Who sent AGAG to Ashcroft's room?

[The Blue Flower]

This jumped out at me from the New York Times editorial calling for the impeachment of the Attorney General contains this statement, which I haven't read or heard anywhere before:

"Unwilling to accept that conclusion, Vice President Dick Cheney sent Mr. Gonzales and another official to Mr. Ashcroft’s hospital room to get him to approve the wiretapping."

In his testimony before the Judiciary Committee, AGAG refused to disclose who sent him to strong-arm John Ashcroft. He said repeatedly that he was there "on behalf of the President."

Where did the NYT get this information?

[seemslikeadream]

1. Vice President Dick Cheney

I had not seen that

[babylonsister]

2. Nice catch; I hadn't seen/heard that either. nt

[stevedeshazer]

3. Good question -- they must have a source

That's the first time any media have outright named Cheney.

I'd love to know what Leahy and Specter must already know.

Where will this lead?

[salin]

4. I caught that this morning... first time I have seen that particular charge

and given that it isn't part of the 'conventional wisdom' of what is commonly understood about the story - I can only assume one of the following: someone believes it in their gut and it slipped into copy and will be retracted momentarily, OR someone in the admin is leaking to the Times. If there is no retraction within the next 24 hours - then I bet this is exactly spot on.

[janx]

5. Probably from someone on the judiciary committee. n/t

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Link to that article?

Thanks!

[DemReadingDU]

7. here is the link

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/opinion/29sun1.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[janx]

8. kick

[Virginia Dare]

9. First confirmation of something we all already knew..

interesting. I really hope Leahy, Conyers et. al. get this son of a bitch.

[WinkyDink]

10. Big Dick, that's who. "On behalf of the President."

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. He was asked POINT BLANK by Schumer if CHENEY had sent him and he said, "I was there on behalf of

THE PRESIDENT." DICK CHENEY is NOT THE PRESIDENT. Does being the psycho's WH counsel and affording Gonzo attorney/client privileges, apply to CHENEY TOO???? I don't know. Any lawyers in the house?

Both men say that in March 2004 — when Mr. Gonzales was still the White House counsel — the Justice Department refused to endorse a continuation of the wiretapping program because it was illegal. (Mr. Comey was running the department temporarily because Attorney General John Ashcroft had emergency surgery.) Unwilling to accept that conclusion, Vice President Dick Cheney sent Mr. Gonzales and another official to Mr. Ashcroft’s hospital room to get him to approve the wiretapping.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/opinion/29sun1.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin


INDEED! How does the NY Times know it was CHENEY????

[MrMickeysMom]

16. This is true. I recall that Senate questioning going back and forth, back and forth

... with no committed answer from that stubby faced squirmy little toad...

:wtf:

Not that we wouldn't have suspected unka Dick, but the way this information comes out is back door once again.

Games, people...

[flyarm]

12. k&r!!!

[cui bono]

13. Would be interesting to know how they know that...

there was the revelation that the DOJ opened up communications with the VP so as to let him inquire about investigations and such. I forget the details and never read about it anywhere, just heard it when I watched the hearing. So that would indicate that Gonzo listens/listened to Cheney and does/did whatever he wants/wanted.

[TacticalPeek]

14. You would think there had to be some basis for such a claim.

Then again, the source is the New York Times.


:evilgrin:

[defendandprotect]

15. Gonzales may be simply telling us he understands that the president is CHENEY . . .

"on behalf of the President."

What Ashcroft knows and when he decided to bail out on the thugs would be interesting to hear?
Presume they will ask Ashcroft to testify?