Mueller v. Gonzales ... liar!
Gonzales... a liar? That's the word on the streets in Washington today, where FBI Director Robert Mueller contradicted the sworn testimony of his boss, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Despite Gonzales' repeated affirmation to the House Judiciary Committee that the warrantless surveillance program caused no internal debates on Pennsylvania Avenue, it seems there might have been some talk after all. According to Mueller, the program was a topic of heated debate.
This latest blow to Gonzales casts further doubt on his credibility, and seemingly marks the first public confirmation from a Bush administration official that the NSA's program was a factor in that infamous bedside hospital visit with then Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Inside the Beltway, they're circling the wagons. "He tells the half-truth, the partial truth, and anything but the truth,' said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), whose longstanding battle with Gonzales is no secret. But the White House is siding with Gonzales. Read more about Mueller's testimony from VOA, the fallout from the Tribune, Senate response from NYT, and UPI's short, sweet, and digged version.
- Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith
