This past Sunday, I watched in mild amazement as the pundits on various shows tried to parse the issue of perjury. It seems that the Supreme Court has ruled that truth is an absolute defense against charges of perjury, even in cases where the truth was stated in a manner calculated to be misleading. This has caused people to wonder if Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General of the United States, has been cleverly parsing his words so as to be entirely misleading while also technically truthful.
Frankly, I doubt he’s that clever. But in the end, the question of his technical truthfulness is a matter of concern only in any eventual criminal proceeding. When it comes to the matter of impeachment, I think we can safely say that having a civil officer of the United States give so much thought and effort to misleading Congress should at least be considered a grave breech of his oath of office. After all, he swore to uphold and defend the Constitution and by attempting to circumvent the oversight role of Congress in such a venal fashion he has surely failed in that most basic duty.
This administration has shown nothing but contempt for any action of Congress that doesn’t exactly conform to the demands of Bush & Co. Perhaps they believe that in this post-9/11 world, we can’t afford to be a democracy anymore. Unfortunately for them, the founders didn’t provide for a means for the Constitution to be suspended. Nor did the founders provide for the conversion of a presidency into a dictatorship – even in a national emergency.
Please, contact your federal Representative and tell him or her that Congress must act to preserve its institutional integrity. We cannot have a justice department lead by a man who believes that it is acceptable to either lie or mislead when under oath. We cannot have a chief law enforcement officer who so publicly flouts the law. We cannot continue to have Alberto Gonzales. Impeachment is the right solution for what has become a national embarrassment.
To find out who your federal representative is and to e-mail her or him, visit Project Vote Smart.
July 31, 2007 at 10:10 am
I just mailed Rep. Capuano. Let’s see if I get an excellent response like I got from Pat Jehlen’s office on the same sex marriage fiasco a couple months back.
Personally, I think impeachment is too soft. I’d like to see Mr. Gonzales repeatedly subjected to water boarding over time. After all, it’s completely humane!
July 31, 2007 at 11:01 am
State Sen. Jehlen sets a standard for constituent services that will be tough for anyone to beat. But, I wish you the very best of luck. As a rule, the federal representatives and senators are significantly less responsive, perhaps because they represent so many more people.
However, Pat Jehlen sets an example that even City Council members should aspire to emulate. Regardless of agreeing with her or disagreeing with her on particular issues, there is no doubt in my mind that when you contact her office, she listens and takes you seriously.
Rep. Capuano, the challenge has been issued. Will you accept?
September 10, 2007 at 8:58 am
I received this from Representative Capuano’s office today:
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September 9, 2007
Mr. Bull in The China Shop of Life
8< – snip – address elided to protect the innocent – 8<
Dear Mr. Bull:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding the potential impeachment of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. I appreciate having your thoughts on this serious issue.
As I am sure you are aware, Attorney General Gonzales announced on August 27, 2007 that he will resign effective September 17, 2007. I believe this is a positive step forward for the Department of Justice and the nation.
While this resignation effectively negates any call for the Attorney General’s impeachment, it does not mean that investigations into his role in the firing of US Attorneys and other controversies will or should end. Indeed, in addition to the ongoing Congressional investigations underway in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Department of Justice recently indicated in a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy that the DOJ Office of the Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility are conducting a joint investigation into the Attorney General’s conduct.
I am confident that these multiple probes will go a long way towards satisfying the Congress and the American public that no effort has been spared in working to uncover potential wrongdoing at the highest levels of the Department of Justice. I am hopeful that with a new Attorney General, the Department of Justice can once again turn its attention to enforcing the Constitution, respecting the rule of law, and working to keep Americans safe, free of scandal and hyper-partisanship.
Thank you again for your thoughts on this important issue. If my staff or I may be of assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Michael E. Capuano
Member of Congress
MEC:km
Confirmation# 1204667
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Needless to say, I very much appreciate the representative’s office taking the time to write back. I feel like Somerville is blessed with unusually responsive representation in government, and am most pleased that I ended up buying a home here.