I haven’t heard any of you wise froggers speculate about what is going on with the Jefferson congressional office raid. Maybe I missed it. But then I woke up this am to see this article in the WaPo saying that Gonzales, McNulty and Mueller are threatening to resign if the documents the FBI found are returned.
I don’t know what to make of this. It sounds like a big deal – but what’s going on? What I get is that congresscritters, Republicans and Democrats alike, are mad that the FBI raided Jefferson’s office and see it as a breakdown of the separation of powers. But with all of them fighting for their lives in various courts around the country – do they have a leg to stand on?
But then, for the Attorney General and FBI Director to threaten to resign over this… I begin to wonder what’s up. Maybe its just chatter, but this takes it to another level it seems to me. My tin foil hat has always picked up signals that sound like the Executive Branch has info on congresscritters that keeps them in line. And this story has the signals screaming. But then, maybe its just the hat that needs adjusting. I know its Saturday morning and folks are out having a real life, but can someone out there shed some light?
I forgot to add in the diary that I find it a bit ironic that the congresscritters are just now taking a stand on separation of powers and that it happens over this issue when they have basically caved over all of the other more serious machinations of the “imperial presidency.” Whaddup with that??
Jefferson has had a warrent for his papers, as it is said on TV for about 8 months now. He has not complied with it as the news is saying. Thus the rain onhis office in DC. However, he has had plenty of time to remove those papers knowing all the time they were after them. This week one of his aids got sentenced to a lengthy jail term…in ref with this bribery issue.
It is being referenced to that they doj should have had some one of his office if not Jefferson, himself, to be there to help go through the records and take what is needed, if at all any of them. There is a thing in the Constitution that states that they can not go in to congress and do such a thing…or so I am understanding from what they are referring to.
All of that which I have refered to were stated by Jonathon Turley, GWU…constitunal law studies.
If dubya gives back the papers, he is damned by the doj,fbi etc…nothing will hold water three after. If he doen’t give them back he has yet broken free of the Constitution. Either way he is SCREWED! as I see it anyhow. There should have been a better way to have done this and not gotten such a big tado over it.
That is how I understand it from cnn this morning.
Frankly, and personally, I think it is yet another dog and pony show from this administration. Deeming our constitution irreverent……but that is just me.
Good points.
My opinion, based on nothing more than my antenae readings on my tin foil hat, tells me that this is really a warning to congres critters. All of them. And I think transfers of files, letters, and dumping emails is the task at hand as we speak. I think this whole “cowboy” action is meant to intimidate the members and remind them that if they don’t tow whatever the line is from day to day (confusing how it moves and changes)that the “executive” King and his fools will come after them too. They better not keep too much incriminating shit around because the King and the pupeteers are tired of all this crap coming to light day after day.
I just saw this myself at CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/27/jefferson.fbi/index.html
According to CNN, the VP, and someone named Addington within the VP’s office are semi-siding with Hastert on this. Says Cheney talked with Bush about the legitimacy of Hastert’s anger. Could be a bunch of spin, but like you, I think it’s big. At least it sounds big. Gonzalez resigning? That’s big.
Gonzales resigning would be huge. But I don’t trust either the administration OR the republican house leadership so it’s hard to know what’s going on.
Is Gonzales really threatening to resign and the pressure is on Bush to allow the doj to keep the documents? Or does Gonzales have no intention of resigning and this is just a rumor circulated to put pressure on Hastert to cave?
Who are the “two senior administration officials” talking to the press? Since the inside information is partly about Cheney and his conversation with Bush — is the leak information coming out of the OVP? Do we trust any information coming out of the OVP? No.
The whole thing seems suspicious to me.
I’m so naive that when I saw the headline, I thought that Gonzales was threatening to resign BECAUSE the FBI raid a congressional office. Silly moi. Still I hoped that someone was standing up to mad king George.
Perhaps ego is driving Gonzales’ threat. Perhaps he truly believes in an imperial presidency. Who knows? He’s one dangerous man, for sure.
Although I believe that Jefferson’s actions should be thoroughly investigated and that he should not be above criminal prosecution, I see the point of view that the executive branch could use such raids for purely political purposes.
It is ironic that Congress has finally noticed/reacted to the executive branch’s repeatd power grabs and abuses of the Constitution. I suspect that by Monday they will have all rolled over and will be behaving like the little lambs Bushco expects them to be.
I agree, something is up or wanting to be covered up. Very interesting and mysterious turn of events. Yes it seems very big as others have said, can’t wait to see this play out..
So, if there really is a battle brewing (rather than a Rovian manufactured diversion), what we have is Gonzales, McNulty and Mueller on one side with Hastert and Addington on the other. Cheney seems to be siding with the Hastert/Addington position and Bush is trying to slow things down and “let cooler heads prevail.”
Hard to figure out who the “good guys” are in this one. And what the hell is the battle REALLY about??
HELLO!!!!!!
Jefferson’s a DEMOCRAT.
This is the first chance the Shrubberies have had since the feces started impacting the rotary blades a couple of years ago to put a “Crooked Democrat” scandal on the front page… and they’re going to do or say whatever they can to KEEP it there for as long as possible… because the more space Jefferson gets, the less Rove gets, the less Abramoff gets, the less Cunningham gets, the less Katrina gets (hurricane season starts again in 4 days, remember?), Kennyboy who?
Nobody’s going to resign, nobody’s going to fight over anything. The FBI’s going to copy what it wants out of Jefferson’s files, enough to make sure he knows that so long as he stays quiet and does what he’s told he doesn’t go into the little room with the big lock, and then they’re going to apologize, give the files back, apologize some more, declare officially that they did NOT mean to set a precedent that might be used to raid Republican congressmen, (jus’ only the Democratic ones) and after a bit more jawing for several weeks, it’ll all go away. But they’ve got a month and a half of “cooling off” during which they can play it for all it’s worth — and that’s a whole LOT of “crooked Dem” talk getting closer and closer to election day…
This all seems like great drama designed to send a message to anyone thinking of challenging the unitary executive. It seperates the election vulnerable GOPrs, makes for good show to endear Gonzales to the GOP base again and lends the appearance of nonpartisan justice. These guys have some great scriptwriters.
One alternate thought considering the ones involved. Gonzales has always been open to indictment or charges of obstruction in the Plame case. If another shoe is dropping and the returns are sealed for security, this could let AG resign with a false image of honor instead of disgrace.