Parsing Gonzales

Messrs Johnston and Shane of the NY Times continues to puzzle over Attorney General Gonzales' controversial Senate testimony:

WASHINGTON, July 26 — The director of the F.B.I.  offered testimony Thursday  that sharply conflicted with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales’s sworn statements about a 2004 confrontation in which top Justice Department officials threatened to resign over a secret intelligence operation.

The director, Robert S. Mueller III, told the House Judiciary Committee that the confrontation was about the National Security Agency’s counterterrorist eavesdropping program, describing it as “an N.S.A. program that has been much discussed.” His testimony was a serious blow to Mr. Gonzales, who insisted at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that there were no disagreements inside the Bush administration about the program at the time of those discussions or at any other time.

However! 

In a four-hour appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Mr. Gonzales denied that the dispute arose over the Terrorist Surveillance Program, whose existence was confirmed by President Bush in December 2005 after it had been disclosed by The New York Times. Mr. Gonzales said it centered on “other intelligence activities.”

Brian Roehrkasse, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said Thursday night that Mr. Gonzales had testified truthfully, saying “confusion is inevitable when complicated classified activities are discussed in a public forum where the greatest care must be used not to compromise sensitive intelligence operations.”

The spokesman said that when Mr. Gonzales had said there had been no controversy about the eavesdropping operation, he was referring only to the program to intercept international communications that Mr. Bush publicly confirmed.

“The disagreement that occurred in March 2004 concerned the legal basis for intelligence activities that have not been publicly disclosed and that remain highly classified,” Mr. Roehrkasse said.

So, when is a program not a program?  Geez, couldn't you ask me about doors?  Anyway, yesterday we highlighted this cryptic comment from Rep. Jane Harman (D, CA). formerly the ranking member of the House Intel Committee:

“The program had different parts, but there was only one program,” Ms. Harman said, adding that Mr. Gonzales was “selectively declassifying information to defend his own conduct,” which she called improper.

One starts to suspect that Mr. Gonzales has a different view as to whether the different parts constitute one program or not.  As to whether his interpretation is sufficiently plausible to avoid an inquiry, I have no idea.  OK, I have some idea - with all this howling, I bet reasonable minds (if any are left in Washington) will agree that he was being awfully cute, at a minimum, and was lying, at a maximum.

It's still puzzling.  Gonzales is describing an intelligence briefing attended by four Democrats - how could he expect to lie about this and get away with it?

Comments

[hit and run]

maryrose:
H&R is safe now that Mrs. H&R is back.

Ah, she's back in the continental US, but not home. She's still in TX. You must still worry.

Bill in AZ:
I used to be able to get to the airport 10 minutes before departure time and make a flight with minutes to spare.

Yup. Two nights ago mrs hit and run got to the airport in Honolulu 45 minutes before her flight -- and they would not check her (and her sister) in. Simply refused. Against policy. They missed their flight and had to get on the same flight the next night...

[Seixon]

kim, where you asking me what Norwegians think of de Villepin? Well, I don't think that many Norwegians even know. Most of the large newspapers in Norway haven't even mentioned his scandal. Seems only the financial dailies here have expressed any interest in covering the case.

[Topsecretk9]

PUK

--THE DUPOCRAT PARTY,support us we're buying a bridge.--

HEH

[Topsecretk9]

Pelosi...BUSTED!

(Seriously, if this were Karl Rove's office or really any Republican's, EW would be furiously posting destruction of evidence and obstruction of justice posts like there was no tomorrow)

[BobS]

Schumer's pannicking over something.

I made the observation during the hearings that Schumer was trying to pin down both Roberts and Alito in advance on how they would rule on certain issues, so he could get them in an impeachment trap. Or like now, accuse them of lying.

Can we do the same thing with Justice Stevens now? Wasn't he the one who fooled GHW Bush?

I really think he's going top get more heat on this than he aticipated and will be out on an island with this. He's already declaring himself umpire on SCJ nominees again with a slot being available.

Or maybe he knows something we don't and one of the older lions is really sick.

[Carol Herman]

Bob S, thanks for adding that "key." I think you're onto something.

