The Crooks Trying to Bail-Out Alberto Gonzales
Let me start by stating that the words “legal” and “trust” don’t belong on a letterhead with Alberto Gonzales’ name blazoned at the top.
But that’s not the most interesting part of the letter soliciting donations for a legal defense fund for AGAG (linked by Main Justice). It’s the number of signers who were deeply embroiled in Bush Administration corruption. Starting, appropriately enough, with Bush himself.
President and Mrs. Bush have already made substantial gifts to the Judge’s legal expense fund.
But then there are people like Gale Norton, who resigned just as Gonzales’ DOJ began investigating an oil-trading scandal and who later was investigated for a slimy deal with her future employer, Shell Oil. Or Alphonso Jackson, who was also investigated by DOJ for cronyism in HUD contracts. Or Margaret Spellings, who declined to crack down on the pay-to-play scandal in the student loan business. Or Hank Paulson, who was buddying up to Goldman Sachs even as he was crafting out a bailout for them. I’d raise Condi and Rummy and torture; but then, Gonzales was involved as deeply as they were in torture.
Then again, the number of corrupt people soliciting money to pay off Gonzales’ legal bills may just be a function of the corruption in the Bush Administration. Because almost all of Bush’s cabinet secretaries signed this letter. So much so, that the people who didn’t sign may be more interesting than anything else. There are a number minor players here: former Department of Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, former Department of Education Secretary Rod Paige, former Ag Secretary Ann Veneman.
But there are three notable omissions among the major Secretaries: John Ashcroft, Paul O’Neill, and Colin Powell.
Oh, and one more rather notable Bush Administration guy missing from the list of people trying to help Gonzales out of his legal defense hole–a guy known to be rather fond of legal defense funds, in fact, for the right people: Dick Cheney.
Why doesn’t Dick Cheney want to help Alberto Gonzales pay for protecting the Bush Administration?
?!? What’s Gonzo need a defense fund for? Hasn’t Obama already declined to prosecute? Heck, Obama won’t even INVESTIGATE unless he’s sure the the Statute of Limitations will expire before the investigation completes. Does he think Obama will actually honor a Spanish arrest warrant or any other extradition request?
Boxturtle (If so, he’s got a MUCH higher opinion of Obama than I do)
It’s retroactive. For whatever reason, before the investigation ended, the Bushes didn’t want to go public that they were funding AGAG’s legal defense. Now, apparently, it’s okay.
That’s my question: What for? Why now?
Funny, I’m reading this on a Mac, and all the vowels are missing from the donations-seeking letter. Looks like some kinda parody . . . “I’ll take an “i” “o” and a “u, Vanna.”
I suspect Fredo has to pay hushmoney to PapaDick, and that’s the real reason for the “defense” fund.
Mildly OT – From the SCSI yesterday:
(My Bold)
So, is the NYT is on SCSI’s Espionage hit list too?
Wait, DiFi and Kit want DOJ to investigate the unauthorized distribution of UNCLASSIFIED information?
Next thing you know they’ll come after us for census data.
Heh!
In their minds, it’s probably a crime to visit the SCSI website.
Funny, they weren’t all that excited to investigate classified spy identities leaked. Go figure.
I especially like the “possible” part. Not even likely accomplices, but all possible ones. There’s a gal who knows how to add more hay when you’re looking for the needle.
I’m guessing she’s going to dig just as deep and tough into all the Maher Arar leaks by the US gov about things like him making confessions, admitting to being in training camps, etc. ;)
I’m sure she’s right on the verge of asking Holder to look into charges against all POSSIBLE accomplices to the leaks of incorrect information on Arar. Look for the Fi-Bond “mirror mirror on the wall” amendment coming to a committee near you.
Or not.
He was never more than a spanish punk who was a yes man..the big boys love that..a better name was gofer
This is RICH! He is bucking up for the coming Cheney blast in Nigeria I bet. Some things that go around, come around too. Marcy, you are good! Just DAMN good!
Every fascist scumbag listed on the left of that letter should be swinging from a gallows – next to Bush and Cheney.
Is Holder on the list, or is AG paying him, too.
Executive Branch abuses of power is not a partisan issue, if we are a nation of laws. While underlings are not at issue for following orders, those who crafted any that are in fact against the laws of the United States or Canada, cannot be just given a wink & nod.
– Balkingpoints / www
Line up the usual rich suspects & have them shell out the buck$$$ to save their own @sses. There must be some hush money involved if these people are contributing to this fund. What a list of low-life criminal scumbags beginning with W and going thru the list. Gonzales is, as another post says, just a Gofer, a real waste of space (much like Holder is, more’s the pity).
Funny last name.
Chertoff is a really interesting signature on that letter. Nice to know that things like conflicts don’t exist in his world. Let’s see, he was head of the Crim Div that was supposedly giving advice on the memos and input on the crim referrals AND he’s signing off on a solicitation letter for a guy who was supposed to have been involved in his department’s investigations? Nice.
Or not.
BTW – the Siddiqui cables mark as classified a paragraph of regurgitation of stories being run in the Pak Press. Since other paragraphs of other regurgitation weren’t marked accordingly, it makes you wonder why that one was. ;)
Every single one of those people was open to being the target of impeachment proceedings. We’ll be seeing a couple of them again in 2012.
Thanks Pelosi. Failing to stand up for the constitution since at least 2006.
I am somehow not surprised to see that Shrub is still loyal to AGAG, presumably because AGAG hasn’t yet spilled the stuff he knows about Shrub’s various activities before and after being appointed preznit.