"Mrs. Ashcroft, did the President of the United States call you on the night in question?"

[kpete]

Why is everyone *STILL* dancing around this one?
by 8ackgr0und N015e
Thu Jul 26, 2007

Everyone knows Gonzales is lying.
Everyone knows Comey is a boy scout.
Mueller is now confirming Comey's testimony.
Of course, Mueller may just be trying to save his own hide.

But wait! There is someone with no ax to grind, no reason to lie. Why is she never mentioned by the media? Why is no one interested in publicly questioning her?

I'm talking about the person who set this whole drama in motion -- the woman who called Comey. This is a woman with impeccable conservative credentials. She is a devoted wife and mother. She is a seasoned lawyer in good standing. She is a respected member of her church. She is also a material witness with evidence that could crucify George Bush.

We're not talking about personally embarrassing questions. Actually, she just has to answer one question. It's about a phone call she received from the White House.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/26/161734/554

[Jack Bone]

1. Recommended

:patriot:

[Fridays Child]

2. This gets a kick and a recommend!

:kick:

[King Coal]

62. Yes! Let Mrs. Eagle soar, like she never soared before!

[Fridays Child]

63. LOL!

And let her roar, while she's at it.

[Klukie]

3. Great question

[Disturbed]

6. Maybe she is going to be the last one called.

She is the last card in the deck that could force Busholini to fold.

[tblue37]

17. Well, they shouldn't wait too long.

And she should stay out of small planes.

[havocmom]

35. Some talk a few days/weeks ago - pondering possibility John Ashcroft had testified in secret.

Perhaps Mrs. Ashcroft has already been in touch with the committee? :evilgrin:

They sure had a trap set for Gonzo. Perhaps an even better trap than we realize?

[bjobotts]

37. It's true. Ashcroft did give testimony in private meetings before the committee

Surely someone on the committee asked him who telephoned his wife. The committee must know so apparently don't think it important enough to disclose at this time. I'd love to know.

If it was the president does that really mean anything ...legally?

[havocmom]

39. Sometimes, what is most important is what doesn't get talked about

Harry Reid was a boxer, wasn't he? A good fighter does not telegraph his punches ;)

It it was about illegal wiretaps and it was the pResident, could be some big ol trouble for the lot of them!

[blondeatlast]

44. I've been wondering--is she John Dean? or Martha Mitchell?

The DJC certainly seems to have rock-solid information so there's undoubtedly a very knowledgeable and highly placed leak...

[chelsea0011]

51. This is how pathetic the Bushies are that they would keep

lying so that the one person with Ashcroft while in recovery would even have to be called to set the record straight. And it won't even matter to these lowlifes because you know they will say they don't recall it the same way.

[ThomWV]

4. Recall that Gonzo absolutely refused to answer when asked if Bush had sent them.

Stone cold refused to answer.

This question, and the person it needs to be asked of, should be on the lips of everyone we speak to.

I will continuously kick this post until hell freezes over if that's what it takes for this one perfectly sensible suggestion to take hold.

[frogcycle]

5. yeah, there've been a couple of posts on this

I think she is the coup de grace

They probably have an agreement with her not to put her on the spot until the deal is essentially done. Then all she has to do is say "yes, he called."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1441785&mesg_id=1441880

[WinkyDink]

22. "I called Mrs. Ashcroft, sure, to tell her I hoped John got well right fast."

Bada-bing, bada-boom.

[Perky]

7. I wonder however if she was allowed to be in the room given the program was covert?

:shrug:

If she was in he room it constitutes a leak by Gonzo and Card. Bring back Fitz.

[Disturbed]

8. A Special Prosecutor is essential in this case.

I suspect one will be appointed in Sept.

[ThomWV]

10. Comey said she was, and so were 3 other people (possibly just 1)

There were two FBI guards that Muller instructed not to force Comey to leave the room no matter who said what. They may or may not have been in the room, And then there was an aid to Comey who he testified was in the room. Comey said Ms. Ashcroft was in the room at least when they entered, and he did not say that anyone left the room or was asked to leave the room.

