Bush: Gonzales situation 'sad'

Posted: Monday, August 27, 2007 12:02 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: White House

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
President Bush said he “reluctantly accepted” Alberto Gonzales’ resignation and reflected on the attorney general’s legacy and tenure, calling him a man of “integrity, decency and principle.”

VIDEO: President Bush denounces what he calls unfair treatment of Alberto Gonzales.

Bush said Gonzales “played a critical role” in shaping the administration’s policies on the war on terror, the Patriot Act and helping get justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito nominated and confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bush said accepting Gonzales’ resignation came “after months of unfair treatment.”

"It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons," Bush said.

Solicitor General Paul Clement will be Gonzales’ interim replacement, Bush added.

Dramatic enough in itself, the announcement Monday morning that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had resigned also set the stage for what may be one of most contentious confirmation hearings since the Senate rejected John Tower as defense secretary in 1989. CLICK HERE.

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Comments

99 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL, SHOULD ONE OF BUSHIE'S CRONIES HAPPEN TO FALL, 98 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL.IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA ! HOWEVER AS ALWAYS..GONZO-GATE IS NOT GOING TO FRIGHIN GO AWAY.

Z....I got your back (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:21 PM)

Cheney's next!

Tom, Lathrup Village, MI (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:22 PM)

I can't beleive that Bush actually thinks that Gonzo had unfair treatment, when Gonzo could not say anyhting except "I Don't Know" and "I Don't Recall" when in front of the Judicial Committee. I know 5 year olds with a better memory. Good Bye Gonzo Boy! You will NOT be missed.

Ron, St. Louis, Mo. (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:27 PM)

Wow, the attoney General is forced quit because some employees (lawyers)got fired. I dont remember this happening when the Clintons were in office and they fired the entire travel office staff and contracted it out!
Just wait till MS. Clinton becomes President..Again!

MIke Quijano Orlando Florida (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:27 PM)

Now watch. Bush will award this idiot with the Medal of Freedom.

Looken (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:28 PM)

I hope they don't let Gonzo off the hook. If sufficient evidence of criminal behavior is found, this goes beyond politics and should be pursued vigorously to its end.

If Bush wants to nominate a Republican who can be trusted and would sail through confirmation easily, he can nominate former Senator John Danforth. We'll see how serious he is about restoring integrity and morale to the (In)Justice Department.

Joe Einloth (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:28 PM)

Time for Freddo to go fishing.

Mike Corlione, Tahoe (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:29 PM)

What's really scarey is that Bush and his cronies just assume every one elese is "politically" motivated as they are. So intrenched are they in this rightwing ideology they can't see past thier own blinders. Hey stupid, your opposition is fighting to regain our constituion and our democracy!

Toni Hagan, Wichita, Kansas (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:30 PM)

Joe Bob you had NOTHING on Gonzo. He broke no laws, you have no proof of it, and I don't give a damn how you feel. Yes I do believe the democrats have gone beyond playing politics, and have turned into a bunch of traitors led by the Clinton Cult.

Dave, Tn (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:31 PM)

Gonzales lied when he said that he fired the US Attorneys for "poor performance," unjustly smearing their reputations as well. But it''s no lie that Gonzales' poor performance was grounds for firing him, regardless of Bush's whining about politics.

Houston (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:35 PM)

Bush is being a crybaby once again... poor shrub... aww... lemme wipe away your tears... I know, sweetie, I know... it's tough being on the losing side of life but ya know... shoulda listened to me when I toldja to be careful who you pick to be your friends. You shoulda learned that after you invited those horrible Taliban monsters to our state and what they did in return to thank us.

LOL...

M. Boley (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:38 PM)

Dave from TN says "Boy I hope the next Republican President doesn't give in to these traitors and terrorist so easy".

Sounds like Dave is not too comfortable living in a democracy. Terrorism is flying planes into buildings to kill innocent people, or invading a country to get payback for your Pa. It ain't holding elected officials to account for their actions.

Bren Hego, Dublin, Ireland (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:38 PM)

The Senate needs to finish the job now that he is no longer "Serving at the pleasure of the President" Pleasure of the President? Was he the AG of the United States or a male escort?

JP Seattle WA (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:40 PM)

Steve In Iowa - thank God the AG's Office requires a law degree and Mr. Rove didn't even finish college, so with no creditenials he as no chance. Again Thank God. All this makes you wonder who IS next to go, as they say down here, "ain't many left".

