Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Gonzales Mea Culpa, Sort of.

Alberto Gonzales has sent a letter to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. explaining his misstatements during his testimony. Apparently there was a simple little error in his abbreviated reference to the "program".

What?!? He and his handlers/cronies (I assume veep Cheney can be included in this group) don't get it. They don't seem to realize that the issue is no longer just whether or not they conspired to have a medicated official approve a policy that said official was opposed to, the issue now includes his bizarre testimony earlier this week. By suddenly answering the panel's simple question via email he hopes to get a pass on recent events. Insane? Perhaps. Incompetent? Politically. But I fear the adjective that will ultimately stick is unethical --and folks, that is the absolute worst thing that can be said about an Attorney General. An Attorney General without ethics ultimately leads a justice department astray, both by direct action and by setting the wrong example for others to follow.

The court scandals of the past few years are too many to list. The culture of politics over ethics that seems to pervade the department cannot exist, or be seen to exist, at the top.

Alberto's recent testimony clearly placed political agenda over ethics and this needs to be addressed along with the accusations of impropriety over the Terrorist Surveillance Program.
More on The Associated Press via The Washington Post

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