Dear Congressman:
I have just read a disturbing report of Deputy Attorney General James Comey's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Apparently, back in 2004, then-White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales visited the hospital room of then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was recovering from surgery.
Gonzales urged him to approve Bush's scheme to have the NSA wiretap Americans without obtaining search warrants as the Fourth Amendment requires. Fortunately, Comey had arrived there first, and Ashcroft deferred to him. Comey and Ashcroft agreed that the FISA violations Gonzales wanted were so blatantly illegal that even John Ashcroft, a champion of presidential power, couldn't go along with it.
Congressman, if this does not constitute a conspiracy by Gonzales to violate the law, I don't know what does. It's appalling that someone with such a reckless disregard for the law became the Attorney General of the United States! Gonzales is clearly unfit for the job. He must be impeached and removed from office.
The record of the Bush Administration's domestic surveillance is a frightening one. Bush, Cheney, Gonzales and company break the law, but they are never charged with any crimes, and they continue in high office, breaking more laws and committing more crimes. Congressman, no one is above the law. The impeachment and removal of anyone in government who commits crimes is the only legal option.
As always, I remain yours sincerely,
C. Colvin
Dear Congressman:
It is long past time for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to be impeached.
Gonzales has repeatedly lied to Congress regarding the dismissal of the attorneys. Several witnesses have confirmed this.
Lying to Congress is a felony. The Attorney General is a criminal. He must be impeached and removed from office.
The impeachment and Senate trial of President Clinton established that perjury is a grave crime, one that warrants the removal of an executive officer. When the chief law enforcement officer of this country commits the same crime, he should also be impeached.
Even some Senate Republicans have said that Gonzales' blatant lies have left him with no credibility. However, a double standard was embraced by the Republican-controlled Congress and by the Attorney General himself. They believe that Democrats have to obey the law, and Republicans don't. Make no mistake: if Janet Reno had done what Gonzales has done, she would have been impeached months ago.
Congressman, if the House does not impeach Gonzales, the Democrats will play directly into the Republicans' hands. It will set the precedent that Nixon was unable to: that the law is not established by Congress. Instead, one man -- the Attorney General -- can decide for himself what is legal and what isn't. In his eyes, the law applies to Democrats, but not to Republicans. As far as Gonzales is concerned, you're free to break any law you wish, as long as you belong to the political party in power. The Attorney General's Constitutionally-mandated duty to enforce the law will always be less important than advancing the political agenda of the President. This is hypocritical, illegal, unethical, and unconstitutional.
How many more laws does the Attorney General have to break before Congress carries out its Constitutional responsibility and holds him accountable? Some one has to tell him he's gone too far. Gonzales has to be stopped now. It is your legal duty.
Congressman, when Richard Nixon was caught breaking the law, Congress began impeachment proceedings against him. The Congress did not decide, "Well, Nixon will leave office in two years, so we don't have to hold him accountable." Holding more oversight hearings will be useless if Congress does not act to stop the criminal actions those hearings reveal. Congress must uphold the highest standard, the same way they did in 1974. It's not too much to ask.
As always, I remain yours sincerely,
C. Colvin
CC: Speaker Nancy Pelosi