European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Paces o stars and stripes monday March 26 2007 in the states documents show Gonzales approved attorney firings by Lara Jakes Jordan the associated press Washington president Bush is standing firmly behind his embattled attorney general de spite Justice department documents that show Al Berto Gonzales was More involved in the decisions to fire us attorneys than he previously indicated Gonzales said earlier this month he was not involved in any discussions about the impending Dis missals of Federal prosecutors on Friday night How Ever the department disclosed Gonzales participation in a nov 27 meeting where such plans were Dis cussed that email Only added to the Calls for Gonzales ouster Dan Bartlett Counselor to the president said sat urday that Bush continues to support Gonzales de spite the latest disclosures Bartlett also said he was not aware of any negotiations under Way Between the White House and con Gressional democrats Over How current and former Bush aides could provide information about the fir Ings to lawmakers at the nov 27 meeting the attorney general and at least five top Justice department officials Dis cussed a five step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors Gonzales aides said late Friday at that session Gonzales signed off on the plan which was drafted by his chief of staff Kyle Samp son Sampson resigned March 12 the five step plan approved by Gonzales involved notifying Republican Home state senators of the impending dismissals preparing for potential political upheaval naming replacements and submitting them to the Senate for confirmation six of the eight prosecutors who were ultimately ordered to resign Are named in the plan the department released More than 280 documents Fri Day night including emails Calendar pages and memos to try to Congress demands for details on How the firings were handled and whether they were politically motivated Justice spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said it was not immediately Clear whether Gonzales gave his final approval to begin the firings at that meeting Scolinos also said Gonzales was not involved in the process of selecting which prosecutors would be asked to resign on March 13 in explaining the firings Gonzales told reporters he was aware that some of the dismiss als were being discussed but was not involved in them later he added i accept responsibility for everything that happens Here within this department the documents were released Friday night a few hours after Sampson agreed to testify at a Senate in Quiry this week into the firings of eight us attorneys last year Gonzales last week directed the Justice depart ments office of professional responsibility to investigate the circumstances of the firings officials said Gonzales Vivian Westerman 64 Rode out Hurricane katrina in her House but decided she needed a gun before the next Hurricane season Alex Brandon a new Orleans residents arming themselves in murder capital the associated press new Orleans Vivian Wes Terman Rode out Hurricane katrina in her 19thcentury House so terrible was the experience that she wanted two things before the 2006 season arrived a backup Power source and a gun i got a 6000watt Generator and the cutest Little Smith Wes son snub nose 38 you oversaw she boasted Ive never been More confident people across new Orleans Are arming themselves not Only against the possibility of another storm bringing anarchy but against the violence that has engulfed the metropolitan area in the 19 months since katrina Mak ing new Orleans the nations Mur Der capital the number of permits issued to carry concealed weapons is running twice As High As it was be fore katrina this in a City with Only about half its pre storm population of around 450000 attendance at firearms classes and hours logged at shooting ranges also Are up according to the gun Industry citizens the tourism Industry police and politicians officials have been alarmed by the wave of killings in new Orleans with 162 in 2006 and 37 so far this year a Tulane University study put the cites 2006 homicide rate at 96 slayings per 100000 people the highest in the nation lawmaker May care about the District but please hold the phone Calls by Mary Beth Sheridan the Washington Post Washington Washington do residents May have suffered a setback in their Campaign for voting representation but they had some Sweet revenge Friday sort of during thursdays rancorous debate a congressman declared that do residents dont need a full fledged representative in the House after All he said they already have 435 House members and 100 senators who care deeply about them Washington is the Only City that every senator and every member of Congress has a vested interest in seeing that it works properly that water works sewer works he said the result phone Calls deluged the office of rep Charles Boustany la after a local blog closet full of skeletons could haunt Giuliani by Devlin Barrett the associated press Washington plenty of people politicians included have skeletons in their closets in the Case of presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani that closet is a Walkin the former Republican mayor of new York City won widespread Praise for his handling of the sept 11 2001 attacks and it is largely that collective memory that accounts for his current popularity in polls and makes him the Early front runner for his party nomination yet As most new yorkers could Tell you there Are plenty of episodes in Giuliani past that could come Back to haunt him scenes that played like a Boom ing angry opera Rudy is a Tough Guy nobody has Ever said he was or congeniality its not always pretty to look at but he got the Job done said rep Peter King Rny who backed sen John Mccain in 2000 but now supports Giuliani so far most of the major players in Giuliani past Public sagas have stayed silent and that silence May be Worth far More to him than any endorsement Skeleton no 1 is his last police commissioner ber Nard Kerik once nominated by president Bush to head the Homeland Security department Kerikas association with Giuliani became radioactive when Kerik pleaded guilty last june to a Misdemeanour of accepting a gift from a company seeking City work Kerik acknowledged accepting in renovations on his Bronx apartment from a company at tempting to land City contracts but he never explicitly admitted that his efforts on behalf of the company were tied to the work on his Home Kerik is still under investigation and any further criminal matter surrounding him will Only draw at Tention to the relationship with the former mayor Skeleton no 2 is Giuliani first police commissioner William Bratton now the police chief in los Angeles working for Giuliani Bratton began the police reforms in new York that led to historic crime reductions and helped turn tawdry times Square into a Disney certified tourist Desti nation Bra tons forced departure from new York in 1996 began a debate that goes on even now does the credit Giuliani claims for the crime reduction really belong to Bratton Skeleton no 3 is Giuliani first wife Regina Peruggi they married in 1968 Giuliani had the marriage annulled in 1982 on the grounds they were second cousins once removed Skeleton no 4 is Donna Hanover his second wife their painfully Public separation at the end of Giuliani time As mayor seriously damaged his image but has become overshadowed by his performance in the last months of 2001 each of the four through their aides declined to comment Giuliani do sitcom challenged him to live up to those words and urged local residents to Call him immediately with concerns big and Small but wait Boustany was a Vic Tim of mistaken identity rep Louie Gohmert Texas actually made the statements Span misidentified the speaker during a live telecast of thursdays proceedings any regrets were probably mild Boustany too opposes the voting rights Bill the deist blog corrected the mistake by Early afternoon and do residents gamely began aim ing their requests at Gohmert to accomplished a global network and is maintained via strategically actuated of Flaa in Bahrain Germany Japan Korea