Martha, OKlahoma (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:42 PM)

Who's next, Cheney?

Jim H (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:43 PM)

"It's sad that we live in a time when America is cursed with its worst president in history."

Mark Thieme (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:45 PM)

MIke Quijano Orlando Florida (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:27 PM)

Try to keep up, MIke,

This has very little to do with firing the prosecutors, this has EVERY thing to do with running the DOJ as a terrorist arm of the RNC and for twisting the constituion into a pretzel to allow the abomination that is FISA.

Do a little research into vote caging sometime, will you? Look at the names involved in that and then compare those names to the REPLACEMENTS installed when these prosecutors were fired.

In other words, do some reading and thinking. It is kinda like exercise - painful while doing it but really rewarding after it is over.

You'll get used to it. I promise.

Re the Travel "gate" thing - not relevant and, even if it were, past wrongs do not excuse current wrongs.

Independent, Texas (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:49 PM)

Susan at 12:54. are you Susan, Miami?

Sidney, Pa (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:51 PM)

Oh, stop it, Dave! Enough with the 'traitor' trash!

See, that's just it with you Righties. You sure can dish it out but sure can't take it being thrown right back in your faces. That's it, go ahead and yell your head off with the namecalling BS, that's a real intelligent way of coping with being on the wrong side.

If Gonzo was so 'innocent' then why the hell did he quit?!

M. Boley (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:53 PM)

Alberto Gonzales is leaving so he will not be charged with perjury. If appropriately raised President Bush would know the less said about this, the better.

debra herr cincinnati, ohio (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:53 PM)

Yea sure Dave..how is out there on the fringe..and when a Democratic president comes to office you'll be posting about your disatisfaction just as much. I'm sure you have all kinds of names ready for HRC.

CJ (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:54 PM)

may the lord forgive these writers for there judgenment and ask for forgivines

carl tn (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:54 PM)

I don't get it? Bush and Gonzales are simply trying to fight a battle to help us be free from foreign aggression. They are trying to protect the United States from attack. The pendulum must swing towards
more government access in order to accomplish the goal. They can listen to my phone calls from abroad as long as there is a threat from those aggresors.

Dennis Alexander palm springs Ca (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:56 PM)

I'm sure many won't have a problem calling you a traitor when you have an issue with the next Democratic pres, dave. If you want no oversight move to Russia.

CJ (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:57 PM)

It was time for the Attorney General to go. We the American people are tired of the corruption in the Bush's administration.All the I can't remember ect., and the Executive Priviledge Bush has everyone under. Well Mr. President, at some point you need to listen to the American People, remember us, some of us foolishly put you/Cheny in office.

Sheral Johnson (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:58 PM)

slowly but surely all the republican rats are leaving the sinking ship... can't wait until 2009

Not a Bush supporter, IN (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:03 PM)

RH: Sorry if I misunderstood your meaning. ("His tireless work on 'GonzoGate' directly attributed to almost nothing.") Some seem to believe that Bush's "agenda", which has a lot to do with the PNAC, is above & beyond the Constitution of the Unites States of America. The PATRIOTIC thing to do is DEFEND the CONSTITUTION.

PJ (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:03 PM)

No, Mr.President, what was dragged through the mud was the Bill of Rights by a servile and deceitful AG.
Good riddance! Made my day.

Mario Sewell, La Quinta, CA (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:05 PM)

The more ominous element in of all this is the spate of cancellations and excuses for non-appearance by Laura Bush. W is rumored to be drinking heavily and their marriage on the rocks. They have tried counseling, but W quit (surprise?).
She has tried to get him to see professionals for his own problems, but so far, apparently, he has restricted his "counseling" sessions to cheerleading friends of the power of positive thinking school and two-bit preachers.
Cheney is also supposedly angry with W for falling off the wagon, but has his own heart issues which are more serious than reported.
The White house is in chaotic disarray and and someone who should know said over the weekend that it gets more like a bunker under siege every day.
W does not return his family's phone calls and Billy Graham is not returning his.
All of this spells big trouble in the coming days, especially since the Democrats are clueless as to how to govern, given the chance.
One of his closest aides calls W "the most straight up guy in the White House, if you know what I mean." Does he mean what a bartender means? This is as it seems.
At any rate, world leaders are on edge and the Republican party is in triage mode.

