Gonzales to Congress: Let's talk about something else
 Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will encourage Members of Congress on Thursday to direct their attention to areas other than the firings of US Attorneys, according to remarks prepared for his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee and acquired by RAW STORY.
"Recent events must not deter us from our mission," Gonzales says in his prepared remarks, referring to the work of the Justice Department in fighting crime. "I ask the Committee to join me in that commitment and that re-dedication."
The embattled Attorney General also appears to suggest that tomorrow's hearing could conclude deliberations on the Attorneys and related matters,
"It is my sincere hope that today’s hearing brings us closer to a clearing of the air on the eight resignations," he says.
Gonzales will continue to cling in his prepared remarks to the idea that nothing improper drove the firing of the Attorneys.
"Based upon the record as I know it, it is unfair and unfounded for anyone to conclude that any U.S. Attorney was removed for an improper reason," he says.
But it would appear that Gonzales cannot rule out the appearance of impropriety, as he acknowledged that an internal investigation at the Justice Department continues and limits his understanding of what truly transpired.
"To ensure the independence and integrity of these investigations, and the investigations of congressional committees, I have not spoken with nor reviewed the confidential transcripts of any of the Department of Justice
employees interviewed by congressional staff. I state this because, as a result, I may be somewhat limited when it comes to providing you with all of the facts that you may desire," he plans to tell Congress.
Gonzales will also say that the White House was definitely clued in to the process of removing US Attorneys by Kyle Sampson, which the Attorney General himself instructed his former Chief of Staff to do.
"I also told him to make sure that the White House was kept informed since the U.S. Attorneys are presidential appointees," the prepared remarks say.
Gonzales' full statement, which is 26 pages long, can be downloaded from this link.
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