[understandinglife]

9. Someone should ask KO to ask her the question ...

[progressoid]

11. Suppose Chuck Schumer has considered calling her in?

Or Leahy perhaps?

[seemslikeadream]

12. video of hearing

and yes it was only 15 minutes long


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGx3fVb_Aik&eurl=


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi9dd_vMQbc&eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoPdLxNyobY&eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TI6MfkOKek&eurl=


http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/

Davis wants the House Judiciary Committee to have access to Mueller's notes, but Mueller seemed to resist turning them over. Without specifying much, Mueller said he kept notes on the incident because it was "out of the ordinary." Davis recommended that Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), and the committee's Senate counterpart, "make a formal inquiry to obtain those notes."

[Disturbed]

13. This could be the final straw that brings Busholini down.

The question: Will anyone in Congress have the spine to move forward on this?

[Blaze Diem]

14. "It will be a Woman who will "bring down" George Bush..

I recall conversations, some time ago, here on DU, about this statement.
some thought it was Cindy Sheehan, Valerie Plame etc.

Perhaps female thorn in Bush's heel will be Mrs Ashcroft.

[Disturbed]

15. It would be a great irony if it was a Repug that brought

Busholini down, wouldn't it?

[frogcycle]

26. shades of Martha Mitchell! n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. Martha Mitchell! I loved that woman. NEVER minced her words...to the chagrin of her husband!

:rofl::rofl: Poor, poor John.:7

[cmd]

47. MM - the Mouth of the Potomac

She was always good for a smile.

[havocmom]

34. It would be poetry. The soul of John Mitchell's wife, Martha, would smile.

Yes, poetry.

Beware the honest femme - one lesson the former Nixon-ites in this latest junta just won't learn.

[blondeatlast]

45. Remember Martha Mitchell?

[monmouth]

16. I'm having a "Martha Mitchell" flashback......eom

[Cameron27]

19. Yep, let's hope Ashcroft doesn't get the same

treatment the pigs gave Martha.

[Virginian]

38. I wonder if their electronic surveillance contributed

to the cancer that killed Martha Mitchell?

[WinkyDink]

23. And Mrs. E. Howard Hunt. Not to mention:

http://www.maebrussell.com/Mae%20Brussell%20Articles/Watergate%20Deaths.html

[KAT119]

18. KICK!

[Klukie]

20. kick

[ThomWV]

21. Kick

[G_Leo_Criley]

24. k & r

:kick:

glc

[Auntie Bush]

25. Good question that needs asking...and Leahy should be the

perfect man to do it.
:kick:

[Evergreen Emerald]

28. She is the first one I thought of when Gonzales was testifying.

She was bedside when the whole thing went down.

[KT2000]

29. Wondered this myself

Gonzo has behaved as if there is no one who will contradict his contradictions!

[proud patriot]

30. Good gracious

:D Let's hope she loves the Constitution . :patriot:

[Lugnut]

31. K&R

Good question.

[ProudDad]

32. K&R

The plot thickens...


On Edit: Where's Butterfield when you need him???? One John Dean and a Butterfield and those assholes are OUTA' THERE!

[LeahD]

33. k & r

[Senator]

36. K&R

[Lindsey]

40. There has been a theme on DU that a blonde woman would be

significant in * downfall...Ashcroft's wife looks like she's keeping her hair blonde....interesting...

[sampsonblk]

41. What does that solve? You lost me.

If Bush personally called her, then he is directly involved in this stupidity. But I don't see how this could lead to any type of prosecution.

Am I missing something?

[blondeatlast]

46. The SJC is getting rock-solid info indicating a very, very knowledgeable leak

privy to some very high-powered conversations.

Remember this woman? She, too, was the wife of an AG. She wasn't an official, but she knew stuff. Good stuff. And her principles would not allow to keep silent about what she knew. FWIW, she never testified--but she knew.

