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A Serious Disagreement

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 05:07:54 PM EST
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Remember when Alberto Gonzales assured the Senate that "there has not been any serious disagreement" about the NSA's domestic surveillance program within the administration? Consider this:

The administration was sharply divided over the legality of President Bush's most controversial eavesdropping policies, a congressman quoted former Attorney General John Ashcroft as telling a House panel Thursday.

"It is very apparent to us that there was robust and enormous debate within the administration about the legal basis for the president's surveillance program," Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Ashcroft.

Oops. Another Gonzales lie exposed?

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    A Serious Disagreement | 5 comments (5 topical)

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    This one's simple. (none / 0) (#1)
    by manys on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 06:25:37 PM EST
    The program that caused the disagreement was not one of the "most controversial eavesdropping policies." It was some other policy, and everybody loved it.

    People need to break these things further than referring to "the president's surveillance program." It seems obvious that there was more than one, and not all of them were vetted through congress.

    Another lie? (none / 0) (#2)
    by BigMitch on Thu Jun 21, 2007 at 06:42:26 PM EST
    Gonzales later clarified that the Ashcroft-hospital incident concerned the program that he was talking about when he said that there was no serious disagreement within the administration.

    My personal take on it is this: After Comey spoke to the President some changes were made. After that point the program did not engender serious disagreement, according to Gonzales. It was the same program, only different.

    It's a pretty fine point, intended to mislead, but a sufficient defense to perjury.

    Please visit the Schapira blog, "What we know so far ...

    ... and tell 'em Big Mitch sent ya!

    I agree (none / 0) (#3)
    by Doh on Fri Jun 22, 2007 at 09:28:51 AM EST
    It's pretty clear that Gonzales put on a lot of qualifications about which exact program he was talking about that seemed odd at the time but in retrospect were designed to allow him to mislead Congress.

    Parent
    Not odd. (none / 0) (#5)
    by manys on Fri Jun 22, 2007 at 12:39:43 PM EST
    What other explanation was there, that Alberto is just a wordy talker?

    Parent
    Special treatment for Senator's (none / 0) (#4)
    by atlanta lawyer on Fri Jun 22, 2007 at 11:18:41 AM EST
    How come Ashcroft has a closed door meeting rather than a subpoena and testimony on the record?  Does he get a pass b/c he was once one of them?

    A Serious Disagreement | 5 comments (5 topical)

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