It was possible to construct a case, he said, in which those who planned and carried out the program were engaged in a criminal conspiracy. That would be tendentious, this lawyer believed, but with a change of government it could not be ruled out.

“I’m sure when we leave office we’re all going to be hauled up before congressional committees and grand juries,” Addington told one colleague in disgust.

* * *

Bush signed the directive before leaving for New York around lunchtime on Thursday, March 11, 2004.

Could this be why ‘Berty couldn’t recall?

.

I sincerely hope that you two are right. I hope that this may open a loophole that exposes the involved parties to legal prosecution.

The article doesn’t say Addington *signed* the document for Fredo.

It says he *typed* Fredo’s name in the “signature block” in the place of the AG/AAG.

A signature block isn’t a signature. It’s a place where you sign. Part of it typically is a typed indication of who the signature is, and their title.

That’s almost certainly what Addington did. Then they got Fredo to sign it, since we know Fredo would sign/approve anything.

I don’t think this is a good article for TP. What Addington, Fredo, Cheney and Bush did was bad enough – they cut the DOJ out of an area where they have authority, and instead simply had the President sign it with White House Counsel approval. But it’s not good to mischaracterize even what an evil bastard like Addington did.

John

Wait, they called AGAG a mutinous subordinate?

No, AG was only White House Council at the time. Addington put his name their in place of Ashcroft’s.

Just as egregious to be sure.

I’m a little confused. Did Addington type Gonzo’s name in or did he forge/handwrite Gonzo’s signature? Or is simply typing in his name considered signing?

- Tom

DeanOR Says:
Matt, Clearly they were abusing their authority in this whole thing, but typing a signature line for Gonzales’ signature is not the same thing as “signing Gonzales’ name”, which would be forgery. The article does not say that he signed Gonzales’ name.

forgery is the least of the problems I have with this. they used it to commit actual crimes, that they admit to. That is the whole point.

blank or with gonzo’s sig it was still just a god damned piece of paper only this time….literally. It is worthless and it authorizes nothing and yet they used it as if it were real…..can we say easter bunny?

You have to read what is actually reported. He did not sign on behalf of Abu Gonzales, he added an alternate signature line that allowed the white house counsel to certify the program instead of the Attorney General.

Well that changes things. Isn’t that like instead of forging the loan officer’s signature for a loan, you just get me to sign off on approving the loan?

No problem markus, let’s keep it aimed at the damned righties….peace.

Fred @44 et al:
Addington does not have signature authority. He is an advisor, and as such, has no authority. None. Zip. Nadda. Kein.
You can try to snow some bloggers with your BS but you’re still like your heroes – Bush, Cheney, McSame, et al – liars all! So are you!

I dare you to quote where I said he did. Be careful calling people liars when you don’t really know what you are saying.

I shouldn’t type while working on something else I guess…

;-)