by emptywheel
Hey, Scottish Haggis!?!?!? What happened to that letter from the White House you promised us?
According to RawStory, it's still in the mail. Or maybe it's not coming after all.
The White House has refused to comply with a Republican senator's request for information about Alberto Gonzales's conflicting testimony on a secret surveillance program by a 12 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said yesterday that he requested from the Bush administration a "letter addressing that question [of Gonzales' veracity] from the administration" by noon Tuesday. He promised to release the letter to the media, but so far the word from Judiciary Committee staff is that no letter has arrived.
It is unclear whether the administration is refusing Specter's request outright or is simply tardy in delivering its response. A spokeswoman for Sen. Patrick Leahy, the committee chairman who also is expected to receive the administration's response, told RAW STORY early Tuesday afternoon that no letter had arrived yet.
Specter's office was releasing little information Tuesday.
Your guess is as good as mine what happened to Specter's love letter. Some possibilities:
- Dick heard about the promised letter and stole all of Bush's crayons
- With Mike Gerson gone, the White House can't think of a new fancy acronym--Not-TSP--that they can use to parse wildly some more
- The White House forgot that there was a still-unresolved anthrax attack on the Senate, and so mail takes a while to get to Senators
- The White House has decided to call Scottish Haggis' bluff--they're going to blow him off entirely, because they strongly suspect (with good reason) that he's just not going to do anything to stop them
- The White House is trying to postpone sending the letter--which may well admit to having broken the law--until after Congress passes some changes to FISA
Update: While we're waiting, TP has the transcript from the briefing today, in which Tony said the letter would be coming from DOJ.
QUESTION: Tony, has a letter gone to the Hill, specifically to Senator Specter, concerning Alberto Gonzales?
SNOW: No. There will be something going up to the Hill. It will be a little bit later. It’s not quite meeting the noon deadline. But he in fact will get a response today.
First, we thank Senator Specter. He agreed to get himself read into the program yesterday. He received a briefing and he had some questions. And those questions are going to be answered. They’ll be answered in the course of the day. But they have not yet been provided. We expect within the next few hours that he’ll have a full response.
QUESTION: Tony, following on that, Senator Specter put out this statement saying that the letter would be available to the news media, it would address the questions about the attorney general testifying accurately.
You had an interesting time trying to parse the different language the other day when we pressed about it. How will this letter…
SNOW: I will let the documents speak for themselves and he’ll have an opportunity.
QUESTION: Who put it together?
SNOW: Again, at this point — it’s not coming out of the White House.
*****
QUESTION: To clarify this letter, you say it’s not coming from White House. It’s coming from the Justice Department?
SNOW: They will hear — he will hear from the Justice Department. [my emphasis]
That's nice. Bush still trusts Gonzales. But he's not willing to go on the record--in his own name--to dig him out of his pit of perjury. I frankly don't see how anything coming from DOJ--who will sign it, after all--will be regarded with any credibility.
* Used 39c stamp.
Posted by: pseudonymous in nc | July 31, 2007 at 13:37
So what do you think it'll be: (a) Arlen just slinks away with his tail between his legs and pretends like the whole thing never happened, or (b) Arlen grows a spine and supports impeaching Gonzo? I'm going with (a). I don't think he's even going to bother with an "I really REALLY mean it this time!" press conference.
Posted by: Frank Probst | July 31, 2007 at 13:37
The TPM Media Empire quotes Tony Snow as saying the letter's on its way:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003821.php
Posted by: William Ockham | July 31, 2007 at 13:42
There you go EW, I think your attitude is rounding into peak form for the big week ahead!
Posted by: bmaz | July 31, 2007 at 13:44
p-i-n
LOL. Dick must have stolen his crayons AND his stamps!!
Frank
He wouldn't be Scottish Haggis if the answer weren't, always, a.
