The Great Unraveling

So with the Justice Department falling under the weight of several scandals, we begin to see the demise of not just the Bush Administration, but perhaps the entire Republican Party.

About this, I can only say, YAY!

The latest little nugget of truth comes from the testimony from James Comey yesterday, describing a late night visit to the bedside of then AG, John Ashcroft. Ashcroft was supposed to have signed a renewal form authorizing the wiretapping of Americans, but could not because he was in the hospital, and was sedated. Comey who was then acting for Ashcroft, refused to sign because of the questionable legality of the wiretapping. Comey testified that the White House called Mrs. Ashcroft to tell her that Alberto Gonzales and Andy Card were on their way to GW Hospital to see John Ashcroft. Comey got his guys to turn his car around, raced back to GW, went into Ashcroft's room, and tried to get the AG to understand what was about to happen. Andy Card and Alberto Gonzales arrived minutes later with an envelope in hand, requesting that Ashcroft authorize the program. Ashcroft was coherent enough to tell them that the program had a questionable legal status, and that Comey was in charge, and Comey would make the decision to sign the renewal.

It almost sounds like an episode of the Sopranos. Late night visits to sick patients...questionable activities....attempted coercion...It would all be very entertaining if it were fiction. But DOJ is the highest law enforcement agency in the country, and today, the made guy sent to the bedside of John Ashcroft, is in charge of that agency.

The facts that are now coming to light in Congressional testimony are disturbing, but not surprising.

The facts that we will never know, but only suspect, are the things that truly frighten me.

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