A Race to the Hospital

I have already posted on some of James Comey's testimony regarding the firings of the eight attorneys, and this week it got thicker. We learned of a drama exposing the true colors of the administration running this country. It began on March 10, 2004, when a very sick John Ashcroft lay drugged and disoriented after gall bladder surgery at the George Washington University Hospital.

Now with Ashcroft in this condition, Comey is the "acting" Attorney General on his behalf.

On this dark night, Alberto Gonzales and Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card tried to bypass Comey by secretly rushing to the hospital to get Ashcroft's approval for the NSA eavesdropping program. Well, it turns out that Ashcroft, Robert Mueller (head of FBI) and senior Justice Department aides objected to the legality of the program to where many, including both Ashcroft and Mueller, were threatening to resign over the issue.

Seriously, we had Comey and White House officials racing to this hospital to visit an ill Ashcroft whose wife had forbidden any visitation due to his heavily sedated state. Well, Comey won the race, charging up the stairs, and beat Gonzales and Card by a few minutes, able to warn Ashcroft of the impending visitation. Further, Mueller ordered the FBI agents not to evict Comey if Gonzales or Card tried to have him dismissed. In front of Comey, Ashcroft mustered the strength to declare with conviction to both Card and Gonzales that the eavesdropping program should not continue.

Furious, Gonzales and Card left, calling Comey insisting he come to the White House. This is the night of March 10, 2004. Comey said he would only attend if accompanied by solicitor general Theodore Olsen. This occurred at a dinner, and Olsen, Gonzales, Card, and Comey gnashed teeth. Cheney and his gang wanted the eavesdropping to continue, and would not take no for answer. Card expressed concerns about massive resignations.

Now we move to March 11, the next morning, and our shining W president himself grabbed face time with both Comey and Mueller (separately), "Find a way to make the eavesdropping work so all these people don't resign." (my wording)

So they did.

Comey left the Justice Department in August 2006. I'm sure it was to spend more time with his family.