks for constant dedication and insightful wisdom!
August 1st, 2007 at 1:23 amI dare you to step over this line…oh yeah, well then I dare you to step over this line….big deal, let me see you step over this line…this one?
August 1st, 2007 at 1:28 amSo, did Arlen, recalling the story about the little boy who cried wolf, remember to say, “I really, really, really, really mean it this time.?”
August 1st, 2007 at 1:41 amKaty great news if your right ! I just signed Jay Ensley’s petition for impeachment , almost brings back hope !
August 1st, 2007 at 1:54 amI cannot believe the juvenile responses coming from Tony Snow and the White House on this issue. The “Gonzo wasn’t talking about the NSA program because we didn’t call it that yet,” is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The next thing you know, they’ll be going, “nuh uh!” and “neener, can’t catch us!”
I’ll be SO glad when reasonable, COMPETENT people are running this country again.
August 1st, 2007 at 10:51 amGonzales has to keep his job or his sister Teresa Gonzales a career drug dealer might get arrested. Al and George got her charges dismissed when she was arrested for selling drugs, carrying unlicensed guns and thousands of dollars from drug sales. Now let Gonzales stay in office so his sister Teresa Gonzales can stay in business. All the drug arrest charges are public record in the courts for those who don’t believe. Notice Teresa Gonzales hasn’t been picked up for her drug selling since her brother is Attorney General.
August 1st, 2007 at 7:55 pm