About a half-hour ago, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), referring to a November 2006 meeting of top Justice Department officials, asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about the decision to purge the now-fired U.S. Attorneys. Gonzales said, “I don’t recall that the decision was made at that meeting.”<\/p>\n
Leahy, looking incredulous, asked if Gonzales remembered deciding to fire the prosecutors. The AG, annoyed, said, “I remember making the decision.” When, Leahy asked. “I don’t recall,” Gonzales said. After a glare that lasted several seconds, Leahy told Gonzales, “We’ll get back to this. Count on it.”<\/p>\n
It’s been that kind of morning for the Attorney General.<\/p>\n
For all the talk about today’s hearing being a make-or-break moment for Gonzales, the morning session hasn’t been kind to the embattled, scandal-plagued AG. Even Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) seems to be running low on patience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said today that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ opening testimony continued “a pattern of not being candid.” Specter proceeded to ask the Attorney General to resolve his contradictory statements, noting that he should be able to answer them since he has spent weeks preparing.<\/p>\n Gonzales interjected, “I prepare for every hearing, Senator.” A livid Specter responded, “Do you prepare for all your press conferences? Were you prepared for the press conference where you said there weren’t any discussions involving you?”<\/p>\n Gonzales, put on the defensive, conceded, “Senator, I already said I misspoke. It was my mistake.” When Specter pressed about the specific question of whether he prepares for press conferences, Gonzales said “we do take time to try to prepare for the press conference.”<\/p>\n “Let’s move on,” Specter said. “I don’t think you’re not going to win a debate about your preparation, frankly.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Specter has been reluctant to call for Gonzales’ ouster, but at this rate, Snarlin’ Arlen seems to be getting closer to his limit. * Gonzales had some revealing comments<\/a> on David Iglesias’ firing, including discussions he had with Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Karl Rove.<\/p>\n * Kennedy pressed Gonzales on evaluations of the various U.S. Attorneys. Gonzales sidestepped the issue<\/a> in an awkward way, suggesting that assistant U.S. attorneys in the offices are really the ones who handle the cases.<\/p>\n * Gonzales still can’t keep his story straight<\/a> on why Bud Cummins needed to be fired in Arkansas.<\/p>\n
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\nThere will be plenty more to say about the hearing later today (and probably tomorrow), but Paul Kiel has posted a series of YouTube clips that readers may want to check out from this morning’s exchanges.<\/p>\n