Comments (30)

majanet wrote on March 29, 2007 2:47 PM:

Is it me, or does this feel like a full-on Rovian choreography? "Urgent" Bush briefing at the start of the testimony, remarkably snakey answers from Sampson on the "assertions" of what Harriet/Karl etc wanted in AR, the stop and start of the hearing?

Keep up the good work, TPM. Exposure of this criminal infection of our justice department is the key to a cure.

Robin L. Boerner wrote on March 29, 2007 2:52 PM:

Since Bush claims he has a direct line to God, maybe the Great Decider was waiting for a Hail Mary Pass to come thru the line.

From Sampson's testimony it sounds like the only thing to save them.

Douglas Watts wrote on March 29, 2007 2:53 PM:

Trying to stop the hearing is such an obvious dodge. Jesus ...

Subtlety, people !!!

Subtlety !!!

Scott Backen wrote on March 29, 2007 2:54 PM:

It sounds like Sampson is falling on his sword to protect Rove. Will that indear him to future GOP administrations?

31Tudor

Mike Valentine wrote on March 29, 2007 3:11 PM:

The new gavel spreads sunshine.

ChrisA wrote on March 29, 2007 3:13 PM:

"Subtlety, people !!!

Subtlety !!!"

Subtlety, nuance, wha.a.a.a.a.t!! They just decide, it's for others to do the details.

I expect the bite-marks of those details on their rear ends is really starting to show.

The Fool wrote on March 29, 2007 3:30 PM:

Sampson comes off like a Rove groupie, even to point of cultivating that fashionable Rove evil dorky dwarf look. My guess is he falls on his sword, knowing that at worst he'll get a slap on the wrist from the weaklings in the Democratic party.. Then he's a made man among the right wing authoritarians for life.

Hee hee wrote on March 29, 2007 3:44 PM:

"even to point of cultivating that fashionable Rove evil dorky dwarf look"

Someone on another blog characterized him as Evil Radar. Gotta love it.

Legalize wrote on March 29, 2007 3:53 PM:

"Evil Radar."

Awesome. Winner.

Anarchist wrote on March 29, 2007 4:45 PM:

---"It sounds like Sampson is falling on his sword to protect Rove. Will that indear him to future GOP administrations?"---

WHAT future GOP Admins? Not in our lifetimes...

noshrub wrote on March 29, 2007 5:04 PM:

What a cute little fascist.

kozmik wrote on March 29, 2007 5:45 PM:

How long was it stopped for? Long enough for Sampson to get coaching or something?

rick wrote on March 29, 2007 6:27 PM:

We are all being set up in typical Rovian fashion. Rove telegraphed all of this in his book about Absolute Power. Sampson told all the provable truth so he will get off. I think he set up Gonzo, who is already a gonner, in order to force him to resign and their hope that is the end of it. I believe that there really was obstruction of Justice in firing Carol Lam who was just getting going after Duke Cunningham, election fraud/vote supression at an absolute minimum. This should not end with Gonzo's resignation! Today's delay in the procedings was no less subtle than the atty firings were. What balls!

Kevin Good wrote on March 29, 2007 7:10 PM:

This Constitutional criss and the looming WWIII will be postponed till April 16th or late in the day on the 17th because of the Easter Bunny Break.

starwheel wrote on March 29, 2007 7:51 PM:

Who caused the disruption and why?

Will the mainstream media ask?

And I agree with some of the other posters. Kyle Sampson is Rove's Mini-Me.

Cornell Stevens wrote on March 29, 2007 8:06 PM:

You people are WAY to0 conspiratorial about this because you don't understand Senate Rules. Senate Rules dictate that committees can only operate for two hours each day unless otherwise approved by the Senate. It's a tool the minority uses to get attention and concessions from the majority on major items of the day, like the minimum wage, and the minority Democrats used it successfully to obtain concessions from Republicans.