From Wikipedia (which barely brushes the surface of her importance in uncovering Watergate):

Dubbed “the Mouth of the South”, Martha Mitchell began contacting reporters when her husband's role in the scandal became known. At one time, Martha insisted she was held against her will in a California hotel room and sedated to keep her from making her controversial phone calls to the news media. However, because of this, she was discredited and even abandoned by most of her family, except her son Jay. Nixon aides even leaked to the press that she had a “drinking problem”. The 'Martha Mitchell effect', in which a psychiatrist mistakenly diagnoses someone's extraordinary but reasonable belief as a delusion, was later named after her. Nixon was later to tell interviewer David Frost (in September 1977 on Frost on America) “If it hadn't been for Martha Mitchell, there'd have been no Watergate.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Beall_Mitchell

The Mitchells separated in 1973. Three years later, in advanced stages of myeloma, Martha slipped into a coma and died in Washington at age 57. She is buried in the Bellwood Cemetery in Pine Bluff.

[Felinity]

42. K&R n/t

[WillyT]

43. K & R, Baby !!!

:kick:

[DearAbby]

48. Did B*Shit order Gonzo and Card to that room?

inquiring minds what to know.

[ThomWV]

49. I'd Just Bet Bush Put Strong Soft Pressure On Ms. Ashcroft To Convince Her Husband To Sign

You know full well he did it, tried to get that woman to convince her husband to sign. I suspect that if her story is ever told we will all think a lot more of her for not doing it or we will thank the gods that she tried and was not successful. One way or another Ashcroft has moved up just a little bit in my estimation since he left office. At least he refused to do one bad thing.

[colorado_ufo]

50. * is thoroughly convinced of his own charm.

Since he thinks he pulls the wool over Laura's eyes, knows he has 99.9% control over the Sec. of State, and has managed to keep impeachment "off the table," he thinks he can manipulate any woman. (Except his mother, but then he probably doesn't think of her as a woman.)

[ThomWV]

56. One wonders how much influence good old Mom had on the boy

How on earth does one go about raising a son who is so utterly worthless.

[Imagevision]

72. K&R...

[Norquist Nemesis]

52. Except from these people who were taught from the teat of Nixon

doing things "on behalf of the President of the United States" is the same as the President doing it--UNLESS the Presidents decides to come out publicly and completely remove himself from the actions. Based on what we've been told that Bush's Priority One absolute, unshakable loyalty to his circle (for as long as they show it to him), he'll just thumb his nose and raise a middle finger to Congress/American people and say nothing.

Remember, witness after witness have talked about their "oath to the President". It's true cult mentality with mafia MO. So, even if they did ask Mrs. Ashcroft (and personally, I'm not so sure that they didn't get this information from AG Ashcroft in closed session), Gonzo and the rest of the Bushetals would still state it as a "on behalf of the President". And the response to that should be: "The responsibility lands squarely at the feet of President Bush."

[Marnieworld]

53. and there's no executive privlege possible

no 5th ammendment issues. Nothing. I think it's a great idea to call her. She'll either tell the truth or perjure herself and I don't think that even the Ashcrofts are willing to do that.

[Jack Rabbit]

54. . . . and she is beyond the reach of a bogus claim of executive privilege . . .

. . . or even a genuine one, if such a thing exists.

[whistle]

55. How about immunity from threats by the White House, she will certainly

...receive those if she testifies. After all she is the wife of a conservative appointee John Ashcroft and a devout republican. As such, she is expected to remain mute and say nothing and her reward is then eternal peace and security. But if she goes public all hell will break and she and her family will suffer the wrath of republican vengeance.

[camusrebel]

57. It is irrelevant what Mrs. Ashcroft heard, saw

the hook in the fishes mouth is the fact that Ashcroft nor Comey signed a damn thing. The program was not re-authorized. They kept doing it anyway. Check and mate.
Blood's in the water, it's just a matter time.

