Post Politics Hour; washingtonpost.com’s Daily Politics Discussion
Byline: Lyndsey Layton
Don’t want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post’s team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post’s coverage of political news.
Washington Post congressional reporter Lyndsey Layton was online Friday, April 20, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.
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Bethesda, Md.: Aren’t there records that Gonzalez could consult regarding when he made decisions or what high level meetings he attended? I forget things at work frequently and that’s what my notes and records are for.
Lyndsey Layton: Bethesda, in his testimony yesterday, Gonzales claimed there was no written record of the decision made by Sampson to fire the attorneys.
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Los Gatos, Calif.: Good Morning. I had a questions and I know it was a good question, but I can’t remember what it was. The process that I went through to formulate the question was flawed and I apologize, but I do remember that I had a question. I have searched my memory and can’t recall the question.
Lyndsey Layton: Los Gatos. I had an answer for you but in the 30 seconds it took me to hit the buttons here and post your question, I cannot recall what it was. I am likewise sorry for that fact, but I cannot offer a response that I cannot recall.
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Odenton, Md.: Good morning Lyndsey. Of the names you mentioned as a possible new AG, why would any of them want to leave their current position/life to run DOJ for only the last 20 months of this abysmal administration? They can’t even get anybody to agree to become War Czar because, as the typical explanation goes, the White House has no idea what it’s doing.
Lyndsey Layton: Why indeed. Why did Gates agree to become Defense Secretary? Something about service or when the president asks you to serve you don’t sit it out, etc. AG seems a little less like a death mission than DefSec.
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Springfield, Va.: What’s going on with the investigation of Rep. “$90,000-in-my-freezer” Jefferson? Why is this taking so long?
Lyndsey Layton: The freezer raid was in 2005, plenty of time for that cash to thaw out. One of the snags in the case came last May when the FBI raided Jefferson’s congressional office, sparking a legal tussle over whether the executive branch had violated the constitutional separation of powers. That debate is being played out in court and the documents seized are in limbo; meanwhile, a grand jury has been hearing other testimony and seeing other evidence.
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Portland, Ore.: Hi Lyndsey. Re: Gonzales — it’s not clear to me what happens next. If he chooses not to resign and Bush doesn’t fire him, what can the Senate do then? Whose court is the ball in now? Thanks.
Lyndsey Layton: Hi Portland. If Gonzales won’t step down and Bush won’t fire him, it’s really up to Senate Republicans and how hard they want to push for his removal.