Oh, Happy Day!

See, the tide is turning. The truth will make us free.

First, Scooter the Liar gets convicted.

Then Rove the Liar quits.

And now Alberto the Liar finally pulls the chute!

Why, just 10 days ago, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont wrote the Inspector General requesting an investigation of the blatant untruths and contradictions in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' ridiculous testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!

This, minutes ago from St. Patrick:

“Under this Attorney General and this President, the Department of Justice suffered a severe crisis of leadership that allowed our justice system to be corrupted by political influence.  It is a shame, and it is the Justice Department, the American people and the dedicated professionals of our law enforcement community who have suffered most from it. 

“The obligations of the Justice Department and its leaders are to the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people, not to the political considerations of this or any White House.  The Attorney General’s resignation reinforces what Congress and the American people already know -- that no Justice Department should be allowed to become a political arm of the White House, whether occupied by a Republican or a Democrat.

“The troubling evidence revealed about this massive breach is a lesson to those in the future who hold these high offices, so that law enforcement is never subverted in this way again.  I hope the Attorney General’s decision will be a step toward getting to the truth about the level of political influence this White House wields over the Department of Justice and toward reconstituting its leadership so that the American people can renew their faith in its role as our leading law enforcement agency.”

Well said, eh?

This from Senator Bernie Sanders:

“It was past time for him to go. He had not been honest with Congress.  His credibility was shot. He has not respected the Constitution,” Sanders said.

Sanders added that the confirmation process could be a healthy refresher course in constitutional values.

“I think it’s time for the Congress to tell the president that we have a Constitution in this country which protects the basic rights of the American people.  He cannot do anything he wants whenever he wants.  Let’s get an attorney general in this country who can be effective in helping to protect the American people from terrorism while at the same time understands what the Constitution is about and respects basic civil liberties of the American people.”
 

And finally, this from Congressman Peter Welch:

"Alberto Gonzales will go down in history as one of the nation's worst Attorneys General. His legacy will be one of reckless politicization of the Justice Department, lying to Congress, and undermining our nation's cherished civil liberties. Vigorous congressional oversight, particularly under the principled leadership of Senator Patrick Leahy, is holding this Administration accountable and producing results."

Comments

[not enough]

Good riddance, Gonzales. But I'm sure he has no recollection of resigning.

This does sort of help Leahy's latest image: a paper tiger who can't actually do anything other than issue more "threatening" subpoenas to the WH.

[bigbadbrad]

Good Riddance to bad Rubbish!

[Lisa Crean]

Metaphor stew swimming around my head this morning: rats abandoning the sinking Titanic; only a few stragglers left aboard in the Lame Duck Band still flogging the Prez's tune ("Nearer, My God, to 43"); Schumer and Leahy hiding on a Truth Iceberg clutching subpoenas and singing "Ding, Dong, Another Witch is Dead" sotto voce.

But CNN is floating Michael Chertoff as the rumored new AG. Talk about shuffling deck chairs! I guess Bush really is Tony Soprano: you do have to whack people to prove your loyalty to La Famiglia. Gonzales fed execution orders to Gov. W down in Austin, making sure to gloss over any troubling details such as exculpatory evidence. Off with their heads! And of course, Chertoff and Brownie did a heckuva job with Katrina. Did they ever get a final body count on that one?

[one_vermonter]

Chertoff?? Why?

Bungle the response to Hurricane Katrina ... get promoted to Attorney General !!

That's the kind of logic that has made GW Bush the miserable failure that he is.

[jvwalt]

Why not Chertoff? In the Bush Administration, past performance has never been a barrier to career advancement -- nor to a Presidential medal, for that matter.

Chertoff might be the best option for Bush: he's presumably loyal (always the first consideration); he's got the reputation of a terrorism-fighter (whatever his actual record); he has a better-looking resume than any of the Regent University grads now packing the halls of justice; and since he's already been confirmed by the Senate for his present position, he stands a decent chance of being confirmed for AG. As far as Katrina is concerned, he has a fig leaf of deniability because they hung that fiasco on Brownie.

Not that I'd confirm him to run the Justice Department, or a Seven-Eleven for that matter... but I can understand why he floats to the top of this list.

[Lisa Crean]

"Floating to the Top" or "Fig Leaf of Denial." JVWalt, I can't decide which makes a better title for W's biography.

W whined today about the "months of unfair treatment" his favorite henchman has received, presumably at the hands of the pesky press and subpoena-waving senators. How "fair" is the "treatment" down Guantanamo way, where Alberto decided the "quaint" protections of the Geneva Convention did not apply? Perhaps Senor Gonzalez would like to serve a few days of his inevitable perjury sentence--pre-pardon, of course--in our Cuban clink, to see what his legalistic yoga has wrought.

[trout]

So NOW will we see those folks who can actually do something about it stop making excuses against impeachment of the most corrupt executive in the nation's history? If not impeachment, the least they can do for historical record is go for censure. We are ALL to blame if Bush and Cheney are permitted to stay in office for the full second term.

Chertoff? Go ahead, Dubya. We dare you.

[mwb]

By the way, saw Senator Leahy on the street this morning while he was chatting with former state senator Matt Dunne outside the Capital Grounds Cafe in downtown Montpelier. As I was passing by I caught Senator Leahy's attention for a moment and gave him a big thumbs up and thanked him for his good work.

[Virginia Simmon]

Hey, Peter. Am I the only one who noticed that Sept. 17, Gonzalez's announced day of departure, is Constitution Day? What a gift, eh?

[bigbadbrad]

Yeah, Virgina! Wonder if he will wipe his rear end with it one more time before he leaves?

[Roger]

According to Kucinich - All of the Democrats have signed off on the possible attack on Iran - including Bernie and Leahy and Welch.

That's our representatives. Now does this talked bout by anyone? No! We only assume they are the opposition of there's lots more to this than meets the eye.

Why is this not being covered in the media? Either locally and by the blogosphere locally.

If we wake up one morning and they have dropped bombs on Iraq, will all of the Democratic presidential candidates minus David Kucinich be standing behind Bush and Cheney at the news conference? Will Bernie, Leahy and Welch put up some sort of front. I can tell you there will be riots in the streets if we venture into yet another war with mass resignations one by one, in the Pentagon AND NOBODY IS COVERING THIS -WHY????????????

has ANYONE in tghe medai

[vermonter]

"According to Kucinich - All of the Democrats have signed off on the possible attack on Iran - including Bernie and Leahy and Welch."

Jeezuz, Roger. One aspiring presidential candidate makes an exaggerated statement, and you take it as gospel. Newsflash to Roger: no matter what Kucinich may have said on the campaign trial, Bernie, Leahy, and Welch have NOT "signed off" on an attack on Iran. It is incredible that you would repeat such an absurd statement, much less believe it.

"will all of the Democratic presidential candidates minus David Kucinich"

It's Dennis Kucinich.

You need to calm down. They make pills for your condition.