With Senate and Gonzales, Familiarity Breeds Contempt / Millbank / WaPo

[Demeter]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402028.html?sub=AR



With Senate and Gonzales, Familiarity Breeds Contempt

By Dana Milbank
Wednesday, July 25, 2007; A02



White House officials are vying to be the first person held in "contempt of Congress" for refusing to cooperate with probes of the Bush administration.

Turns out the contempt is mutual.

After four hours of questioning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee didn't even require a vote to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Congress is in contempt of Gonzales.

.......

While the attorney general and the lawmakers exchanged mutual disregards, hecklers (one in a pink negligee and a sign proposing "Give Gonzo a pink slip") interrupted the proceedings with chants of "liar" and "resign." At hearing's end, they leaped over chairs, getting close enough to Gonzales to make him flinch.

Why would Gonzales wish to stay in the job? "That's a very good question," the witness acknowledged.

...........
Leahy asked if Gonzales would block prosecutors from prosecuting contempt-of-Congress cases. "I'm not going to answer that question," the witness answered.

"Do you think constitutional government in the United States can survive if the president has the unilateral authority to reject congressional inquiries?" Specter pressed.

"I'm not going to answer this question."

.....

Specter pronounced Justice Department morale at an "all-time low," then subtly suggested that Gonzales quit in "the interests of the Department of Justice and the interests of the American people."

"You wish to say something?" Leahy asked the witness after the contempt subsided.

Gonzales just shook his head.

[jojo54]

1. I can't wait to hear Dana and K.O. talk about this tonight.

[irislake]

2. Wow!

He's so arrogant and thinks he's so invulnerable. What does he know that makes him feel so sure? Scary.