Gonzales lied, Mueller... called him on it

My article about yesterday's testimony from FBI Director Robert Mueller is up here and there. It was about the most fascinating thing I've seen on Capitol Hill. If you can find the video on C-SPAN, go watch it. You'll see what happens to the face of a man whose conscience and loyalties are pulling him in two completely opposite directions:

At a House hearing Thursday, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller provided information that added to a growing body of evidence that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have perjured himself before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mueller appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the FBI's role in a number of controversial issues, including its use of National Security Letters. During questioning by committee Democrats, Mueller provided revealing testimony about the National Security Agency’s Terrorist Surveillance Program, which is at the center of the renewed scrutiny of Gonzales' recent congressional testimony.

The disclosures began about an hour into the hearing, when Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) asked Mueller about his reported discomfort with the NSA's domestic eavesdropping program. "Can you confirm that you had some serious reservations about the warrantless wiretapping program?" he asked. Mueller replied tersely, "Yes."...

Mueller also revealed that he had taken notes of his conversations with Comey and Ashcroft. If made public, these documents could further damage Attorney General Gonzales' version of events. Rep. Arthur Davis (D-AL) asked Mueller why he had taken notes of his meeting with Ashcroft.

"It was out of the ordinary," Mueller replied.   

"What was out of the ordinary Mr. Mueller?" Davis asked.   

"Being asked to go to the hospital and be present at that time."   

When Davis asked if there were any reasons why he might mot submit his notes from the conversation with Ashcroft to the committee, Mueller answered, "Deliberative privilege." Davis said that he "would certainly ask this committee and our colleagues in the Senate to make a formal inquiry to obtain those notes."

Shortly after the hearing, Rep. Conyers officially requested that Mueller delivered his notes to the committee by August 1.    

Comments

[JimPortlandOR]

Wow. "Top Story" at MoJo and front page at Am. Prospect! Nice nice nice.

For the life of me I can't understand what Gonzales was trying to do with the 'not TSP, some other program' line he was trying to sell. You can't lie when there are multiple witnesses from the not-Bush-loyalist world and expect not to be challenged - particularly if Gonzo was trying to imply/reveal that there was yet another program that wasn't authorized by Congress.

Something is still very rotten here, and the reporter who gets into this deeply enough to find why Gonzo did this will have a major scoop. In effect, Gonzo was saying that there was another program so important to BushCo that they felt they had to overrule Comey by getting to Ashcroft even on his sickbed. Why would BushCo want to reveal this possible program instead of just accepting that TSP was modified by Bush at the last minute by Comey and Mueller's opposition while they went around Gonzo and Card?

And why was Mueller the one that had the direct conversation with Bush, with Comey waiting outside? This is just bizarre.

[Brian]

I have NO idea what was going through his head. I imagine he thinks he'll be able to construe *parts* of the TSP as "different intelligence activities", but I don't think that'll wash. Any bets on pardon dates?

[Barry]

I have a feeling that he'll combined 'different programs' with refusal to reveal just what and how many there are.

However, it's clear by now that (a) he's a poor liar and (b) he doesn't have to be a good one - Bush backs him. Until the Democrats grow some balls.