The Gonzales Testimony: "A Performance Among The Worst I've Seen By A Public Official"

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The Gonzales Testimony: "A Performance Among The Worst I've Seen By A Public Official"
Posted by Andrew Cohen

(CBS)
Lawyer Andrew Cohen analyzes legal affairs for CBS News and CBSNews.com. It is hard to know which is more disappointing. Alberto R. Gonzales’ miserable performance yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee or President Bush’s announcement yesterday afternoon that he was “pleased” with the testimony of his Attorney General.

I watched the contentious hearing for hours Thursday and cannot for the life of me think of a single moment that could have “pleased” the President. In fact, given Mr. Bush’s travel plans Thursday—he flew to Ohio and was gone from Washington from 11:10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.—it’s unclear to me whether or how the President even could have watched the testimony that he later endorsed so heartily. And, indeed, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told CBS News this morning that the President was “updated” on the Gonzales hearing but that she does not know whether Mr. Bush actually saw any part of the proceedings.

Certainly, the President could not have been “pleased” when Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma called upon Gonzales to resign as Attorney General. Mr. Bush could not have been pleased when Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina called the Attorney General’s explanations for firing eight U.S. Attorneys last year “a stretch.” The President surely was not pleased when Republican Senator Arlen Specter, the ranking member of the Committee, told Gonzales that “the reality is that your characterization of your participation is just significantly, if not totally, at variance with the facts." And those were just the Republicans. You can only imagine what the Democrats had to say.

Me? I’m more in the camp of the unnamed “White House officials” who reportedly said that the Attorney General was “going down in flames.” I thought that Gonzales’ performance was among the worst I have ever seen offered by a public official on Capitol Hill. The Attorney General, our nation’s top law enforcement official, was evasive, incomplete and at times even incoherent with his explanations about what he knew, and when he knew it, when it came to the decisions that were made about the prosecutors by the Justice Department and White House. He kept saying “I don’t know” or “I don’t recall” and he was particularly infuriating to the senators when he used as a crutch the notion that current investigations into the scandal have precluded him doing more to offer them relevant answers to their earnest questions.

Two images of Gonzales emerged yesterday and neither will do much to enhance the Attorney General’s stature in Washington or anywhere else. The first image is of Gonzales as a man stonewalling for others; of refusing to tell all that he knows about why the prosecutors were fired and what role the White House played in those decisions. This is unacceptable for many reasons, not the least of which is that as the nation’s top lawyer the Attorney General stands as a symbol for justice, not the obstruction thereof.

The second image is of Gonzales as a leader who could not and did not lead; who allowed his unseasoned subordinates to make vital personnel decisions without any meaningful input or supervision from their boss. This is unacceptable not just because the results were disastrous—monumentally bad judgment at the Justice Department lead us to where we are today—but also because it demonstrates that one of the nation’s most important cabinet-level positions is now filled by someone who has taken neither command nor responsibility.

Whether he is a liar, as some say, or a fool, as others contend, the consequence ought to be the same. And if you didn’t believe it before surely you should consider it now in the wake of his appalling testimony before the Committee: Gonzales simply isn’t good enough to merit the job he now has. The President may be “pleased” by a performance he never saw but I suspect that many other Americans would beg to differ.

Sounds like more deception.
The talking points never stop.

I imagine that any session that didn't end with Alberto hanging from a lamp post by his ankles would have been pleasing to Mr. Bush. But we also know that Bush's endorsement means absolutely nothing (right, Mr. Rumsfeld?). Let the groundswell begin and the tide wash away another levee protecting this embattled presidency.

Can you imagine how Gonzales might have handled this session if he hadn't spent weeks in preparation, and had an extra two days to boot?

thanks for the clarification

shouldn't that be enough to chimpeach?

this AG. Bush NEEDS the firewall of "a performance among the worst...."

They are criminals, and the faster that Americans wake up to that fact, the faster things will get back on track...preferably before the whole country is bankrupt, and it is very, very close to that now.

Excellent web page with links to the audio of the hearings, NPR's Special Coverage, MP3 Download, links to in-depth articles, and more.

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NPR Politics: Senators Renew Bipartisan Call for Gonzales to Go
by Pam Fessler
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95...

* Hear Nina Totenberg's Report for 'Morning Edition'

NPR.org, April 19, 2007 · Attorney General Alberto Gonzales faced renewed calls for his resignation Thursday during a contentious daylong hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. After lengthy questioning about what led to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year, both Democrats and Republicans said they had lost confidence in the attorney general and his handling of the department.

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I didn't get the "pleasure" (ahem) of watching the hearing but from what I've heard it does seem as though he was stonewalling ("playing dumb") or just plain incompetent ("dumb"), although neither scenario would be particularly surprising given what we know about the current (mis-)administration. It is frankly scary the level of corruption and/or incompetence within this (mis-)administration at all levels. For all of their bluster in 2004 (and beyond) about being responsible for "protecting" America from a follow-up terrorist attack, I would have to believe that we've just been INCREDIBLY lucky not to have been attacked again - with this bunch in charge.

for the White House and the likes of Karl Rove's 'brilliant' plan to stack the Judicial System.

Over and over and over and over ... One thing after another ... There has been nothing but bad - no, horrific and disheartening discoveries from this white-collar gang. Beginning even before the 2000 coup; their effects will last for years, if not permanently.

As far as I'm concerned, Gonzales is a mobster loyal to his 'made' man, Bush*.

Dick Cheney, David Addison and Karl Rove have evil and scheming minds. How they can twist and turn our Constitution against us is unconscionable. The mentally disturbed cowboy Bush* and his groupies have critically hurt our country in immeasurable ways. So many lives lost, maimed and ruined since the coup.

Time to marginalize them all (including their propaganda mouthpiece, Fox Network News,) with RICO.

I so hate this feeling of contempt and despair.

What is this "or?" It is quite possible he is both.