I didn't see how Schumer was trying to set up Alito and Roberts, though. Because once confirmed, these men are sworn in to serve in the LEGISLATIVE branch of our government.

Schumer? He replaced Senator Alphonze D'Amato, the pot hole senator from New York State. Not much of an improvement. When you need government "features" for your "bidness" you call the office of this senator. And, for money you buy what you need. But you are forever "indebted."

Besides, I think Roberts and Alito can handle themselves better, as lawyers, than Schumer can.

And, what I do think is happening, is that Schumer, (who can't seem to lay a glove on Bush), is now out to "expand" his "take down and take out" of republicans in government.

Also, I'm watching to see what happens in the Fall. As this "tactic" is supposed to shore up votes for the donks, come 2008.

Well, in my time I saw LBJ run home, after he couldn't win. And, who knows what's ahead for the Bonkeys? Now that Immigration Bill died in the senate. Because people who had no access to senators, complained a lot on the bloggosphere. (Drudge thought the bill was gonna pass; and I think he created panic when people tuned in his radio show. He then repeated this with headlines on his site; when Immigration Bill, seemed to get revived.) Unlike the elites, I do not discount majority opinion as part of America's will.

And, I am hoping, ahead, that the Bonkeys get crushed.

As to clowns like feinstein and schumer; I do remember that in my youth Yiddish was a common language for Jews. It's gone now. And, that's what happens when something "familiar" doesn't get passed onto the kids.

Today's kids? Not inside the temple where these freaks argue about parking spaces. By the way, Justice Setvens has been on the court since 1972. Don't blame Bush's dad.

[Sue]

Not me, cupcake. I want you to http://www.drudgereport.com/>talk and talk and talk.

[hit and run]

You know, now that I soberly reflect on Mr. Edwards, I should probably confess my distaste for him, especially as it regards his haircuts, is that I haven't paid for a haircut since August, 1994.

The last time I paid for a haircut?

The day before I drove from Tyler, TX to Houston, TX to ask mrs hit and run's parents for her hand in marriage.

Edwards sure is pretty.

But I've got mrs hit and run.

So bite me, former senator and failed vp candidate.

[VIMH: Why so hostile?]
I just miss mrs hit and run and the kids.

[clarice]

Villepin is in troubling for faking docs about Sarkozy..Sound familiar? Is should the Italians have always said it was French intel which paid for those forgeries and were behind their surfacing.

Maybe Joe did't lie when he said he saw them before the US got them.

Just saying, possums.

[hit and run]

I haven't paid for a haircut since August, 1994.

Shit. August, 1993. We got married in 1994. Sorry, mrs hit and run, I would never ever ever forget that blessed time in our lives. It was a typo, not a misremembering of that glorious period of my life.

[VIMH: You've already started hitting the bottle, haven't you?]
Uh, started? Neighbor's birthday party Wednesday, group from work baseball game Thursday and darts at a neighbors til 4:00am this morning....I don't know if it would be innacurate to say I haven't stopped hitting the bottle since mid week........

[clarice]

Just a hint. Clean up the place before she returns, Hit.

[hit and run]

That's excellent advice, Clarice. mrs hit and run has expressed her desire to come home to a clean house after previous trips. My "clean" is not her "clean". My "clean" is "picked up". Her "clean" is "scrubbed".

The place will be immaculate this time, not my doing, we have a housecleaner who came on Thursday.

The place will also be be-flowered. And whatever else I can think of to show mrs hit and run how happy I am to have her home.

It's weird. I'm sitting here laughing, because I'm sitting here crying about how much I miss her. I mean, I know I miss her. I always do when she's gone. But it's weird how I'm sitting here crying right now. Which makes me laugh.

[BobS]

Thanks, Carol.

But who is the SCOTUS Justice that was nominated by a REP President from the NE after being pushed by Sununu and a Senator with his conservative credentials being vouched for?

Maybe I have the President wrong and it was Reagan.

Anyway, I'm going to stay with my opinion about Schumer. I think he's made it his life's work to have the courts dominated by lefty jurists and will go to any lengthhao see it through.

Schumer wants to dominate the entire judiciary- DOJ, too- to keep ideological and political control in Dem hands.

[SWarren]

I believe it was David Souter who was nominated by the senior President Bush.

[Bill in AZ]

BobS - "Schumer wants to dominate the entire judiciary- DOJ, too- to keep ideological and political control in Dem hands."

The left in general, and Hillary in particular, need the deck stacked in the judicial branch of government with activist judges because they know they will never get their agenda done via the legislative or the executive branches. Hill and Bill did a lot of stacking in their 8 years - which is one of the reasons the libs went so ballistic when Bush tossed 8 of their attorneys. Good activist judges can "create" a lot of "legislation" from the bench.

[PeterUK]

"Just a hint. Clean up the place before she returns, Hit."

That means the bottles and the bandages.

[hit and run]

PUK:
That means the bottles and the bandages.

Those have been taken care of. But a reminder to hide the ER bills is very helpful...

[PeterUK]

The standing of the Judiciary Committee is going yp and up "If the Senators went any wilder, they'd be raising their shirts in exchange for beads."

[Sue]

Does Mrs. Hit & Run only get to read the posts that involve the missing and crying? What about those that involve liquor, darts and all night block parties? Just askin'...

::grin::

[hit and run]

Heh, I'm pretty sure she's never navigated JOM waters. I shudder to think she would.

All I do is make sure that she feels she would be embarrassed to read what I write here.

Well, ok, all I do is really write stuff that WOULD embarrass her here.

But, I do most certainly miss her.

[clarice]

I can't wait till Mrs. H returns and I can pass the torch of worry back to her capable hands.

[hit and run]

If only you knew mrs hit and runs' stories whilst she was in HI, the worry about me would become seen as obviously displaced.

I'm jus sayin

[Ralph L]

Wonder what blogs dmh usually reads if he takes massive offense at Carol's swipe?

[BobS]

If anyone gets a chnace, I'd appreciate it if you would take a peak at somthing I just blogged about. It involves the discrepancy in how the relationship between Petraus and Maliki is reported by the AP and the LA Times. I essentially observed that the Ap are being played-maybe willingly-by the al Sadr block

http://www.gettingpaidtowatch.com/?p=140

[hit and run]

Wow, BobS, that's a great story...great as in great job seeing that discrepancy.

Should get wider attention...

And Mets, eh. I've visited your blog before ... but never asked ... you an ex-Met? What years, position, etc?

I knew Kelly Stinnett when he was at Seminole JC, though he wouldn't recognize me today. Yeah, he's bounced around a lot, and he isn't really a Met per se. But he's my only connection to the Mets, so I'll name drop him shamelessly.

[BobS]

Thanks, H&R. I really have to upgrade that page. Type Pad lost all of it and I havent resubmitted anything. I was one of the athletic trainers for the Mets-nothing as famous as a player. I was there from 85 thru the 91 season-including the 86 Champ team. I am allmost out of athletics now and teach HS Bilogy to freshmen.

[hit and run]

Awesome, Bob. When I was playing ball in college, the trainers were female.

I had noooo problem with that back then. For some reason, I seemed to have lots of groin injuries.........

And I think I've told the story of my sophomore biology teacher before.....I failed the class in the fall, but he let me do makeup work to pass, allowing me to play baseball in the spring....and avoid the military school my dad had threatened me if I failed a class. That dude was kewl to someone who didn't deserve it...and really just wanted me to learn...I'll never forget it.

[hit and run]

sophomore biology teacher before

sophomore in highschool, that is....that was a big turning point in my life.

[MikeS]

but he let me do makeup work to pass

There may be a place for you on the Edwards Campaign!

[hit and run]

::blush::

But not before applying foundation, of course.

[hit and run]

And how is MikeS Jr doing? I still laugh at the memory of his kidnappee video...

[MikeS]

And how is MikeS Jr doing?

Right now he is a cowboy/vampire, and that's not a joke ...er, I guess I should say I'm not kidding.

[hit and run]

I went to his site the other day and watched some of the clips ... mafia or something, right? Good stuff. Tell him he has a fan on the intertubes.

[DubiousD]

According to Powerline, the NYT just reported that the NSA program Gonzales was testifying on was a data mining program, NOT the warrantless wiretap program.