Even more reason we gotta do deadeye dick first. Get your Rep. to sign on to kucinich's House Res. 333.......15 brave souls have done so. A few more and the process begins. The avalanche, the tsunami of evidence could make for a fairly quick ouster of the slimy reptile or more likely he will slither away, lookin for cover from hard time and the hangman's noose

Then, moron gets another vp...........THEN we send little georgie away for good. The best approach for many reasons, not least of which it will avoid no balls Pelosi being charged with doing it for her own gain.
Peace

[blondeatlast]

58. I hadn't considered that. Even if she isn't called to testify, she could be

another Mrtha Mitchell, onkly this time leaking to the SJC instead of the press.

SJC is getting rock-solid info; it's got to be someone privy to high level talk, but it doesn't have to be anyone official.

Very interesting point you make!

[camusrebel]

60. and if she does sing it will probably be

Dick on her lips anyway.
Cheney would not trust his puppet dunce with a call like that
That kinda putrid mud is heaven for him.


333. NOW. CALL YOUR REP.
Iran's "Gulf of Tonkin" moment could be any day. Their long wet dreamed of police state is just waiting a trigger, its all set up. If u dont believe it, read The Presidential Directive signed on May 9, and the Executive Order signed July 17. Time is not on our side people. If I hear "September" again, I may loose it. And for God's sake don't put all our future's apples in some far off fantasy land called 2008(really Jan 09). The rats are cornered. The only option their base breed knows is to lash out in a large way.

Call your Rep. this afternoon. Hound him over the weekend, we are close. Each one of us does create reality. Let's make it happen. I hereby designate this:

The Week-end We Began To Impeach Dick

Power to the people, right on.

[blondeatlast]

61. ...

Welcome to DU anyway. :hi:

[Clovis Sangrail]

59. I don't understand why this would be a big deal

even if it was Bush himself calling her.
:shrug:

Didn't Gonzo just testify that, yes, he did go to the hospital, but Comey "misunderstood" why he was there?
I think that's an obvious pile by itself, I just don't get how confirmation that Mrs. Ashcroft was called by the WH makes it any steamier.
Al already admitted to going there w/ Andy... and Mrs. Ashcroft isn't going to know what was said or done.

It seems for this to damn Bush 1)it would have had to have been him who called and 2) he would have had to say "Andy and Al are going to stop by the hospital to get John to override that Comey guy's decision as acting AG"

I'd say it's a safe bet the content of the call was along the lines of "Andy and Al are going to stop buy and try to talk to John about something".

[HereSince1628]

64. Under what cockamammie legal theory will they extend Ex. Priv. to her?

Seems like everyday is just another revelation that "Everything Changed after Dick became the unit in the unitary executive.

[MsRedacted]

65. At the risk of looking stupid. What does she have to do with it?

I've been busy and it's hard to keep up with the details.

Please enlighten me.

[DB1]

70. She was there and was alowing no visitors or phone calls while

because her husband was recovering from surgery. The WH bullied there way in. She most likely knows all the details.

[MsRedacted]

71. Got it. I was in for the very same thing a few years ago. Let me tell you he

was in too much pain (or too drugged up on narcotics) to be making any decisions.

[emdee]

66. KICK

:kick:

[Imagevision]

67. Chris Mathews, Lou Dobbs, Tucker look the other way on the real news that should be reported...

[L. Coyote]

68. I have NO DOUBT that she has answered this question for the Congressional Committees.

It is important to bear in mind how much more goes on in the background before a hearing than we see. The adage about a good attorney applies, "Do not ask a question you do not know the answer to."

And, we know the answer too. If it were not "Of course the President called" this line of questioning would have died by now!

[blondeatlast]

69. Martha Mitchell never testified either. I agree with you.

Someone is giving the SJC solid info. She'd be in a better position than most to know what happened at Ashcroft's bedside.