That's all the dirt fit to print here, but we may be surprised how much of this turns out to be factual... these leaks are coming from inside sources who are trying to warn the nation, but impeded by a timid and gutless press.

Can someone fly this plane?

Mark Thieme (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:06 PM)

Yeah, Debra, but perjury's still a crime. As such, resignation should not be a "get out of jail free" card. As Joe Louis said, you can run but you can't hide.

Joe Einloth (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:08 PM)

I am so glad Gonzalez is gone. He is the worst US Attorney General since Ed "No Indictable Offense" Meese from the Reagan Administration. The guy Bush should name Attorney General is James Comey who stood by Ashcroft's side in the hospital and basically made Gonzalez and Card leave empty-handed when they tried to bully sick and sedated John Ashcroft into authorizing an illegal wiretap program. He showed integrity, toughness and a willingness to put the law above politics. In a time of choice, he made the right one. Too bad he is probably now considered a traitor to this administration.

Robert Catalano, Salem, OR (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:09 PM)

Bush has the midas touch gone awry. When Midas touched something it turned to gold. when Bush touches something it turns to s**t.

Rufus Gibbons, DC (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:20 PM)

Dave from TN wrote...

"Joe Bob you had NOTHING on Gonzo. He broke no laws, you have no proof of it, and I don't give a damn how you feel. Yes I do believe the democrats have gone beyond playing politics, and have turned into a bunch of traitors led by the Clinton Cult."

Dave,

Once again you prove that at best you are extrememly deluded. Did you even watch Gonzo testify? He purjured himself on national TV and last time I looked that was a felony. He not only lied, he blatently lied. A kindergardener that stole cookies could have lied better. It was embarassing and a low point for justice in this country. We dont even have to go into what happened with wiretaps, torture, etc, and his little visit to Ashcroft...

Also, last time I looked the Clintons are not in charge of the democratic party. And firing a few travel agents from the previous administration is a bit different from firing some good AG's to replace them with others that will pursue false voter fraud cases (or commit voter fraud aka Tim "caging list" Griffin).

One last word about Clinton...

Bill may have got a blow job, but we are all getting screwed now...

Including you Dave!!!

And we will all be better off when these Bush Admin criminals are out of office and hopefully in jail!

Joe Bob, TX (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:22 PM)

It is a HAPPY DAY for the American people that AG is finally getting out. It is sad that Bush and Cheney are still in there. The american people are the ones that have been treated unfair, for as educated as as AG is he sure did not prove it to the people. He broke the LAW.

Carmen Lakewood (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:22 PM)

Running our country into the ground? Alberto Gonzales is indeed a man of integrity. It is pathetic that liberal dems can cause such a rift in our country. My prayer is for those who oppose the bush administration. God help you! Thank God for George W. Bush!

Adam Lee, Hinton, Oklahoma (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:27 PM)

Dave, I feel your frustration since over 70% of the country are now traitors in your eyes. Of course there is not evidence of wrongdoing, because the WH and GOP continue to obstruct justice by refusing to comply with lawful subpoenas. If there weren't fire behind that smoke they wouldn't be so determined to break the law and soil their own reputations to prevent open examination of their actions. The truth always comes out, and when this one does it won't be pretty.

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:29 PM)

Dennis Alexander, where is that located in the Constitution? Without our Constitution, we're just a big, rich country. Think Russia with better weather.

Joe Einloth (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:31 PM)

Thank God! The conservative right of Christian persuasion should be happy one more the Christian "Pharisees" has fallen. This has been the Enron of the public sector. Afterall, the same political swamp gave birth to them all.
Now that little Albert "Major Hochstetter" Gonzalez is gone, perhaps Dick "Major Burkhalter" Cheney and George W. "Colonel Klink" Bush can go next.

Michael Hayes, New York, NY (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:36 PM)

To Dennis Alexander palm springs Ca

Dennis...

Please stop ignoring the man behind the curtin. This is serious s&*(^&%%# and we are going to be in real trouble because of people with your ignorant viewpoint.

