The resignation of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today did little to silence his critics or calm the Democratic assault on the White House.
"This resignation is not the end of the story," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. "Congress must get to the bottom of this mess and follow the facts where they lead, into the White House."
Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the resignation leaves a lingering "cloud of suspicion that the system of justice has been manipulated for political purposes."
"Unfortunately, the continued stonewalling of the White House in the U.S. attorney scandal has deprived the American people of the truth," the Michigan Democrat said. "If the power of the prosecutor has been misused in the name of partisanship, we deserve a full airing of the facts. The responsibility to uncover these facts is still on the Congress, and the Judiciary Committee in particular."
Melanie Sloan, executive director of the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said the resignation was "overdue" and called for continued congressional hearings and an investigation by a special prosecutor.
"Questions of whether Justice Department officials lied to Congress, conducted criminal inquiries to further political ends, illegally fired U.S. attorneys and made hiring decisions based on political affiliation still merit investigation regardless of Mr. Gonzales' resignation," she said.
-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times
Comments (9)
"Congress must get to the bottom of this mess"
Mr Reid, Congress is aleady at the bottom, just look at your approval ratings.
Posted by Ray | August 27, 2007 11:28 AM
Gonzo was the tip of the iceberg, an errand boy. Politicizing government, and especially the Justice Department must be punished if we are to restore faith in our public servants.
Posted by Paul | August 27, 2007 12:28 PM
Gonzalez belongs in court - as a defendant - along with his former boss. If there is any justice left in this country this administration should be held accountable for all the heinous acts it has committed in the name of "the war on terror" an obvious misnomer meant to intimidate the wobbly kneed masses who only want to be safe at any cost, including covert enslavement.
Posted by Johny quest | August 27, 2007 1:17 PM
Even though "Congress is aleady at the bottom", Congress STILL must get to the "bottom" of this mess, which is the current level of the Bush White House!
Posted by JoJo | August 27, 2007 1:18 PM
So are so right Ray, Congress has definitely moved into the neighborhood of Depressingly Low Approval Ratings Estates. Long time resident George Bush even held a "welcome party" for them...
Posted by Hammermill | August 27, 2007 1:20 PM
Removing Rove and Gonzales from public view changes what?
Bush and Congress continue to ignore the Will of the People, break our Laws and waste trillions of deficit dollars borrowed in the names or our grandchildren to enrich themselves, Special Interests and pursue THEIR AGENDA.
Really, what has changed?
Posted by x32792 | August 27, 2007 1:26 PM
The key to the Democratic agenda is Harry Reid's statement about doing what they feel is right for the nation. It is called a circular reference, political limit cycle. Regardless of what direction the Democrats have been given from their constituency with respect to change, it will always result in a return to one single point attractor, blame the administration. The action will result in another series of hearings, more destructive and divisive rhethoric without substance and NOTHING getting done for the nation. Oh yeah, minimum wage was a real hot button issue.
Posted by Larry Stone | August 28, 2007 3:28 AM
Yeah Larry God forbid the Dems end up creating the same fiasco your party did against Bill Clinton, except one difference, Bill just cheated on his wife, Gonzales cheated the country. I think some investigation is clearly acceptable.
Posted by Brian K | August 28, 2007 12:14 PM
It's interesting that relativism always provides benchmark justification for adolescent vengeance. My party? I think they need to throw them all out of Congress or at least provide for national term limits to evict the embedded blame model.
Posted by Larry Stone | August 28, 2007 3:01 PM