This seems like good news to me
Things seem to be falling apart for Bush and Gonzalez, and yesterday's news seems like one more slip for them.
You've already heard it: Paul McNulty, the Deputy Attorney General (that's right, not a Deputy Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General), announced his resignation yesterday.
So what, you say. He isn't the first guy to be thrown to the side to protect Gonzalez, right?
I think the difference is that he seems to have made the decision himself. We know the pattern: it's Friday afternoon, 4:30 or 5:00, and here comes another document dump or resignation of someone who suddenly wants to spend more time with his family, and all of a sudden what should have been a big story gets buried in the news of the latest horse race, movie release, or gasoline price spike.
It also appears that McNulty has been on the outs with Gonzalez lately. Friends of Mr. McNulty said he had tried to be candid about what he knew of the removals. In his private Congressional testimony, Mr. McNulty said he did not realize until later the extensive White House involvement in Mr. Griffin’s appointment or Mr. Sampson’s nearly year-long effort to compile a list.
White House aides complained privately that Mr. McNulty’s testimony gave Democrats a significant opening to demand more testimony from the Justice Department and presidential aides. Several aides said he should have been combative in defending the dismissals.
So what does it mean that McNulty made this announcement on Monday? I think if the Bushies were controlling this it would have happened last Friday or would have been held to this Friday. The fact that the announcement came at a time when it would actually get some news coverage suggests that they aren't controlling this, and he is doing this for his own reasons.
It will be interesting to see what he has to say.
You've already heard it: Paul McNulty, the Deputy Attorney General (that's right, not a Deputy Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General), announced his resignation yesterday.
So what, you say. He isn't the first guy to be thrown to the side to protect Gonzalez, right?
I think the difference is that he seems to have made the decision himself. We know the pattern: it's Friday afternoon, 4:30 or 5:00, and here comes another document dump or resignation of someone who suddenly wants to spend more time with his family, and all of a sudden what should have been a big story gets buried in the news of the latest horse race, movie release, or gasoline price spike.
It also appears that McNulty has been on the outs with Gonzalez lately. Friends of Mr. McNulty said he had tried to be candid about what he knew of the removals. In his private Congressional testimony, Mr. McNulty said he did not realize until later the extensive White House involvement in Mr. Griffin’s appointment or Mr. Sampson’s nearly year-long effort to compile a list.
White House aides complained privately that Mr. McNulty’s testimony gave Democrats a significant opening to demand more testimony from the Justice Department and presidential aides. Several aides said he should have been combative in defending the dismissals.
So what does it mean that McNulty made this announcement on Monday? I think if the Bushies were controlling this it would have happened last Friday or would have been held to this Friday. The fact that the announcement came at a time when it would actually get some news coverage suggests that they aren't controlling this, and he is doing this for his own reasons.
It will be interesting to see what he has to say.
posted by Jack McCullough at 8:08 AM
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