Posted by: emptywheel | July 31, 2007 at 13:49
Yeah but Wheel, PIN says he used the wrong stamp. ROFLMAO
Posted by: greenhouse | July 31, 2007 at 13:54
Something that has puzzled me was the good senator putting such an abrupt deadline on his demand... (I mean this in all sincerity!) Was he just trying to make himself look important, or is/was there something magical about 12:00 Noon (I assume, EDT)? I have a gut feeling that it was something to be staged to make it look like Arlen could make the administration jump when he said "jump," and they pulled the rug out from under him when either Dick or Karl decided that they needed to review the letter first. In other words, something went awry... Of course, the letter will be more BS.
The other observation about the deadline is that it seems like any time the Bushies are given a deadline, it is a given that they will do their best to thumb their noses at it. Arlen should know that.
Posted by: Sojourner | July 31, 2007 at 14:04
This is a time when the media's celebrity-stalking skills and resources could be put to good use.
Why aren't cameras planted in front of Specter's office and the White House, with underinformed reporters babbling for hours while the letter continues to fail to materialize?
Posted by: clem | July 31, 2007 at 14:14
Do we yet know why Specter was briefed--and who else was there? Seems like while we are waiting, there are any number of (not classified) questions that could be put to Specter. Or why Specter wanted or was willing to be briefed? What's his opinion at this point? ETC?
Posted by: mighty mouse | July 31, 2007 at 14:17
I will admit to believing a conspiracy exists in the form of the Cheney cabal to blackmail and subvert their way to a 5th Reich. But Specter has been a wholly owned subsidiary to who ever has the pictures on him since the 60's. He has been given leeway over the years to appear moderate, but when push comes to shove the Rethugs pull his strings. The phoney BS that the rapturists where flailing around when he first became SJC chairman. About abortion and judges what bologna. They already knew the outcome of any import vote with him. Same with huckleberry Graham they got the goods on that guy, but good.
Posted by: BillE | July 31, 2007 at 14:32
Arlen should know better - the Bush team doesn't do deadlines/timelines.
Posted by: Diane | July 31, 2007 at 14:32
The thing that's bugged me about Specter is that he protests so loudly before he caves--and I no longer think he caves, I think he knows from the get go that he's all hat, no cattle.
But for the WH to drop this ball seems like a mistake for them. Heck they COULD send a crayon letter from Gonzo saying "I really really really said everything I could, so please don't be mean to me," and Specter could use to to show how cooperative everyone is being. But if the WH doesn't respond at all, that puts Specter in an awkward position (not that awkwardness, insincerity or hypocrisy have ever slowed down a Republican's lips)
Posted by: clbrune | July 31, 2007 at 14:32
It has already happened. The frog's boiling. No letter, no Miers, no Rove, no Cheney, no Rumsfeld - no anyone. No more congressional oversight. It's over, the administration ain't showing and ain't going to.
The kettle whistle should be blowing loud and clear, but it isn't. The only step this bunch of thugs lacks is not having elections.
One final call should be put out to Bush this week, demanding that all these people be directed to show up for their hearings and clearly stating that impeachement proceedings will begin against high level officials should the executive branch not bow to Congressional Authority.
Welcome to the Roman Senate folks. It's here if anyone wants to admit it or not.
Posted by: Dismayed | July 31, 2007 at 14:33
You've got that right Dismayed. W's gone all in on the unitary executive, is Congress gonna call or fold?
Posted by: phred | July 31, 2007 at 15:07
Here's a nightmare scenario: what happens if the Big Dick runs for prez AND "WINS"? After the 2004 election, I wouldn't be surprised that the voting system has been fixed enough to pull it off (pity me, I live in the 3rd world state of Florida).
What would this country do? Would anyone have the guts to do something, or would we just shrug and live with it (as we did in 2000 and 2004)?
BTW there are several articles on Google news that a team successfully hacked all 3 of the major voting machine companies' machines; essentially with their hands tied behind their backs. The official's response.....it hasn't happened yet so it's not so bad. (They obviously haven't heard of Florida).
Posted by: JohnJ | July 31, 2007 at 15:34
or Ohio...
