US Attorney General Gonzales resigns (2nd Roundup)

Washington - The top US law enforcement officer, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, announced his resignation Monday after months of allegations he was behind the politically motivated firings of federal prosecutors. US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announces his resignation during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., USA, 27 August 2007. Gonzales has been under fire for months over his handling of the firing of several US attorneys. EPA/MATTHEW CAVANAUGH

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announces his resignation during a press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., USA, 27 August 2007. Gonzales has been under fire for months over his handling of the firing of several US attorneys. EPA/MATTHEW CAVANAUGHGonzales told reporters at a press conference that he informed US President George W Bush of his decision on Sunday and that his last day in office will be September 17. The position will be filled by Solicitor General Paul Clement until Bush appoints a successor. 'It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead the Department of Justice,' Gonzales, the nation's first Hispanic attorney general, said in a brief statement before walking away from the podium without taking questions. Gonzales has been under intense pressure to resign from Democrats in Congress and even some of Bush's Republicans who believe he has not been honest about his role in the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors in December 2006. Democrats also allege he has abused the country's anti-terrorism laws. Gonzales, 52, has been close to the president since Bush was governor of Texas and served as his top legal aid in the White House before taking over at the Justice Department in February 2005. Bush, speaking from an airport in Waco, Texas, told reporters that he reluctantly accepted the resignation after months of 'unfair treatment' of Gonzales by Democrats. 'It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honourable person is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons,' Bush said. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a longtime critic of Gonzales, said the resignation will not end the investigation into any potential White House role in the sacking of the prosecutors. 'Alberto Gonzales was never the right man for this job. He lacked independence, he lacked judgment,' Reid said in a statement. 'This resignation is not the end of the story.' Senate Democrats in July called for a perjury investigation of Gonzales, charging that he made conflicting statements during congressional testimony about the firing of the prosecutors. Republicans who remained loyal to Gonzales characterized the Democratic assault on the attorney general as politically driven. 'It is my hope that whomever President Bush selects as the next attorney general, he or she is not subjected to the same poisonous partisanship that we've sadly grown accustomed to over the past eight months,' said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Gonzales had also come in for sharp criticism for allegedly overstepping the bounds of anti-terrorism laws in permitting surveillance of US citizens. Gonzales is the latest to announce his departure from the administration as Bush heads into his final stretch in office. Bush's closest political advisor and deputy chief of staff Karl Rove announced earlier this month that he was leaving. Rove had also been the subject of allegations about a potential White House role in the dismissal of the prosecutors. Rove, like Gonzales, has been with Bush since his days in Texas. Rove has refused to appear before the congressional panels probing the case. While in the White House, Gonzales helped draft controversial rules for the interrogation of suspects in the war on terrorism that some critics allege permitted the use of torture - a charge strongly denied by Bush and his attorney general. Gonzales also helped oversee the implementation of a domestic spying programme as a White House aide, and he accompanied then chief of staff, Andrew Card, during a 2004 hospital visit to pressure the attorney general at the time, John Ashcroft, into signing off on renewing the programme. Ashcroft, who was in intensive care, refused. An Ashcroft deputy who was present in the hospital room, James Comey, told Congress that he viewed the visit as a White House attempt to take an advantage of a sick man. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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HillaryAug 27th, 2007 - 21:48:59

'Whew' Glad he's gone! I think I was next! Did we burn the Cayman Island spread sheets Sandy? How about the chinese campaign money?

Berglar: Oh, yes ma'am...I mean...I had to toss my pants in the fire with them....couldn't get them separated...
Hillary: good...fine.... a little more info than I needed Sandy...
Barak: Good news senator! You get another chance at the goal!
Kerry: yeah, I'm not a target anymore either...you know..the big dig...
Kennedy: yeah...th big dig! Glad the wetback didn't have time for that!
Reid: or those illegal aliens we bring up to vote! Imagine what'd happen then!

Edwards: Or my kickbacks from the meat and poultry industry!

Pelosi: God, that frickkin beaner was drivng me crazy! he off'ed Willy Jefferson and ruined my kids college fund! F--ker! Took it all right outa th freezer.
Kennedy: I get a taste of that, right?
Hillary: You goddamn Irish! Never keep a promise!

Yep, ol Albeeertoo's gone and the democrats feel sooo much better!

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mlyman@hawaii.rr.comAug 28th, 2007 - 06:19:23

This is no big deal. The Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president, they are political appointees. What part of 'serves at the pleasure of the president don't the democrats understand'? Gonzales fired 8, Clinton fired 93, and the democrats yawned! Can you say strictly politics anyone?
Mike Lyman

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US Attorney General Gonzales resigns (2nd Roundup)

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