On May 4, 2006, the Attorney General opened up access to DOJ criminal investigations to Cheney

[babylonsister]

http://www.margieburns.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/24/3115928.html

On May 4, 2006, the Attorney General opened up access to DOJ criminal investigations to Cheney
by margieburns on Tue 24 Jul 2007


The excellently well-prepared Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), probably one of the best senators in Congress, offered up a real eye-opener in today's Senate Judiciary hearing. The hearing ostensibly dealt with politicization in the Department of Justice but provided little new regarding Gonzales.

Mean, harsh, repetitive and stupidly thuggy Sens Arlen "Bash Anita Hill" Specter (R-PA) and Chuck "check kiting" Schumer ("D"-NY) did their usual thing -- 90% wasting time, 10% good points or what should have been, and 100% self-dispay -- while as usual making me feel sorry for Gonzales.

Critics of the administration have good points to make, to put it mildly. They should act that way. Grandstanding and meanness make them sound as though they themselves do not actually what's wrong about politicizing the Department of Justice. Congress had the option of reining in the administration back in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. That it largely waited until GWBush was down in opinion polls with hospital waste does not speak well for its grasp of essentials. Hectoring someone like Alberto Gonzales, who clearly misplaced his trust in Bush and genuinely does not handle aggression well -- like many of us -- proves only that individuals like Specter and Schumer never should have been elected.

Whitehouse asked questions about two memorandums from two Attorneys General, Ashcroft and Gonzales, and provided print copies of the memos. The first, dated April 15, 2002, was signed by John Ashcroft. The second, dated May 4, 2006, was signed by Gonzales. Both enunciated the position, "It is imperative that there be public confidence that the laws of the United States are administered and enforced in an impartial manner," and laid out procedures for communication between the Department of Justice and the White House.

more...

Video here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x43223

[The Stranger]

1. Reason Number 5,429,207 to impeach.

[Emit]

2. A crucial part

In other words, from at least May 4, 2006, on -- assuming this isn't just a de jure ratification of something that had already been going on de factor for almost four years -- the Office of the Vice President had access to presumably anything the Department of Justice knew about any criminal investigation. There is every reason to believe that the OVP had access to any continuing investigation into, for example, the Plame-CIA leak case.

It is not known whether the Office of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald was given this information.

[TahitiNut]

3. With all the shoes dropping ...

... you'd think a millipede was getting ready for bed. :shrug:

[babylonsister]

4. Yes, but will anything come of any of these shoes hitting the pavement?

I'm getting impatient.

[TahitiNut]

6. I don't think even Imelda Marcos could say.

This country continues to sink deeper and deeper into the septic tank of history.

[Solly Mack]

5. already recommended

got news for the war criminals..though I doubt it is news...I don't got NO confidence "that the laws of the United States are administered and enforced in an impartial manner"