|
Gloves come off early in Gonzales hearing |
|
By Klaus Marre and Susan Crabtree
|
|
Posted: 04/19/07 11:01 AM [ET] |
|
Senators did not hold punches for long in the ongoing Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales regarding the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Both panel Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking Republican Arlen Specter (Pa.) immediately went after Gonzales, grilling the attorney general on his role in the firings and the perceived inconsistencies between public statements made by Gonzales on one hand, and other sources, including testimony of his former chief of staff and internal Department of Justice e-mails. “The purpose of this Senate oversight hearing is to determine this committee’s judgment as to whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should continue in that capacity,” Specter said in his opening remarks. “This is as important a hearing as I can recall, short of the confirmation of Supreme Court justices; more important than your confirmation hearing,” Specter added. “In a sense, it is a reconfirmation hearing.” Another Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) agreed that the hearing Thursday is a “make or break” point for Gonzales. |
