Sampson obviously took his Fifth BEFORE he went in to testify.

He's going to fall on the sword for Rove and others.

The key word here is "priorities". The prosecutors were fired because they were not following Bush's priorities. I knew when Pam was excited yesterday about this testimony by Gonzales's ex-aide I did not want to burst her bubble knowing how this guy and the administration would define priorities. That the administration (and the aide) would define priorities as meaning Bush's governing policies and not his or the republican party's poilitical agenda, and that the President has the right to remove the same for not enforcing policy. So it comes down to one word. And further investigation will depend on if those hearing the testimony buy this crap as well as the American people.

Gee, he seems to have a bad memory....

Wow - Schumer just got him to say basically that Gonzales was lying. He may be trying to fall on his sword, but he's going take Gonzo with him.

Watching the movie,ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, the other day, I realized that the ideology of the Bush administration is finally falling apart. When republicans hired by this Bush administration essentially show their disdain in being fired, we see a group of people trying to hold onto said jobs despite their removal. Which showa that even these "ideologues" will not exit as the White House should like and that these people desire to retain their positions. The notion of loyalty was strong in the Nixon administration as well which comes through from the movie. And Mr. Bush insists upon loyalty apparently at all cost. These eight attorneys are demonstrating that essential things as jobs and an income may actually be more important than going quietly in the night. Sampson's supposed "quitting his job" appears to be a "phoney Poindexter" in that despite his attempts to stop or quash the nefarious firings, he will probably shed more light on the doings of this faulty Justice Department and the Attorney General more than he would have wished. It is amazing what an oath can bring out which obviously points to having Mier and Rove without question being sworn in under that oath. A minnie Watergate? Me thinks it is simply getting under way.

This would be Kyle Sampson kissing Fredo on the mouth. Fishing boat trip in 5... 4....

C A - Thanks for kindly not wanting to “burst my bubble”; however I should have known better. I watched in horror last night via media links and came to that sad and deflating conclusion. You were right again once more. I do find both interesting and quite possibly a telling sign of the future of Alberto Gonzalez in Sampson’s' testimony. It clearly conflicts with the words we have heard from the mouth of the AG himself. In addition, his testimony has also proved that both Karl Rove and Harriet Miers were involved, and most likely, in an inappropriate manner. I was hoping for more blistering testimony, or "the complete truth"; however Sampson is attempting to justify the firings, with just more “blind” support of his former boss. Congress was lied to about the "reasons" for these firings, and that cannot be dismissed by anyone. Sampson’s "personal" definitions of words like "priority is the same as performance" is not only insulting to me, it just shows how far anyone associated with this Administration will go to stretch the truth into a rubber band long enough to circle planet earth dozens of times over!! He really should invest in a thesaurus!!

Time to use the "Guns of Navarone" treatment on the whole White House Posse. Scopolamine at High Noon.

the way this admin. defines words makes Clinton look like a 1st grader when he asked define "is". I just wish honesty and integrety had a place in their philosphy.

Pam: No problem, but take heart. This administration and the Dems will go on biting at each other until Bush leaves office one way or another. And then we will have a new administration and we know that a new administration can't be any worse, and most likely will be better, than what we have now. A concern I do have is that this country is currently engrossed in these internal political struggles, while others are attending to their presidentail bids, while others are argueing over a kid who can't sing on American Idol, while this pressure cooker in the middle east is rising in temperature. I hope we do not take our eye off the ball. We can't depend on Bush to know what is going on in other parts of the world with any kind of confidence. Frankly, if I were an enemy of the US, seen or unseen, I would be saying to myself these folks are ripe for a major confrontation. We need to spend more time and attention on securing our borders now, something Bush has failed to do, assisting Britain in the release of their sailors through diplomacy (although our creditability in this part of the world is shot because of this administration so I don't know if we can be much help), and keeping a close eye on Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and yes Russia. One just hopes that we can change administrations before any major foreign policy moves are required. I'm just not sure those who mean us harm will wait knowing that Bush has tied us down in Iraq and has worn out our military personnel. These are frightening times.

mikeeg.abdn,wa - I beg to differ. While Clinton did lie under oath and that cannot be disputed; when I saw/heard President Clinton state, "that depends on what your definition of "is" is, I turned to my sister and at the same time we stated, "That man is brilliant". He didn't ask for the definition, he merely showed his brilliance, which is why his presidency rocked. Sadly, this country's leader went from road scholar to IDIOT!!

C A - How right you are again!! We just need to look at the conflict between Israel and Palestine for proof of Bush's complete lack of effort whatsoever in peace making attempts. As President Jimmy Carter recently said regarding this above conflict, "George W. Bush just didn't drop the ball, he never picked it up". How true that statement is. Also, you are correct, as I have been long afraid that because of Iraq, our position to fight off any military or other attack against this country has been greatly threatened, to say the least. It scares me!!

