The midnight ride of Deputy Comey
Wow, I never thought I'd miss ol' John Ashcroft .. the Attorney General who used $8,000 of our money to cover the bare breasts of lady statues in the Justice Dept. hallways .. even the beautiful art-deco "Spirit of Justice" statue .. or Minnie Lou as she's affectionately called by DC insiders. She has presided over many a news conference since 1936.
Ashcroft explained that he was tired of having his picture taken with half-clad ladies .. so he had them draped with blue fabric .. so no more giant naked aluminum breast looming over his shoulder and sailing into the annals of history with him.
Anyway, I miss him, compared to the AG we have today. Ashcroft was quirky but harmless.
Ashcroft's former deputy, James Comey told a tale to Congress this past week that sounds like something from that scene in "The Godfather" when Don Corleone is left alone and vulnerable in his hospital bed, and Michael rushes to save him.
And, now I learn that not everyone in the White House drank Bush Koolaid. Ashcroft had refused to sign off on a reauthorization of Bush's warrantless domestic electronic surveillance program until changes were made. Seems it was .. well, illegal.
Ashcroft has emergency surgery the night before the authorization was to expire. Gonzales and Card go hustlin' up to the hospital .. maybe hoping to find Ashcroft medicated enough to sign off on this eavesdropping plan. That Comey and others at the Justice Department had already called legally indefensible.
Some people think Gonzales and Card were trying to monkey around with the date on the paper .. pre-date it maybe ...
Janet Ashcroft is a hero, she alerted Comey that Card and Gonzales were on their way to the hospital .. she had told them over the phone to leave John alone, but they ignored her. When Comey appeared she was standing by her husband's bed. Ashcroft was in pain and on meds.
The man was in intensive care.
The Righties are poo-pooing his pain, Tony Snow said it was only his gall bladder. Anyone who has gone through gallstone pancreatitis knows how painful it can be.
Comey said he raced up stairs instead of taking the elevator .. and told FBI Director Robert Mueller to tell his agents guarding Ashcroft not to let Card and Gonzales evict Comey from the room.
Evict the acting Attorney General from the room! What does that tell you about the climate in this White House? That people have to go to extremes to protect themselves. Boy, at the tattle-tale books waiting to be written...
"Ashcroft "lifted his head off the pillow and in very strong terms expressed his view of the matter [that Comey was right], and as he laid back down, he said, 'But that doesn't matter, because I'm not the Attorney General. There is the Attorney General.' And he pointed to me."
Gonzales and Card "did not acknowledge me," Comey testified. "They turned and walked from the room."
"A few minutes after the bedside confrontation, Card called the hospital. He "demanded that I come to the White House immediately," Comey testified. "I responded that, after the conduct I had just witnessed, I would not meet with him without a witness present."
Comey described the visit as "an effort to take advantage of a very sick man."
What's up with that! A wild tale indeed .. but Comey was under oath. And with the others in the room--Janet, FBI, guards-- it would seem easy enough to confirm Mr. Comey's recall of events.
There are also phone records and hospital visitation records that can be subpoenaed. And legally too, wink, wink.
What we're now learning is that there was dang near an Insurrection in the Justice Department .. Comey and other high-ranking officials threatened to resign if the White House continued the surveillance program as it was written then.
The program was reauthorized without the Justice Department's approval the very next day .. Comey said he drafted a resignation letter.
Comey testified that he was waiting to resign until Ashcroft was well enough to resign with him. It's just too bad Ashcroft kept his mouth shut after he left office.
Though, Bush and Cheney did agree to the changes in the program eventually.
Anyway .. here's a link if you want to read about it:
And a video portion of Comey's testimony:
