USA: Gonzales faces renewed pressure to quit Justice Department

[Guest guest]

Dear list members,

 

As you know, as has been documented carefully on SAMVA in relation to

the difficult transits in the SAMVA USA chart, there has been

relentless pressure on the US administration in recent months,

aimed at high level officials close to President Bush. Wolfowitz at

the World Bank has now resigned and pressure is again mounting on

Gonzales to do the same. The transit aspect of Jupiter to Saturn is

the main culprit, but other transits are also compounding the

problems. Watch this space for the developments next week.

 

Best wishes,

 

Thor

 

Last Updated: Friday, 18 May 2007, 14:45 GMT 15:45 UK

Gonzales to face confidence vote

 

The no-confidence vote is expected some time next week

Leading US Democratic senators say they will seek a vote of no-

confidence in US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over his running

of the Justice Department.

The vote, expected next week, comes amid a political row over the

sacking of eight federal prosecutors.

 

The affair is being investigated by a Senate committee. The White

House denies the firings were politically motivated and cites poor

performance.

 

Analysts say the new move puts more pressure on Mr Gonzales to

resign.

 

His position had been made more difficult by the resignation of his

deputy, Paul McNulty, earlier this week.

 

However, Mr Gonzales would not necessarily be forced out of his job

if he lost the no-confidence vote.

 

The attorney-general is appointed or dismissed by the president.

 

'Time has come'

 

Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein said Mr Gonzales

was now too weak to lead the department.

 

" It seems the only person who has confidence in the attorney general

is President Bush, " Mr Schumer said.

 

Ms Feinstein added: " I think the time has come for the Senate to

express its will. We lack confidence in the attorney general. "

 

A number of Republicans have also expressed doubt about Mr Gonzales'

position.

 

The attorney general retains the support of President George W Bush,

however.

 

A White House spokesman dismissed the no-confidence vote as " a

meaningless political act " and said Mr Gonzales still had " the full

confidence of the president " .

 

Wiretapping row

 

Adding to the pressure on Mr Gonzales this week was the testimony

given by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey to the Senate

panel investigating the prosecutors' dismissals.

 

Mr Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee that in 2004, while

White House counsel, Mr Gonzales had been to the hospital bed of then

Attorney General John Ashcroft to try to persuade him to reauthorise

a controversial domestic spying programme.

 

Mr Ashcroft, who was seriously ill in intensive care, refused despite

the Bush administration's pressure because he had reservations about

the legality of the warrantless wiretapping.

 

The White House decided to go ahead with it anyway - but was forced

to reconsider when Mr Ashcroft, Mr Comey and FBI chief Robert Mueller

threatened to resign.

 

Mr Bush ordered changes to the programme to meet the Justice

Department's concerns.

 

Mr Comey's testimony confirmed for the first time that the Justice

Department had considered the wiretapping programme illegal.

 

Democrats said Mr Comey's account demonstrated what they claim is Mr

Gonzales' tendency to put loyalty to Mr Bush first.

 

The White House did not comment directly on Mr Comey's testimony but

spokesman Tony Snow said the wiretapping programme was a vital tool

in ensuring the nation's security.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAMVA , Cosmologer <cosmologer wrote:

>

> Dear friends,

>

> A close ally of President Bush, Paul Wolfowitz, has been forced to

resign as head of the World Bank after a lengthy fight.

>

> The SAMVA USA chart shows the problems clearly, notably the transit

aspect of Jupiter to Saturn, but also the aspect of transit L2 Sun in

H11 to natal L6 Jupiter in H5 and afflictions involving H4 and its

lord.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Thor

>

>

> Last Updated: Thursday, 17 May 2007, 22:24 GMT 23:24 UK

>

>

>

 

Wolfowitz to quit the World Bank

>

>

 

 

> Paul Wolfowitz is to quit as head of the World

Bank after a bitter promotion row involving his partner. The global

lending body said Mr Wolfowitz would step down on 30 June and that it

would begin the search for a successor immediately.

> Mr Wolfowitz faced widespread calls for his resignation after

being accused of a conflict of interest over a pay rise given to bank

employee Shaha Riza.

> The former US deputy defense secretary joined the World Bank in

2005.

>

>

>

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