Most ironic reason for firing of a USA - Gonzo says McKay was fired for "bad judgment." Well? When will you submit your resignation for your consistently poor judgment, Mr, Gonzales?

Gonzo on Biskupic: Yes he was on the firing list and Gonzo does not know why he was taken off the list. Gonzo has no idea why he was on a list and he has no idea why he was not on the list. What Gonnzo is saying is he just rubberstamped the list prepared by Sampson, whose list was basically prepared by the White House, Rove and Meirs.

Hilarious Otter moment: Gonzo won't sit there and listen to you attack the integrity of the wonderful career folks at the Justice Department. Cue the Star Spangled Banner.

Update [2007-4-19 11:22:51 by Big Tent Democrat]: Senator Feinstein asks key questions, whose idea was it to submit an amendment to the conference on the Patriot Act, bypassing the Judiciary Committee, at the 11th hour, Gonzo tapdances?

Senator Feinstein asks so who decided? You say in your opening statement that you did not DECIDE. Then you say you did. So who decided and why not you? Gonzo blusters. Feinstein asks if Gonzo is willing to say he decided to fire the USAs? HE sort of says yes. Then Feinstein asks and you made the decision without reviewing performance evaluations? Gonzo says after hemming and hawing, yes.

Gonzo has been trained to ask for documents that are being read into the record. Heh.

Feinstein lays out the record on Carol Lam, outstanding. The firing of Lam is indefensible.

Dianne Feinstein kicked butt.

Update [2007-4-19 12:12:24 by Big Tent Democrat]: The hearing continues. Sen. Jeff Sessions questions Gonzo's handling of voter fraud issues and the criticism of USAs' handling of voter fraud cases.

With "supporters saying this:

“It has raised questions that I wish had not been raised, because when United States attorneys go into court, they have to appear before juries, and those juries have to believe that they’re there because of the merit of the case, and that they have personal integrity,” Mr. Sessions said. “So this matter’s taken on a bit of life of its own, it seems,” he added. “Your ability to lead the Department of Justice is in question. I wish that weren’t not so, but I think it certainly is.”

Update [2007-4-19 12:51:30 by Big Tent Democrat]: I did not get to see much of Feingold or Schumer so I am stealing from Josh Marshall:

Sen. Feingold (D-WI) had one of the clearest and most damning exchanges with AG Gonzales earlier this morning. He made a clear and devastating point. The AG says not he's really aware of what input, advice and views went into compiling the list of fired US Attorneys. He fired the US Attorneys based on that list. But he's certain that no improper motives went into the compilation of the list, even though he's not aware of how the list was assembled or why different people's names were put on it. That's a logical contradiction.

. . . Sen. Schumer (D-NY) catches Mr. Gonzales in one of several lies. Gonzales says Carol Lam was well aware of the DOJ's concerns about her immigration policy. Lam says that's false. Kyle Sampson says that's false. The documents say that's false.

. . . This is a telling moment for Gonzales since not only is he lying but he doesn't even seem to be even marginally prepped with what's in the public record.

Late Update: Now Sen. Schumer is confronting Gonzales with his lies to Sen. Pryor (D-AR).

Gonzo is having a bad day I think.