U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday accepted responsibility for the poor handling of the firings of eight U.S. attorneys and for inaccurate public statements he made about them, but he insisted that the ultimate decisions were sound and not guided by politics.
Gonzales made his remarks while under blistering cross-examination by the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose members greeted his defense with skepticism.
“How can you know that none of them were removed for improper reasons,” demanded Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass. “How can you give us those assurances since you had a limited involvement, the process wasn’t vigorous and you left it basically to somebody else?”
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the highest–ranking member of the committee from Gonzales’ party, cut him no slack.
He began by telling Gonzales that his statements during the hearing continued to be less than truthful. Specifically, Specter said Gonzales was wrong to maintain that he was involved in the firing decisions only in a limited way, when dozens of internal e-mails suggest otherwise.
“That is just a very basic, fundamental fact,” Specter said.
Specter and Gonzales engaged in one of the most pointed exchanges of the day when the attorney general, in an apparent attempt at self-effacement, volunteered that he prepares for all of his appearances before the Judiciary Committee.
“Do you prepare for all your press conferences?” Specter shot back, a reference to Gonzales’ inaccurate statements to journalists about the level of his involvement in the firings.
“Senator, I didn’t say that I was always prepared,” Gonzales stammered with sudden soberness in a voice that wavered at times. “I said I prepared for every hearing.”
After some awkward back–and–forth, Specter wagged his finger at Gonzales and said: “Let’s move on. I don’t think you’re going to win a debate about your preparation, frankly.”
Nor did Gonzales find any comfort from two of the Bush administration’s most unflagging supporters on the committee.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has known President Bush and Gonzales for years, called the situation “deplorable.”
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who has tirelessly defended the administration for six years, appeared out of patience at the hearing. At one point, Gonzales told Sessions he could not recall a specific meeting at which the firings were discussed.
“I’m concerned about your recollection, really, because it’s not that long ago,” Sessions replied. “It was an important issue and that’s troubling to me, I’ve got to tell you.”
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the most junior Republican on the committee, went even further. The firings were handled “incompetently” and Gonzales’ explanation of them was “atrocious,” Coburn told the attorney general. “And I believe the best way to put this behind us is your resignation.”
Throughout the hearing, Gonzales was foggy on details and demonstrated only a weak grasp of top-level operations inside the Department of Justice.
When Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., read Gonzales some of his own quotes, he asked what she read from and said he didn’t recall making any such comments.
“I’m referring to something entitled, ‘Statement of Alberto Gonzales,’ ” said Feinstein, holding up Gonzales’ prepared testimony for the hearing.
“Oh, the written statement,” Gonzales responded lamely as laughter erupted in the hearing room.
