Spies Like U.S.
One would think that the testimony by James B. Comey (former deputy attorney general) an excerpt from a Mickey Spillane novel. Evidently Mr. Comey appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the inquiry into “Gonzogate”, (Alberto Gonzales investigation and dismissal of federal prosecutors).
Mr. Comey who was second in command in the Justice Department testified that that the eavesdropping program was center to a series of events involving Alberto Gonzales, Comey, John Ashcroft, and Andrew Card.
Mr. Comey stated (acting as attorney general because Mr. Ashcroft had been hospitalized for emergency gallbladder surgery in 2004) that he refused to sign off on a presidential order reauthorizing a program which allowed monitoring of international telephone calls and email of people inside the United States who were suspected of having terrorist ties. He further stated that the events took place over a 48 hour time span.
Here is a synopsis of events:
Evening of March 10, 2004:
Although Mrs. Ashcroft had banned visitors and telephone calls to her husband’s hospital room, she had just gotten a call from the White House telling her that Mr. Card and Mr. Gonzales were on their way to see her husband, Mr. Comey testified. “I have some recollection that the call was from the president himself, but I don’t know that for sure,” Mr. Comey said.
A top aide to Mr. Ashcroft calls to alert Mr. Comey about the pending visit of Mr. Gonzales and Andrew H. Card Jr. Mr. Comey orders his driver to rush him to George Washington University Hospital with emergency lights flashing and siren blaring, with intentions of intercepting the pair. The pair were seeking Ashcroft’s signature because of impending expiration of authority the following day.
Mr. Comey phoned Director Robert S. Mueller III of the FBI, who agreed to meet him at the hospital.
When he got to the hospital, Mr. Comey recalled, “I got out of the car and ran up — literally, ran up the stairs with my security detail.”
“I was concerned that, given how ill I knew the attorney general was, that there might be an effort to ask him to overrule me when he was in no condition to do that,”
Upon arriving to Mr. Ashcroft’s room, Mr. Comey noted that Mr. Ashcroft seemed out of it, I think his word were “hardly aware of his surroundings”.
During this time, Mr. Mueller phoned Mr. Comey’s security detail and ordered them to not all Mr. Comey to be removed from the room under any circumstances.
A few minutes after this order, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card entered Mr. Ashcroft’s room; Mr. Gonzales was carrying an envelope. Mr. Gonzales then began to discuss why they were there, and asked for Mr. Ashcroft’s approval.
Mr. Comey then testified that Mr. Ashcroft raised his head from the pillow, reiterated his objections to the program, then lay back down, pointing to Mr. Comey and stated it did not matter, because Mr. Comey was the attorney general.
Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card left the room, never making eye contact with Mr. Comey. But within a few minutes, Mr. Card telephoned Mr. Comey and demanded that he come to the White House immediately.
Mr. Comey replied to Mr. Card “After what I just witnessed, I will not meet you without a witness, and I intend that witness to be the solicitor general of the United States.”
Theodore Olson (solicitor general) was contacted by Mr. Comey and arranged to go with him to the White House. Mr. Card refused to allow Mr. Olson enter his office, after a private chat with Mr. Card, Mr. Olson was allowed to enter the office and take part in the conversation.
Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Comey and Mr. Mueller all threatened to resign over this incident.
Two to three weeks afterwards, the reauthorization was signed.
This seems to resemble strong arm tactics once seen in the mob or in gangster movies. And yet, the President allows Gonzales to continue in his position as Attorney General. This is bizarre and shameful. What happened to honesty in the White House?
Are You Kidding Me?
One would think that the testimony by James B. Comey (former deputy attorney general) an excerpt from a Mickey Spillane novel. Evidently Mr. Comey appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the inquiry into “Gonzogate”, (Alberto Gonzales investigation and dismissal of federal prosecutors).
Mr. Comey who was second in command in the Justice Department testified that that the eavesdropping program was center to a series of events involving Alberto Gonzales, Comey, John Ashcroft, and Andrew Card.
Mr. Comey stated (acting as attorney general because Mr. Ashcroft had been hospitalized for emergency gallbladder surgery in 2004) that he refused to sign off on a presidential order reauthorizing a program which allowed monitoring of international telephone calls and email of people inside the United States who were suspected of having terrorist ties. He further stated that the events took place over a 48 hour time span.
Here is a synopsis of events:
Evening of March 10, 2004:
Although Mrs. Ashcroft had banned visitors and telephone calls to her husband’s hospital room, she had just gotten a call from the White House telling her that Mr. Card and Mr. Gonzales were on their way to see her husband, Mr. Comey testified. “I have some recollection that the call was from the president himself, but I don’t know that for sure,” Mr. Comey said.
A top aide to Mr. Ashcroft calls to alert Mr. Comey about the pending visit of Mr. Gonzales and Andrew H. Card Jr. Mr. Comey orders his driver to rush him to George Washington University Hospital with emergency lights flashing and siren blaring, with intentions of intercepting the pair. The pair were seeking Ashcroft’s signature because of impending expiration of authority the following day.
Mr. Comey phoned Director Robert S. Mueller III of the FBI, who agreed to meet him at the hospital.
When he got to the hospital, Mr. Comey recalled, “I got out of the car and ran up — literally, ran up the stairs with my security detail.”
“I was concerned that, given how ill I knew the attorney general was, that there might be an effort to ask him to overrule me when he was in no condition to do that,”
Upon arriving to Mr. Ashcroft’s room, Mr. Comey noted that Mr. Ashcroft seemed out of it, I think his word were “hardly aware of his surroundings”.
During this time, Mr. Mueller phoned Mr. Comey’s security detail and ordered them to not all Mr. Comey to be removed from the room under any circumstances.
A few minutes after this order, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card entered Mr. Ashcroft’s room; Mr. Gonzales was carrying an envelope. Mr. Gonzales then began to discuss why they were there, and asked for Mr. Ashcroft’s approval.
Mr. Comey then testified that Mr. Ashcroft raised his head from the pillow, reiterated his objections to the program, then lay back down, pointing to Mr. Comey and stated it did not matter, because Mr. Comey was the attorney general.
Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card left the room, never making eye contact with Mr. Comey. But within a few minutes, Mr. Card telephoned Mr. Comey and demanded that he come to the White House immediately.
Mr. Comey replied to Mr. Card “After what I just witnessed, I will not meet you without a witness, and I intend that witness to be the solicitor general of the United States.”
Theodore Olson (solicitor general) was contacted by Mr. Comey and arranged to go with him to the White House. Mr. Card refused to allow Mr. Olson enter his office, after a private chat with Mr. Card, Mr. Olson was allowed to enter the office and take part in the conversation.
Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Comey and Mr. Mueller all threatened to resign over this incident.
Two to three weeks afterwards, the reauthorization was signed.
This seems to resemble strong arm tactics once seen in the mob or in gangster movies. And yet, the President allows Gonzales to continue in his position as Attorney General. This is bizarre and shameful. What happened to honesty in the White House?
Are You Kidding Me?
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