Word: specters
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...first Republican to tackle Gonzales was Arlen Specter, the committee's ranking minority member, who termed Gonzales' session on Capitol Hill a "reconfirmation hearing." Though Specter started with the charitable tone of voice he reserves for those who he views as foolish but forgivable, Gonzales quickly did two things you never do with the cantankerous senior Senator from Pennsylvania: he both interrupted and challenged him. When Specter was asking Gonzales about conflicts between his opening statement and comments he made at a press conference earlier this year, Specter said, as an aside, that he was sure that Gonzales had prepared...
...Specter, visibly annoyed, shot back, "Do you prepare for all your press conferences?" His voice rising, he referred again to the contradictory statements Gonzales has made about the firings in different venues, a key issue in judging the AG's credibility on the Hill and his ability to hold the job. Gonzales, still apparently unaware of what he'd done to anger Specter, kept trying to break in to defend himself. When Specter, just beginning to cool down, said, "I don't think you're going to win a debate about your preparation," to the titters of the crowd, Gonzales...
...Gonzales may have learned his lesson. He waited backstage after the first round of questioning to try and patch things up with Specter. While Specter was answering questions from the press about their exchange, saying he was willing to give the AG another chance in the second round, someone informed him that Gonzales was waiting. "It's all right," said Spector, "let him wait...
...Sunnis has declined, there is no sign of a corresponding rise in Sunni participation in the political process. The national government and its ministries are still dominated by Shi'ites, who vastly outnumber Sunnis in the Iraqi security forces. For many Sunnis, the Baghdad security plan simply raises the specter of Shi'ite harassment, oppression and murder...
...anyone involved in this process sought the removal of a U.S. attorney for an improper reason," Gonzales asserted. "I firmly believe that these dismissals were appropriate." But he did not offer specifics about any of the firings, and specifics seem likely to dominate Tuesday's Senate hearings. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the committee, said yesterday that Gonzales has a "steep hill to climb" to keep his job, noting that, "He's going to be successful, in my opinion, only if he deals with the [specific] facts...