As long as you have those who are willing to fall on their swords for the deeds and misdeeds of others, nothing will be resolved properly. I just don't understand the mojo Karl Rove must have for so many to take his blame. Perhaps one need tabulate or list the actions of each of the fired US attorneys and who they were prosecuting or attempting to prosecute in order to get a better idea of what is being covered up. When Patrick Fitzgerald's name was mentioned for the firing list even though he was special prosecutor for Libby's case smacks of interference and corruption. Afterall, it's not so much about impropriety as it is the appearance of impropriety. Furthermore, shouldn't the work of attorney's and justice be unemcumbered whether they are appointees or not?

I keep hearing that the disposition of the US attorneys is completely dependent upon the whim of the President. Aren't there any basic rights due them as would be due to any employee in the US? My boss can't just arbitrarily fire me. Do these attorneys have any basic protections under the law? Maybe it could be as easy as filing an EEOC complaint. Or perhaps I'm too old to be this naive....

Anthony: I'm not sure if Virginia is an "at-will" state but I bet it is. And if it is yes your boss can just fire you arbitrarily. Most states are still "at-will" states which means under the law your employer can fire you for any reason, no reason. They don't even have to give you a reason. Your employer cannot discriminate against you under EEOC, Age Discrimination Laws, ADA, or other laws protecting certain classes of people, but they can fire you at their pleasure. And if you happen to be a white male under the age of 40 and are not disabled in any way, you are really shit out of luck.

C A: Louisiana is a fire at will state, & what you said is so true

"Gonzales was at the heart of the firings despite ever-changing Justice Department accounts of how they were planned; that some of the prosecutors were fired for political reasons; and that White House officials - including presidential counselor Karl Rove - played more than a limited role in the firings." - As far as I'm concerned, this quote is more than a sufficient reason for Rove, Miers, and ANYONE else involved to testify, under oath, by Congress. The string of lies, while not at all surprising considering this Administration, demands such action be taken, and sooner rather than later!!

C A - Your assessment of "at will" employment is correct, as we have it in California. However, if a manager one day calls an employee into his/her office and that employee is terminated with no reason given - look out!! I was a department manager for the largest waste hauling and recycling company in the world. I witnessed serious violations, complete disregard for federal and state laws, which horrifically resulted in one employee losing both legs, and dying within three days. I had attempted multiple times, and in vain, to speak with the District Manager regarding egregious safety violations, in addition to the DOT and OSHA violations. Sadly, his "bottom line" was more important, and I was ignored. After this poor man lost his life, I was "asked to leave" and given no reason. While appalled, as I too, had stellar reviews, I "knew" full well what the reason was. I immediately hired a labor law attorney, not for compensation; but to ensure the correction of these violations. In addition, I sent a 14-page letter to both regional and corporate high ranking executives across the country. My complaints were immediately addressed and investigated, and I also received several months of what they called "severance pay". In addition, I have assisted several people who experienced situations such as mine, or were terminated with no reason given. Therefore, unless an employer is wearing a "please sue me" sign on their forehead, they best be careful in California, prior to using "at will" as their "excuse" for termination without explanation.

Pam, Texas is an "at will" state, with the exception of firing someone because they refuse to perform an illegal act. Good luck proving that's the only reason, however.

Scott in South Texas - No, that's not what I meant. California is an "at will" state in name only. Lawsuits have been filed by terminated employees, and won, for "wrongful termination". When the "at will" argument is used, employers have been either forced to admit "why" the employee was terminated, or they settle out of court. Either scenario usually results in compensation to the "at will terminated" employee. The "At will" employment law is not worth the toilet paper it is written on in California. I personally find it appalling that someone can be terminated and given no reason. Also, I don't know about Texas; however, again, try firing someone in California without giving an excuse. Should that former employee file a "wrongful termination" suit in a civil court, the employee will win. This has been demonstrated over and over again. Many employers were using "at will" to terminate employment of long-time and higher paid employees, to hire new employees at a much lower pay rate. These employers always lose, or settle out of court. If there is "just cause" for termination, and many times there is, this must be documented in the employees' personnel file. "Progressive discipline" is also used to rightly terminate employment. In addition, this "discipline" must be handled in a consistent manner with regards to other employees, or again, even the rightfully terminated employee will prevail in court.

Thanx, Pam. I wasn't arguing with you, I was just contributing. Didn't mean to step on your tootsies.

Scott in South Texas - Oh you didn't at all!! I appreciated your comments, and wasn't sure how Texas applied its' "at will" laws, or if they have been misused as they were in California. This misuse by employers was a disgrace and the guilty ones got what they deserved. Thanks!!

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