1. Iraq did not attack the US on 911. Most of the hijackers are Saudi's.

2. The "terrorists" as they are called in Iraq are Iraqi and they want their country back from the true terrorists (US), who attacked their country without provocation. There is also a civil war that was aset loose because is was a country that was so divided that it took a leader like Sadaam to hold it together. BTW: We knew that there were no WMD's. We sold them to them in the first place an knew what was destroyed after the first gulf war. It is also not an accident that we rushed our attack to take place before the UN's inspections were complete (HINT: they were not finding anything).

3. The NSA is likely doing a lot more spying on business transaction and political conversations than terrorists. We were spying on the UN and the inspectors during the run up to the war. That is also how we knew that they did not find WMD...

Joe Bob, TX (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:37 PM)

Mark Theime, I saw a story this am that Laura had a pinched nerve in her shoulder the last several months and would not be flying with the President to Australia.
I was confused as she had made her own trip to the African continent this summer. I also found it odd that she went to Minneapolis a day earlier than the President and that she celebrated her mother's birthday in Texas a couple of weeks ago while the President stayed at Camp David.And then there is the drinking thing, you know, the chef on Air force One says he needs his scotch.
I've seen these rumor break-ups in the tabloid press for about two years. Are they on to something? I have no clue.If it is false, then I don't need to read it. If it is true, I have a right to know.

Desmond (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:40 PM)

Before the usual Bush regime spin takes ahold of this welcomed departure, it should be pointed out to the President, that senior elected officials in his own party, engaged in the "months of unfair treatment", and "politics". The exit of Alberto Gonzales, may help our Nation to have a functional Department of Justice. It is unfortunate, that the laundry list of messes that have come to define this President and his regime, cannot all be solved by a simple resignation.

Coy Reese, Shady Spring, West Virginia (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:40 PM)

I can remember when once the people of this great country spoke at an election everyone got behind the winner reguardless if you agreed with everything or not. The congress now just spend our money investigating never legislate anything important for the good of the taxpayer

HShumake Farmington,missouri (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:43 PM)

Rummy, Turd Blossom and now lil' al Gonzo... the drinks are on me, boys and girls!!! YEE HAW!!!

Jennie, Kansas (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:45 PM)

Mark Thieme, you sound like someone who should have been a screenwriter on the movie - LA Confidential.

On a serious note, I hope none of what you're saying is true. It's too sad. All of it.

I told this story before. When Nixon was in deep trouble over Watergate, someone from Congress went to the CIA and told them if they received any orders from Nixon, they were to ignore him. I guess he was quite the drinker himself. I hope it's not so with GWB. But it does appear like everyone is jumping ship on him, even though we are in the middle of a war.

I wonder if it's more Cheney than anyone else that is prompting them all to take a hike. Especially Karl Rove.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:46 PM)

Joe Bob, TX: Nicely said, wow! Here here!

PJ (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:48 PM)

YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!Made my day!!!!!!

Brenda,Springfield, IL (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:49 PM)

Martha - Oklahoma

I used to believe there was an order to most things but just because Rove didn't get a "Higher Education Certificate of Completion" doesn't necessarily mean Dub-ya won't find a way to put him in the office. You know, he makes up the rules as he goes along.

I hope that little cowboy and his bull dog VP find nothing but missery for the rest of thier lives. I hope that they are both reminded every day of how disliked they are in this country. The Cowboy better go to his "ranch" in Texas and dry up with the rest of the weeds. He's about as much of a westerner as Captin Kurt was a space cadet.

gn lars, Denver, CO (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:50 PM)

Dennis Alexander palm springs Ca (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 1:56 PM)

oh please.

HShumake Farmington,missouri (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:43 PM)

oh double please.

There has never been a time in this country when everyone was behind the "leader". Even during WWII, there were dissenters. That is what makes this country the best one on the face of the planet.

Independent, Texas (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 3:06 PM)

gn lars, Denver, CO (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 2:50 PM)

I wish all you guys would stop syaing that Bush had better go "home" to Texas.

We don't WANT him here!

The only reason we were glad he was "supremely selected" was that it got him away from us for a while. Sorry that that was such a HUGE error!

We want him to go to "Kennybumperport". That is where he belongs.

Independent, Texas (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 3:10 PM)

Susan of Miami(me) always uses Susan, Miami. Im tryin to type and wipe away my tears.. feel soooo bad about poorrr Gonzo, snif snif, such a nice man, just like his boss. KARMA! They are getting what they deserve.

Susan, Miami (Sent Monday, August 27, 2007 3:11 PM)

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