Bush blocked ethics inquiry -- Gonzales

Lest it be missed in all the attention being given to the missile-lobbing, Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales said today that President Bush personally issued orders to stop a Justice Department inquiry into NSA eavesdropping:

New York Times, July 19, 2006

Bush Blocked Ethics Inquiry, Gonzales Says

By NEIL A. LEWIS

WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that President Bush had personally decided to block the Justice Department ethics unit from examining the role played by government lawyers in approving the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program.

Mr. Gonzales made the assertion in response to questioning from Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania and chairman of the committee. Mr. Specter said the Office of Professional Responsibility at the Justice Department had to call off an investigation into the conduct of department lawyers who evaluated the surveillance program because the unit was denied clearance to review classified documents.

"Why wasn't O.P.R. given clearance as so many other lawyers in the Department of Justice were given clearance?" Mr. Specter asked.

Mr. Gonzales replied, "The president of the United States makes decisions about who is ultimately given access," and he added that the president "makes the decision because this is such an important program."

More at the NYT article. Of course, the blogosphere wasn't totally ignoring Bush. They were all over that cussing incident -- that'll show 'im the blogosphere is on the ball.