Think Progress: Bush Dodges Comey’s Accusations That He Personally Arranged Ashcroft Hospital Visit

[maddezmom]

During a press conference today, President Bush was confronted about recent accusations made by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey regarding the White House’s shocking efforts to seek legal sanction for its warrantless wiretapping program. According to Comey, Bush personally directed a White House effort to bypass Comey’s authority and seek approval from John Ashcroft, who was then hospitalized and in intensive care.

The New York Times writes today that “Americans need to know who dispatched Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card to Mr. Ashcroft’s hospital bed.”

NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell pressed Bush on this point. “Sir, did you send your then Chief of Staff and White House Counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill to get him to approve that program,” she asked, “and do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is appropriate?”

video at the link:
more:http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/17/bush-comey-dodge/

[BurtWorm]

1. You know what's really bizarre?

Part of the reason they pull shit like this is they think Bush has absolute authority. But if that's the case, why do they care what other people think of his actions? Why pretend he didn't do it? Is he *really* afraid of Congress's subpoenas? They have a funny way of determining when to act like they don't care what anyone thinks and when to act like they know they can get their heads handed to them. It's all very random, like probably every other firing of synapses in their brains.

[rodeodance]

5. synaspes are getting dull lately

[KeepItReal]

2. I can't believe someone had the gall to ask the question!

<eom>

[maddezmom]

9. here's the next question they should ask? Why did you close down a related DOJ investigation?

Bush Blocked Justice Department Investigation
By Murray Waas, National Journal
© National Journal Group Inc.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Updated at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today that President Bush personally halted an internal Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales and other senior department officials acted within the law in approving and overseeing the administration's domestic surveillance program.


President Bush made the decision to deny the security clearances for the investigators, Alberto Gonzales said in his testimony before the Senate.


The investigation, by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, was halted when lawyers who were going to conduct the investigation were denied the security clearances that would have allowed them to view classified documents related to the surveillance program. President Bush made the decision to deny the security clearances for the investigators, Gonzales said in his testimony today.

"The president of the United States makes the decision," Gonzales said in response to a question by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who wanted to know who denied the clearances to the investigators.

more:http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/0718nj1.htm

[rodeodance]

3. Bush: ".........I’m not going to talk about it.”---well, his response will get more

questions and I hope over and over!


Bush twice dodged the question entirely. “Kelly, there’s a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn’t happen. I’m not going to talk about it.” He added, “I’m not going to move the issue forward by talking about” it. Watch it:

[rodeodance]

4. “I’m not going to move the issue forward by talking about” it. HA HA--

[rodeodance]

6. here is the 2nd round: Q: Was it on your order, sir?

Q: Was it on your order, sir?

BUSH: As I said, the program is a necessary program that was constantly reviewed and constantly briefed to the Congress. It’s an important part of protecting the United States, and it’s still an important part of our protection, because there’s still an enemy that would like to attack us, no matter how calm it may seem in America, an enemy lurks and they would like to strike. They would like to do harm to the American people, because they have an agenda. They want to impose an ideology. They want us to retreat from the world. They want to find safe haven, and these just aren’t empty words. These are the words of al Qaeda themselves, and so we will put in place programs to protect the American people that honor the civil liberties of our people and programs that we constantly brief to Congress.

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. Maybe it was Karl, speaking on his behalf!

Had to keep that intelligence coming on the '04 "enemy" in order to keep Bush in the WH.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. The non answer obviously = "Yes".

[Bonhomme Richard]

10. If only someone had to balls to say, "Hey Asshole, that's.....

not an answer. Now answer the question."

[sabra]

11. WH transcript:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070517.html

<snip>

PRESIDENT BUSH: That's right. Kelly O'Donnell.

Q Thank you, sir. There's been some very dramatic testimony before the Senate this week from one of your former top Justice Department officials, who describes a scene that some senators called "stunning," about a time when the wireless -- when the warrantless wiretap program was being reviewed. Sir, did you send your then Chief of Staff and White House Counsel to the bedside of John Ashcroft while he was ill to get him to approve that program? And do you believe that kind of conduct from White House officials is appropriate?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Kelly, there's a lot of speculation about what happened and what didn't happen; I'm not going to talk about it. It's a very sensitive program. I will tell you that, one, the program is necessary to protect the American people, and it's still necessary because there's still an enemy that wants to do us harm.

And therefore, I have an obligation to put in place programs that honor the civil liberties of the American people; a program that was, in this case, constantly reviewed and briefed to the United States Congress. And the program, as I say, is an essential part of protecting this country.

And so there will be all kinds of talk about it. As I say, I'm not going to move the issue forward by talking about something as highly sensitive -- highly classified subject. I will tell you, however, that the program is necessary.

Q Was it on your order, sir?

PRESIDENT BUSH: As I said, this program is a necessary program that was constantly reviewed and constantly briefed to the Congress. It's an important part of protecting the United States. And it's still an important part of our protection because there's still an enemy that would like to attack us. No matter how calm it may seem here in America, an enemy lurks. And they would like to strike. They would like to do harm to the American people because they have an agenda. They want to impose an ideology; they want us to retreat from the world; they want to find safe haven. And these just aren't empty words, these are the words of al Qaeda themselves.

And so we will put in place programs to protect the American people that honor the civil liberties of our people, and programs that we constantly brief to Congress.

[maddezmom]

13. There's a lot of blowhards in the political process, you know, a lot of hot-air artists, people who

There's a lot of blowhards in the political process, you know, a lot of hot-air artists, people who have got something fancy to say. Tony Blair is somebody who actually follows through with his convictions, and therefore, is admired in the international community.

So I guess this is an appropriate question to ask -- right guy, is he still standing -- yes. This guy is a very strong, respected leader, and he's absolutely the right guy for me to be dealing with.


:eyes:

[radfringe]

12. follow up question should have been

"Sir, would you care to speculate that by NOT answering the question you have fueled even more speculation as to the extent of your involvment?"