Wednesday, May 16, 2007

For the record

From James Comey’s testimony yesterday:
“Can you give us an example of an exercise of good judgment by Alberto Gonzales?” Republican Senator Arlin Specter asked.

“Let the record show a very long pause,” Specter said.
This exchange sent my mind back to August 24, 1960, when Nixon was running for President against JFK. President Dwight Eisenhower was asked if he could give an example of a major idea of Vice-president Nixon’s that was adopted by the administration.

“If you give me a week, I might think of one,” Ike replied.

But that was not the only thing redolent of Tricky Dick in Comey's testimony yesterday.

Comey testified that Gonzales and Card visited Ashcroft to “take advantage of a very sick man,” and get him to authorize a program that the Department of Justice had decided was illegal. To Comey’s great surprise, Ashcroft was able to forcefully resist.

A few minutes after the bedside confrontation, Card called the hospital. He "demanded that I come to the White House immediately," Comey testified. "I responded that, after the conduct I had just witnessed, I would not meet with him without a witness present."

"He replied, ‘What conduct? We were just there to wish him well.’"

What? Comey knew what he had just witnessed. Did Card think that he was going to convince Comey that there was no other reason for them to be there?

I’ve seen this type of conversation before. It occurs when one party knows that it is being tape-recorded.

You may think that the White House, having been burned by Nixon’s taping system would never repeat that mistake. It would be too stupid or too corrupt. But you would be wrong.

There is nothing too stupid or too corrupt for this White House.

“… and tell ’em Big Mitch sent ya!”

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mitch...

I appreciate your posts. You are clearly on top of Ameria's problem with the Bushies, and your encouragement to stay focuse on their demise is laudable.

I am surprised that you have so few comments from readers, though I'm sure the Trolls are simply afraid of engaging you.

I read your entries with pleasure, knowing that there are other Americans seriously alarmed at where the Bush Administration has taken us. Hopefully our new Democratic Congress will be able to dismantle the colossal mess they've made of DoJ especially.

Keep posting, and, Thanks

Brick Sykes

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Card was assuming that Comey was taping the conversation.

I see no reason or evidence on which to base the notion that Card/the WH has a taping system.

Nor need Card believe Comey was taping the conversation. He was simply asserting the cover story response should Comey go public.