John Solomon, the Charlie Brown of Gotcha! journalism, may have defied the odds and made contact with the football.
As he sought to renew the USA Patriot Act two years ago, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers. “There has not been one verified case of civil liberties abuse,” Gonzales told senators on April 27, 2005.
Six days earlier, the FBI sent Gonzales a copy of a report that said its agents had obtained personal information that they were not entitled to have. It was one of at least half a dozen reports of legal or procedural violations that Gonzales received in the three months before he made his statement to the Senate intelligence committee, according to internal FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Bam! Either AG Gonzales truly sucks at his job (how could he not read those critical reports?), or else Solomon has him dead to rights. Oh. Crap.
For what it’s worth, Solomon’s zinger – the Attorney General lied to Congress! – has already been scooped (turns out that he did approve illegal wiretapping as WH counsel). Twice (all USA appointees would be Senate confirmed. sike!). No, three times (WH was not involved in USA firing decisions). The great rightwing moralists who lapsed into seizures every time Drudge implied that the Clintons misused their Christmas card list still don’t care.