[Davis Democrats] Howard Dean, DNC, calls Bush firing of 8 U.S.Attorneys during ongoing investigations-a "Watergate" -FOIA

[John Chendo]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Gov. Howard Dean" <democraticparty at democrats.org>
Reply-To: <dnc-003jG03TRo at mailer.democrats.org>
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:06:33 -0500
To: john chendo <jac07 at dcn.davis.ca.us>
Subject: How far does this go?

  
    
   <http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA>
Dear john, This could be George Bush's Watergate. Eight U.S. Attorneys,
fired because they wouldn't follow orders by the Bush Administration. Fired
because they refused to go on witch-hunts against Democrats, or ignored the
Republicans' blatant disregard for the law. Fired so that they could be
replaced by talking heads and loyalists of the Bush Administration. When
Scooter Libby was convicted, I said that this administration reminded me of
Richard Nixon's administration -- more obsessed with their critics than with
the jobs the American people entrust them with. But this latest White House
scandal takes that comparison to another level. Just what did George Bush,
Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales and the rest of the Bush White House and
Republican senior staff know about the Justice Department firings -- and
when did they know it? Join us in our effort to use the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) to try to cut through the White House's nonsense --
the finger-pointing, the lies, the cover-up. Americans have a right to
access any and all records between the Republican National Committee, other
Republican party committees, and the Department of Justice in order to get
to the bottom of this investigation. Sign our FOIA request:
http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA
<http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA> "I can accept that mistakes were
made." When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales uttered those words yesterday,
he admitted what many had suspected: that eight U.S. prosecutors were
improperly fired -- and, because of a Patriot Act provision slipped in by
Congressional Republicans, replaced with Bush Administration cronies. The
fired attorneys included:
* Carol Lam, who prosecuted former Republican Congressman Randy "Duke"
Cunningham for bribery, and who was actively investigating Republican House
Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis at the time of her dismissal;
* Paul Charlton, who was investigating Republican Congressman Rick Renzi for
bribery and illegal land dealings, and who had publicly clashed with the
Bush Administration over the merits of the death penalty; and
* David Iglesias, a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and the basis for Tom
Cruise's character in A Few Good Men, who was pressured by Republicans to
indict Democratic politicians prior to the 2006 elections.
In January, Gonzales claimed that he would "never, ever make a change in a
United States attorney for political reasons or if it would in any way
jeopardize an ongoing serious investigation." Justice Department officials
claimed the firings were part of standard personnel turnover. But when
questioned by Congress, Gonzales's deputy, Paul McNulty, claimed they were
fired for poor performance -- even though most of the fired attorneys had
received excellent performance reviews. Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and
President Bush himself were in contact with Gonzales's office about the
attorneys. Just weeks after Bush spoke to Gonzales, they were fired. Former
Washington state GOP Chairman Chris Vance admitted to pressuring fired U.S.
Attorney John McKay to investigate Democrats at the urging of the "White
House's political office." And emails released yesterday show that White
House deputy political director and former RNC opposition researcher J.
Scott Jennings used an RNC email account to talk with Justice Department
about the appointment of U.S. Attorney and former Karl Rove aide Tim
Griffin. These revelations raise even more questions -- and it's time for
answers. Add your name to the FOIA Request, and demand accountability from
the White House: http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA
<http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA> In an all-too-familiar scene,
Gonzales's chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, resigned over the scandal. But we
won't let Sampson be the fall guy for another Bush Administration cover-up.
Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, already took the fall for the
Bush Administration's orchestrated leak of a CIA agent's identity. And
incompetent FEMA Director and Bush buddy Michael Brown took the fall for our
president's disgraceful reaction to Hurricane Katrina -- while the Gulf
Coast remains in shambles. Just like the Nixon Administration, cronyism and
corruption has hollowed this White House from the inside-out. It's time for
Republicans to stop spinning such a tangled web of deceit to get what they
want. Some Democratic Senators have already called for Alberto Gonzales's
resignation. But this is part of a much bigger problem. The purge of U.S.
Attorneys wasn't a "mistake," as Alberto Gonzales claims. It was part of a
long, calculated effort by the Bush Administration and the Republican Party
to silence its critics and remain above the law. Help us use this FOIA
request to go beyond the lies and reveal the truth behind the White House,
Justice Department, and Republican Party's corruption. The American people
deserve nothing less: http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA
<http://www.democrats.org/AttorneysFOIA> Sincerely, Governor Howard Dean,
M.D. 

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