Six Questions (Without Answers) for Congressman John Conyers on Impeachment and Alberto Gonzales

By Ken Silverstein

Back in May, I requested an interview with Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and received a quick “yes” from his office. I was told that conducting the interview by e-mail would be quicker than waiting for a meeting with the congressman, so I sent over a list of six questions as requested. Since then, I have asked repeatedly for the promised replies and was assured that they would be forthcoming. My most recent request was sent to Melanie Roussell, a spokeswoman at the Judiciary Committee, on July 23rd. She apologized for letting “this slip through the cracks” and said she would “follow up . . . later today.” That’s the last I’ve heard, and as it’s now been four months since I made the original request I’ve decided to just go ahead and post the questions that I was told Congressman Conyers would be happy to answer. Several, as you’ll see, have been overtaken by events.

If the congressman would like to reply I’d be happy to fill in the blanks.

1. If President Bush wants Attorney General Gonzales to remain on the job and the Senate’s vote of No Confidence doesn’t produce his resignation, will the Judiciary Committee seek to impeach him?

2. When Monica Goodling testified, she was asked a single question about her dealings with Karl Rove and Harriet Miers, and she gave a brush off answer. Does the committee plan to follow up on this angle? Does the congressman believe that Rove and/or Miers are important figures in this story?

3. Is President Bush (and/or Vice President Cheney) guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors in regard to leading the country into the war in Iraq?

4. Polls show that impeachment of President Bush is supported by a notable section of the public. Why isn’t impeachment on the table? Have the Democrats decided for political reasons that impeachment should not be pursued? Was the congressman pressured by the party leadership to steer clear of the topic, as has been reported?

5. Some watchdog groups criticized the congressman for opposing a measure in the ethics bill that would have extended the revolving door ban to two years? Why did the congressman oppose that step –especially at a time that the public appears to be so cynical about political corruption and supportive of stricter ethics rules?

6. The congressman has announced that he will hold hearings on climbing gasoline prices. What’s the biggest factor behind the rise in prices?