[MikeS]

Thanks Hit. Will do.

[BobS]

H&R: I'm glad you have a fond memory of a teacher. Can't believe I mispelled Biology.

The Mets just tied the score against the Nats with a HR by Delgado....Sorry....should be putting this in my blog...yuk, yuk, yuk

[hit and run]

Just to make sure that I don't give a false impression that I completely reformed my ways in that HS biology class, I did show up for the final in the spring drunk. Well, maybe not drunk, but after a few drinks. The school only had an open campus lunch policy during finals, and, well, we were stupid enough to abuse it and go to a friend's house and play "Hi Bob" (Bob Newhart game, not BobS related!) for a while before the final.

But I did study, and did learn throughout the semester, and passed the final despite my stupidity.

There must have been some very intentional divine intervention for me to have lived as long as I have.

[BobS]

The things we used to get away with still amazes me

[kim]

BobS, the unnamed lawmaker from the Sadr faction said that Maliki "once said", implying to me that his statement about Petraeus was in the more distant past, rather than recently.
=======================================

[SWarren]

Well, Clinton killed Able Danger. Bush tried to continue the data mining with TTIA (Total Terrorism Information Awareness)program, but Congress defunded that. Looks like they want to (or already have)defunded Topsail too. Sheesh, these programs are necessary to KEEP US SAFE, Congress needs to keep their nose out of it!!

Check out [saic]TIA Lives On:
....As early as February 2003, the Pentagon planned to use Genoa IItechnologies at the Army's Information Awareness Center at Fort Belvoir,Va., according to an unclassified Defense budget document. The awarenesscenter was an early tester of various TIA tools, according to formeremployees. A 2003 Pentagon report to Congress shows that the Army centerwas part of an expansive network of intelligence agencies, including theNSA, that experimented with the tools. The center was also home to theArmy's Able Danger program, which has come under scrutiny after some ofits members said they used data-analysis tools to discover the name andphotograph of 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta more than a year before theattacks.

Devices developed under Genoa II's predecessor -- which Sharkey alsomanaged when he worked for the Defense Department -- were used during theinvasion of Afghanistan and as part of "the continuing war on terrorism,"according to an unclassified Defense budget document. Today, however, thefuture of Topsail is in question. A spokesman for the Air Force ResearchLaboratory in Rome, N.Y., which administers the program's contracts, saidit's "in the process of being canceled due to lack of funds."

It is unclear when funding for Topsail was terminated. But earlier this month, at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing [2], one of TIA's strongest critics questioned whether intelligence officials knew that some of its programs had been moved to other agencies.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.,asked Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte and FBI Director Robert Mueller whether it was "correct that when [TIA] was closed, that several ... projects were moved to various intelligence agencies.... I and others on this panel led the effort to close [TIA]; we want to know if Mr. Poindexter's programs are going on somewhere else."

Negroponte and Mueller said they didn't know. But Negroponte's deputy,Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who until recently was director of the NSA, said,"I'd like to answer in closed session.".....

http://vision.moundalexis.com/pipermail/saic/2006-February/000644.html

[clarice]

Computer problems and work take me away for a few hours and-whoosh---BobS becomes best friends with Hit..You can't leave his place for a minute.

[BobS]

Kim: My point is that the two articvles are sourced differently, with the AP source using an ally of Moqtad al Sadr. The AP story is also advancing something that was not said by Maliki, when they said the US could leave any time they wanted. This, too, is inaccurate, that was taken out of context and Maliki indicated that wasn't what he was saying with the rest of his answer. The Ap was the only news organizatioin advancing that.

The LATimes story downplays the demand to remove Petraus.

Elements in both stories looked at side-by-side show the pattern of AP bias toward the ides of al Sadr and his political allies. Its them and not Maliki who are pushing for Petraus removal.

Their complaints include the US being in control of the Iraqi military and want control so they can call them off al Sadr's Mahdi army which are being kicked around by Petraus. Small wonder they want him out. Also recall that Maliki kept previous US operations off of al Sadr before the surge.

Maybe this is continued instruction for Petraus and Bush and that Maliki is too closely alligned with al Sadr.