What illegal activity did the Bush Administration seek to engage in? Will we ever learn? Is this an open democracy or are we ruled in secret by a King or a Dictator?

That it was NSA wiretapping.

In fact, Schumer's on judiciary, and that's what these hearings were looking at (someone at Salon correct me if I'm wrong).

Wow. I've never liked John Ashcroft, but after reading that testimony, he seems almost heroic in retrospect when it is stated he did not think the wiretapping done by the NSA (which is probably what Gonzales was after) was legal and would not sign off on it.

To attempt to wrest a signature from a very sick man in his hospital bed in hopes of getting his approval for a program he didn't think was legal is even more damning.

Nevertheless, the program was started; but it wasn't legal then and it isn't legal now, despite what the White House thinks.

Sometimes I regret Ashcroft resigned. He might have been the biggest horses' ass in the world, but at least he knew law, unlike his successor, who wouldn't know a legal act if it hit him the face.

What FMHilton said. The man had some deeply skewed priorities, but apparently, on at least one occasion, he was a man of principle. Great testimony... what's it going to take for Bush to cut ties with Gonzales? Is the AG gonna have to receive a massage?

TITLE 50 > CHAPTER 36 > SUBCHAPTER I > § 1809 says

A person is guilty of an offense if he intentionally—

(1) engages in electronic surveillance under color of law except as authorized by statute; . . . An offense described in this section is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

We now have the sworn testimony of the former Deputy Attorney General of the United States of America (at the time the acting AG) that the Bush Administration conducted illegal uncertified warrantless wiretapping. Each wiretap is a separate count with punishment of up to 5 years in prison and $10k fine.

Ahem: Can we spell h-i-g-h c-r-i-m-e-s????

Thank you for publishing this. And now Gonzales is Attorney General - how convenient.

"I have some recollection that the call was from the president himself, but I don't know that for sure. It came from the White House"

The name is not mentioned . Could it possibly be good old Rove?

I'm a little tired of the Ashcroft bashing that has happened over the years. Yes, his particular interpretation of religion is a bit wacky, but what he does in private never mattered to me as long as he did his job honestly and well.

Everyone seems to forget that he handled Enron so well. Yes it took longer than anyone wanted, but they nailed everyone all the way up to the top. He should have gotten credit for that.

Gonzales is a toady.

Just think, if it wasn't about the illegal wiretapping, then we also have a handful of other choices: bogus voter fraud, the Patriot Act, torture of prisoners at Gitmo and other out of the country contracts ...we could go on, you know!

This is outrageous.

Well, it was a 'classified' program, even now. And it was /is borderline legal, legal only with strained interpretations of the law, like the way Gonzo does it.

- The patriot act is legal just cuz it's a law, it makes itself legal.

- voter fraud is illegal. But I guess it depends on what you do. this is an 'ongoing' program....

- torture and rendition - that could fit, also.

- warrantless wiretapping - that's still my best guess

- could be something we don't even know about yet - egads