Posted by: phred | July 31, 2007 at 15:48
hello everybody, and thanks for your thoughts and prayers
I got an off topic question, so I broke my "No Posting" rule
if ted stevens' lawyer was tipped off about the raid on stevens' house, why isn't that lawyer ineleigible to defend stevens now ???
using logic, I determine that the lawyer in question is now a part of the investigation, since we now have to find out who leaked the information and attempted to obstruct justice in this case
so why hasn't anybody mentioned this aspect of the story
(and now back to lurking)
Posted by: freepatriot | July 31, 2007 at 15:54
Hiya free! I hope all is going well with your Mom... Go take a peek at FDL, Jane's got a post up on exactly that point...
Posted by: phred | July 31, 2007 at 15:59
One very important difference between now and 2004 is that the Dems hold the Sec of State's office in CA, IA, IL, MN, MO, OH and PA. Also NY, I assume. The R's hold it in AZ, FL and MI, plus TX, same as before. That minimizes the states that they can monkey with to mostly ones they would get anyway.
Posted by: Mimikatz | July 31, 2007 at 16:28
Don't worry about Dick running for prez. That's just not going to happen. And all the machine rigging in the world won't pull that turd out of the bowl.
The Republican party hasn't gotten their checkbooks out yet. They are smarter, they know about candidate fatigue. They'll let the dem front runners spend and spend, while they keep their wallets in their pockets.
Newt is going to jump in the race before too long, late september or late janurary I'd say. And oh how the masses will swoon. That's their strategy. Bring in the ringer late, invigorate the party with a TRUE reagan conservative, a hero of the party in fact, almost a modern founding father. Hide and watch that's what's coming.
Posted by: Dismayed | July 31, 2007 at 16:34
I am patiently waiting for someone to start a post on the current "mechanics" of our voting system. Not only do I live in FLORIDA, home of election cheating, but I also work in the electronic design/mfg. industry.
Posted by: JohnJ | July 31, 2007 at 17:21
The Senator has been read into the program?
Is that program or Program?
Does this mean the senator has been brainwashed and wiil now speak blubbering-idiotic-nonsensical-I-cannot-remember statements only?
This is not grasping for the hope of a saved democracy...Arlen better have a brain, get moving and serve to protect and preserve the Constitution of the United States of America as he swore to do. Nothing more and definitely NOTHING less. Rule of law Arlen, Rule of Law. Stop the parsing and the politics. Start protection and preservation.
Sorry folks, I am just at a low tolerance level today with all of the "fixed" jobs on our Constitution.
And why is Snow even briefing on this letter? Should not the DOJ be briefing on it?
Sorry, preaching to the choir...
And yes to phred...or Ohio!
Go get em' EW. Enjoy the convergence of democracy at YearlyKos!
Posted by: KLynn | July 31, 2007 at 17:42
Silly empty-headed liberals! It's obvious you have absolutely no appreciation for the amount effort and coordination it takes to craft a lie of this magnitude !
First you have to get the whole gang together and make sure everyone knows their part.This is harder than you might think since almost everyone has to check with their lawyer first.Once you get everyone together, then you have write the damn thing! I know how much you people like that sort of thing in committee, but we hate it. You would too if you had to collaborate with Cheney. Then there are the endless rehearsals of the "story" Clearly, many of you have no idea how difficult it can be to remember "I can't recall" or the more complicated statement" Senator, I'll have to get back to you on that"particularly with thos pesky lights and microphones around.
What every good Republican knows is that you can't just lie off the cuff, you have to write the story before you try and tell it. We've tried this Ad Hoc stuff you liberals rely on and it just doesn't work. There's just too much thinking on your feet. While that might work for Rove you can't really expect George and Fredo to pull it off. Finally, we find it's best not to commit the "story" to paper because you people get so pissy when we change it later.
Grow up and go get real jobs!
Posted by: paulc | July 31, 2007 at 21:17
The unfolding of more crap and corruption still is ongoing folks! More shocking crimes and confessions involving government and industry. Lots more investigations as we speak, not yet public.
Keep monitoring!
Posted by: Flo | August 03, 2007 at 22:55
For more information for and about whistleblowers, read http://whistleblowersupporter.typepad.com. I will be updating as possible with new information and also some historical that helps illuminate patterns and history of corrupt individuals or organizations when considered together.
Posted by: Flo | August 03, 2007 at 22:58