Bush Personally Sent Card And Gonzo To Ashcroft's Hospital Bed (confirmed by IG report)

[ProSense]

Report: Bush program extended beyond wiretapping

Bush Personally Sent Card And Gonzo To Ashcroft's Hospital Bed

By Zachary Roth - July 10, 2009

This great catch by Marcy Wheeler might be the most shocking nugget of all from the IGs report on surveillance.

The report goes into some detail about that famous visit made by Andy Card and Alberto Gonzales to then-AG John Ashcroft, when Ashcroft was in the hospital, and essentially incapacitated, after gall bladder surgery. The White House needed the Attorney General's sign-off to continue its warrantless wiretapping program.

For years, there's been a mystery about who called the hospital and informed Ashcroft's wife, over her objections, that Card and Gonzo would be coming to see the AG. And it looks like the answer is the president himself.

From the report:

According to notes from Ashcroft's FBI security detail, at 6:20 p.m. that evening Card called the hospital and spoke with an agent in Ashcroft's security detail, advising him that President Bush would be calling shortly to speak with Ashcroft. Ashcroft's wife told the agent that Ashcroft would not accept the call. Ten minutes later, the agent called Ashcroft's Chief of Staff David Ayres at DOJ to request that Ayres speak with Card about the President's intention to call Ashcroft. The agent conveyed to Ayres Mrs. Ashcroft's desire that no calls be made to Ashcroft for another day or two. However, at 6:45 p.m., Card and the President called the hospital and, according to the agent's notes, "insisted on speaking (with Attorney General Ashcroft)." According to the agent's notes, Mrs. Ashcroft took the call from Card and the President and was informed that Gonzales and Card were coming to the hospital to see Ashcroft regarding a matter involving national security. (our itals)

In other words, President Bush, apparently knowing that Ashcroft's wife did not want him seeing visitors or even speaking on the phone, nonetheless informed her that his staff would be coming to the hospital to get the sign-off they needed.

more

This confirms Murray Waas' 2008 report

[annabanana]

1. I can't wait for the movie to come out. .This will be a very

exciting scene.

[C_U_L8R]

2. I think the caricature of Bush as an affable idiot is all myth

he was the meanest snarkiest slickest evilest shithead that any of us could ever imagine

[ProSense]

3. You can be an idiot and operate as Bush did.

All it takes is enough people looking the other way. It's like the so-called mastermind criminal who pushes his luck one too many times, all it takes is someone with resolve say "game over."

Bush is an idiot, he screwed up everything he touched prior to running for President, and Poppy was alway there to bail him out.

He got away with a lot as President because too many elected officials and the rest of the establishment (business and media) supported his agenda.

[C_U_L8R]

5. agree... i didn't say he was smart...hahaha

but he sure did play up the bumpkin bit to disguise his misanthropic nature

[rudy23]

4. Joe Wilson described him as being very bright, in a feral way.

I don't buy the affable idiot act either. I do think he got bailed out a lot, and was sloppy. But I think he always knew when he was going to get bailed out, and if Obama covers up his crimes, it will prove his strategy effective.

[glitch]

10. I think of him as a crafty street thug, only his family kept him off the streets.

I think of Poppy the same way. If I knew more about Prescott, no doubt ditto.

[glitch]

9. A very well orchestrated myth. Even "W" was focus grouped.

They decided it was more presentable than "Junior" especially after the whole Dallas "JR" meme.
True story.

[WinkyDink]

11. He wasn't learned, being a lazy narcissist. But he was cunning.

[paulk]

6. I'm hoping the IG report changes some minds in the Obama

administration about prosecuting these people...

[glitch]

7. What?? You mean Bush isn't a dupe and it wasn't all Cheney?

You just made Poppy cry.

[jberryhill]

8. No no no no....

Ashcroft was in the hospital and Bush sent -

Card:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XkyaXZ1rRaU/R8q6XUPWc1I/AAAAAAAAA2I/9B-B7mNa3Pc/s400/Get+Well+Soon+card.jpg

And Gonzo: