((SOT - schumer))

"At the very beginning I was clear that something didn't smell right but I had no idea how high it went”

SOMETHING STINKS IN WASHINGTON D.C. IT SMELLS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A ROTTEN SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND OUTRIGHT CONTEMPT FOR BASIC FAIRNESS AND AMERICAN JUSTICE...

WE FIRST GOT A WHIFF OF IT IN RECENT WEEKS WHEN A JURY CONVICTED THE VICE PRESIDENT'S CHEIF STAFF OF PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CHARGES ... THE WHOLE SCOOTER LIBBY FIASCO WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY WASN'T SO HELL-BENT ON SQUASHING THE TRUTH THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO HEAR...

THEN CAME THOSE EIGHT FIRED U.S. ATTORNEY'S --- FIRED FOR POLITICAL REASONS SOME SAY. IT WAS SMELLY BUT TODAY, THE STINK IS UNBEARABLE... WHY? BECAUSE TODAY WE NOW KNOW EVEN MORE OF THE TRUTH.

REMEMBER HARRIET MIERS? YOU KNOW, THAT WOMAN WHO WORKED DOWN THE HALL FROM THE PRESIDENT? THE ONE HE NOMINATED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE AND THEN WITHDREW BECAUSE OF THE UPROAR OVER HER QUALIFICATIONS? WE NOW KNOW THAT SHE SUGGESTED TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY FIRE ALL NINETY-THREE U.S. ATTORNEYS IN EVERY DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES AND CAREFULLY REPLACE THEM WITH MORE IDEOLOGICALLY SOUND CANDIDATES... OR...POLITICAL "FRIENDLYS" IF YOU WILL... THAT WAS TOO EXTREME EVEN FOR THIS WHITE HOUSE...

NOW THE PRESIDENT'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO TELL US THAT THE FIRINGS WERE BECAUSE OF THEIR PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM? THEIR JOB RECORDS TELL A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY.. THEY ALL RECIEVED VERY HIGH MARKS... AND NOW THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WHO DREW UP THAT HIT-LIST HAS RESIGNED... TOP DEMOCRATS ARE ASKING ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALEZ TO RESIGN ALSO...AGAIN SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER

((SOT schumer))

"Attorney General Gonzales has either forgotten the oath he took to uphold the constitution or just doesn't understand that his duty to protect the law is greater than his duty to protect the President."

THAT'S THE POINT. THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS CHARGED WITH PROTECTING YOU AND ME AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION FROM ALL ENEMIES FORIEGN AND DOMESTIC. NOTICE THE WORD "JUSTICE" IN THE TITLE. NOW, THE MORE WE DIG, THE MORE THE DEPARTMENT LOOKS LIKE A MOB OF SELF INTERESTED, SELF PROTECTING THUGS.

BUT IN ALL FAIRNESS - HERE IS ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALEZ' RESPONSE TODAY...

((SOTgonzalez))

"when these us attorneys were advised that changes were going to be made...they should have been told... to.... this particular case"

FAIR ENOUGH. BUT WHEN THE REASON IS PURE POLITICS, IT SAYS VOLUMES ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON UP THERE.

AND THE SECOND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STINKER OF RECENT WEEKS - THE FBI NOW PUBLICLY ADMITS THEY BROKE THE LAW IN TRACKING PRIVATE INFORMATION ON AMERICAN CITIZENS. I HAVE RAISED MY OBJECTION TO THESE INTRUSIONS FROM THE BEGINNING - AND SURE ENOUGH THEY ABUSED THE PRIVILEGE.

AND FINALLY THE BIGGEST STINKER ALSO HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST GOVERMENT CONTRACTORS - HALLIBURTON. YOU KNOW, THE COMPANY, THAT WAS AWARDED A TWO-POINT-FOUR BILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT ON THE EVE OF THE IRAQ INVASION? THE COMPANY THAT AGREED TO SETTLE AN EIGHT-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD CLAIM FOR OVERCHARGING THE U.S GOVERNMENT? THEY'RE MOVING... YUPTHEY'RE MOVING THEIR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS FROM HOUSTON TEXAS TO DUBAI IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. CAN YOU SAY TAX BREAK? IS IT ANY SUPRISE THAT THIS COMPANY, SO DEPENDENT ON BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS WOULD SEEK SAFE HAVEN IN ANOTHER COUNTRY? SAFE FROM TAXES, SAFE FROM U.S. LAWS, SAFE FROM OVERSIGHT AND SAFE TO DO BUSINESS WITH IRAN...ONE OF HALLIBURTON'S VALUED CUSTOMERS. THEY MAY BE MOVING HALF-WAY AROUND THE WORLD BUT I CAN SMELL THEM FROM HERE...

THESE ARE NOT CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL ISSUES - THIS IS ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG. IN A BETTER WORLD, U.S. ATTORNEYS ARE FREE TO PURSUE INJUSTICE AND NOT ONE PARTY OR THE OTHER. IN A BETTER WORLD, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FAITHFULLY DEFENDS THE CONSTITUTION AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE - SO DOES THE PRESIDENT. IN A BETTER WORLD COMPANIES THAT RELY ON TAX DOLLARS DON'T MOVE TO ARAB COUNTRIES... IN A BETTER WORLD - AMERICA WOULDN'T HAVE SUCH A STINK AS IT HAS RIGHT NOW.... THAT'S THE CRIER WIRE...