MTP Transcript for Mar. 25, 2007

MR. McKAY: Well, I think I’m, I’m still trying to learn. I’m—I am learning that the—that the importance of prosecutorial independence, integrity, compassion, fairness, those, those are the issues that guided all of us as federal prosecutors. Our colleagues remain in office, and, and I believe they’re, they’re following the same thing. They—they’re carrying a heavier burden today, and I think they’re up to the task. And I—and I hope that the American people understand that, that federal prosecutions and, and prosecutors do hold these qualities closely to them, notwithstanding all that’s gone on in the last few weeks.

MR. RUSSERT: You said there’s a black cloud over this. What must the president do to remove that cloud?

MR. McKAY: I think the first steps have been taken, and, and they’re very important ones, and those are to turn this over as an investigation to the inspector general of the Department of Justice. I also understand that the Office of Professional Responsibility will be conducting an investigation. I think that what happened here, because the stories have changed so frequently, what happened here has to be investigated. Those who either acted unprofessionally or even illegally have to be held accountable for what they did.

MR. RUSSERT: Including the attorney general, if the facts show that?

MR. McKAY: Of, of course—of course. The attorney general is not above the law, and he heads the agency and so he should be held accountable.

MR. RUSSERT: What have—what have you learned from this?

MR. IGLESIAS: I’ve learned a lot about checks and balances, the fact that the Senate does have an important oversight role and that the rule of law means exactly that. The rule of law means that applies to everybody from the attorney general on down through his staff, that this is an important issue. You can’t treat United States attorneys like they’re a farm club. We do important things. We take people’s live away, we take their property away, and you can’t treat us like any other presidential person or—and I think that was something that was lost sight of. But like John, I’m learning through all this. I’m sure in years to come I’ll reflect back, and, and I’ll have some other things that, that I’ve learned throughout this scandal.

MR. RUSSERT: The president did say he was sorry that your names were raised in all this, and he said, “This is—these are the ways of Washington.” Was that a sufficient apology for you?

MR. IGLESIAS: It’s a step in the—in the right direction. What, what I seek is a written retraction from the Justice Department stating that performance had nothing to do with our terminations.

MR. RUSSERT: Have you gotten that?

MR. IGLESIAS: Not yet.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you think you will?

MR. IGLESIAS: Possible. I’m not going to hold my breath, but it—but it is possible.

MR. RUSSERT: David Iglesias, John McKay, we thank you very much for joining us and sharing your story and your views.

Coming next, there will be hearings before the United States Judiciary Committee, and two key members of that panel are with us this morning: Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Then, one-time Democratic presidential candidate, United States senator and basketball star Bill Bradley is back with his new book, “The New American Story.” All coming up right here on MEET THE PRESS.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: The debate over the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys continues: two key members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin and Specter. Then, Senator Bill Bradley, after this station break.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: And we’re back.

Senator Durbin and Senator Specter, welcome both. Let me share with you the latest e-mail that has been obtained, released by the Department of Justice. Here’s the headlines in the newspapers about it. It says in The New York Times headline: “Gonzales Met With Advisers on Dismissals. Record Seems at Odds With Past Comments.”

And here is the e-mail. It’s from Kyle Simpson, the attorney general’s chief of staff. It talks about a meeting for next Monday, meeting November 27^th, 2006, the attorney general, “me, Monica,” deputy attorney general, others, one hour in the attorney general’s conference room. Thanks.

A meeting on this very subject. And yet, 12 days ago, the attorney general of the United States met with the press and spoke to the nation and said this:

(Videotape, March 13, 2007)

ATTY. GEN. ALBERTO GONZALES: That is, in essence, what I knew about the process; was not involved in seeing any memos, was not involved in any discussions about what was going on. That’s basically what I knew, as the attorney general.

I never saw documents, we never had a discussion about where things stood.

(End of videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Durbin, reading that memo and hearing those comments, what do you conclude?

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Tim, there’s a standing rule in Washington that if you have bad news, you want to release it as late as you can on Friday, hoping people will miss it. And that’s when this information was released. Frankly, it is the third contradiction now that comes from the attorney general. First he said the White House was not involved. We’ve seen from the e-mails that they were. Second, he said these men were dismissed—I should say these U.S. attorneys were dismissed because of performance. Now we find out there were political considerations, starting with Karl Rove and others. And now the attorney general’s statement of just a few days ago has been contradicted by the fact he was involved in a meeting where this was discussed, and it wasn’t the only meeting he’s been involved in. It really raises a question about credibility, and I think that’s why we need to have the most important players before the Senate Judiciary Committee, under oath, with a transcript, telling the whole truth.

MR. RUSSERT: Senator Specter, when you hear the attorney general say that he was not involved in any discussions about what was going on, and he never had a discussion about thing—where things stood, and you read that e-mail of an hour meeting in his conference room on this very subject, what do you conclude?

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