It is extremely rare that the rule is used to actually stop a hearing; instead it's typically used to force the majority to make legislative concessions on which amendments will me made in order and what alternative the minority will be allowed to offer (remember, the Senate's Constitutional role effectively is to safeguard the minority from the excesses of the Mob-run House).

The fact this happened today really is just a coincidence and a mistake. A tool like this is only useful if used strategically a limited number of times. If the Minority abuses its powers, the Majority can eventually roll the minority. If the Repubs really did invoke this rule, than it was a strategic mistake in the long-run. So I guess it's back to the question of whether they're the "evil party" or the "stupid party"

BTW The equivalent House maneuver is voting to disapproval the journal of the day before. It's invoked to delay House action, especially near Congressional recesses, in order to force concesssions on which amendments will be allowed a vote under House rules.

teetree wrote on March 29, 2007 8:07 PM:

looks suspiciously like another boy-lover to me...

Cornell Stevens wrote on March 29, 2007 8:10 PM:

This is supposed to reference the beginning of the comment trail, not the latest posts.

teetree wrote on March 29, 2007 8:22 PM:

oh dear...whatever happened to free speech? oh - that's right - we don't have that anymore...sorry...what was I thinking? I get confused about which rights I have and which ones I gave up so people filled with hate and fear - or is that awe? - won't come over here and blow my ass up - thanks for the clarification

cincigal74 wrote on March 29, 2007 8:58 PM:

Sampson is so obviously a Rove Robot.How can these Senators beleive one word out of his mouth??

John John wrote on March 29, 2007 9:37 PM:

This guy Sampson will soon have a nice cozy corporate position if he isnt sent to jail; This story will not end.

John John wrote on March 29, 2007 9:38 PM:

This guy Sampson will soon have a nice cozy corporate position if he isnt sent to jail; This story will not end.

bobcra wrote on March 29, 2007 9:44 PM:

I say it's time to fire one more attorney, for starters...

31 Tudor wrote on March 29, 2007 10:03 PM:

---"It sounds like Sampson is falling on his sword to protect Rove. Will that indear him to future GOP administrations?"---

WHAT future GOP Admins? Not in our lifetimes...

Posted by: Anarchist

No, not like Rumsfeld who was fired from two different presidents? Or Elliott Abrams with his Bush pardon?

leslie wrote on March 29, 2007 10:05 PM:

Why didn't Sen. Grassley continue after the resumption of the hearing?

osage wrote on March 29, 2007 10:17 PM:

I don't think "It sounds like Sampson is falling on his sword to protect Rove." It sounds to me like Gonzales is being thrown to the wolves to protect Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and George W. Bush. Gonzales tried to blame Sampson rather than take the fall, but too many GOPers are calling for his scalp in order to protect the dear leader of their wholely corrupt political party.

angryvietnamvet wrote on March 29, 2007 10:39 PM:

I would like to know why in the questioning of Sampson re. conversations, memos, files, and emails, no one asked if he had communicated with others in the DOJ or White House about these various matters via a non-governmental email system, and if so, which system and WHY?

An observation about Sampsons presence and demeanor at the Hearing: a whimp with undecended testicles and a slight lisp, geeky, nurdish and socially unpolished, of irremediable lower class extraction, uneducated and very immature

steambomb wrote on March 29, 2007 10:40 PM:

Is anyone dumbfounded by Specter's question. Do you think it was wrong to use the provision put in the patriot act? ....... I am still dumbfounded by specter. There are times when I think he is suffering from dementia.

LYNNE KRINGLER wrote on March 30, 2007 12:44 AM:

No, no need for subtley....all you need is complete disregard for others, control of the judiciary, the executive, and the senate, and ABSOLUTE ARROGANCE.

bp wrote on March 30, 2007 6:10 AM:

The spectre of Specter asking questions is depressing. This is a specialist in the convoluted; and a master of double talk and a wilful dissembler. A sad end to a once thoughtful fellow. He sold his soul for the chairmanship of this committee and has never recovered. Specter has forgotten that the shortest distance between two points etc etc.