And the showdown begins

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But wait, there's more!

Counselor to Gonzales abruptly resigns

Story Highlights
• Monica Goodling, counselor to attorney general, submits resignation
• Gonzales aide took part in e-mail exchanges on firing of U.S. attorneys
• Goodling had invoked 5th Amendment to avoid testifying to Congress
• Democrat Schumer says Gonzales' grip on Justice Department slipping


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Department official Monica Goodling resigned her position as counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Friday afternoon.

Goodling had invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects witnesses from self-incrimination, in refusing to testify before Congress regarding the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

Goodling was among the senior Justice Department officials who participated in meetings and e-mail traffic about the planned dismissals. She went on paid leave as the controversy grew. (Interactive: Key events in the U.S. attorneys firings)

In a brief letter to Gonzales, Goodling gave no reason for her resignation but said it would be effective Saturday.

"I am hereby submitting my resignation to the Office of the Attorney General, effective April 7, 2007. It has been an honor to have served at the Department of Justice for the past five years," Goodling wrote. (Watch why Goodling took the Fifth)

"May God bless you richly as you continue your service to America," she wrote in the letter.

The resignation came abruptly, just as the Justice Department was closing for the Easter weekend.

There was no warning. Officials had said hours earlier that Goodling remained on paid leave of absence from the department.

The Justice Department said it would have no comment on Goodling's decision to resign.

Senate Democrats, who have sharply criticized Gonzales in the wake of the controversy over the firings, were quick to weigh in on Goodling's resignation. "Attorney General Gonzales' hold on the department gets more tenuous each day," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-New York.

[spoc22]

Gosh you guys are desparate for a contoversy aren't you? Next thing you know old Chuckie will be keeping track of bathroom breaks at the DOJ (if he isn't already).

[-mmm-]

Originally Posted by spoc22

Gosh you guys are desparate for a contoversy aren't you? Next thing you know old Chuckie will be keeping track of bathroom breaks at the DOJ (if he isn't already).

Personally Im not desperate for more controversy. Im sick of the constant BS from this administration. Id just like to see them do one thing competently and that is for the good of the nation instead of trying to stick to their plan of creating a "permanent Republican majority" based on dividing the people in nation in half that has completely backfired and has gone a long ways to creating a Republican minority for the foreseeable future (and I would say permanently but they did bounce back from Watergate nicely, though this time its more system wide in the party and not just at the top). But Im not holding my breath for that. Bush and company (in this case Gonzalez and Rove) has all but killed true conservatism in this country with stunts like this. This has made the Republican party an extremist party for but a few sane minds who are completely drowned out by the 30% who goosestep with each other and naively (stupidly?) think Fox News being "Fair and balanced" is the same as being completely objective. But than Im just in the "blame everything on Bush" crowd just because Im totally against the arrogance, corruption, constant lying, never having any sense of culpability for anything they f*** up, and the general extremism (ie warmongering from people who have never had someone shoot back at them) of the Bush administration.

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Originally Posted by spoc22

Gosh you guys are desparate for a contoversy aren't you?

Yeah, I guess the integrity of the US Department of Justice isn't a big deal, at least in comparison with Bush's illegal and unjust attack, invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.