Liar's paradox

If Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he resigns, can we believe him?

Related paradox: the likely forthcoming, "I Don't Recall": A Memoir.

One more: Can (soon-to-be-former) Attorney General Alberto Gonzales make a rock so big that even he can't pretend it isn't there?

Discuss.

Comments

[Jos]

That depends.

If Gonzales was under oath when he announced his resignation, you can't believe him.

If he wasn't under oath, I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth.

[cjmr's husband]

But can he remember why he resigned?

Will we have to ship him off to an island Village to find out?

[nationElectric]

I wouldn't worry, he's probably just resigning from the federal government. I'm sure he'll remain a member in good standing of George Bush's shadow government.

[Jesurgislac]

Is he leaving to spend more time with his family, or with Karl Rove's family?

Will he be able to remember that he's resigned, or will he keep wandering back into the AG offices and asking people what's happened to his office, why isn't his name on the door and who is that sitting behind his desk and what happened to the cute little statue of a dog, or was it a cat, or maybe it was a frog, that he's almost sure he had on his desk at the left, or was it the right?

[LL]

"I Don't Recall": A Memoir: LOL!!!! Or even ROTFL!!!

Only Rumsfeld or Cheney or Bush may have reserved that title already. Al may have to change his title to "To The Best of My Recollection" or "I Wasn't In That Meeting" or "Executive Privilege" or somesuch.

[Mike Timonin]

Why, when politicians retire/quit/are fired, do they announce that they are going to spend more time with their families? Seriously, where does this cliche come from? Is this just the current admin, or does it extend beyond that? Is this just a convenient statement that reporters are unlikely to challenge - "I don't believe that you plan to spend more time with your family. Isn't it true that you're really leaving office to buy a house boat, on which you will drink extensively, entertain hookers, and, on occasion, solve crime?" "Seriously, tell us the real reason you're leaving office - we have it on good authority that you actually hate your family, which is why you went into politics in the first place." "While we're talking about family, when did you stop beating your wife?"

[the opoponax]

@ Mike -- because it's easier than saying they're retiring to a fallout shelter/bunker in Paraguay, so that when our October Surprise Nightmare sets in next year, the government will be ready to spring into immediate action to prevent the election from taking place.

[cjmr]

Sometimes I wonder if "spending more time with my family" is a euphemism for "My wife/husband told me that if I don't spend more than 5 hours a week at home with her/him, s/he's taking the children and running off to Mexico with the pool boy/nanny."

[Jesurgislac]

Mike: Why, when politicians retire/quit/are fired, do they announce that they are going to spend more time with their families?

Tradition.

When British civil servants were suspended from their jobs for nefarious activities, they were said to be on "gardening leave" - whether or not they had a garden.

[Jesurgislac]

Apparently, Paul Clement - one of Bush's cronies and inside the pro-torture the-President-can-do-what-he-likes circle, just like Gonzales - has been appointed acting AG.

According to Greenwald, Bush can keep Clement in place pretty much indefinitely just by repeatedly invoking the "210 day" rule.

[Jos]

"I Don't Recall": A Memoir

"I would like to begin this story with something someone once said to me.

I'm afraid I can't quite remember when they told me this. I believe it was August '87, but it could also have been February '93.

In respect for his or her privacy, I won't divulge the name of the person who said this to me, but their words inspire me to this very day. I can't tell you what they are, of course, because they're a matter of state security, but you can trust me when I say they were really very inspiring.

It should be noted that I was not actually anywhere near them when they said these remarkable words to me. It's a matter of public record, after all, that I was somewhere else entirely at that time, even though I admit this may be difficult to prove since the records of my whereabouts at the time have been sadly misplaced.

In any case, I took their words to heart and, I think will become obvious simply by reading this book, they greatly influenced my career from that moment onward."

[PurpleGirl]

When does the wingnut welfare kick in? What foundation/think tank is going to give him a nice consultancy? Is he too toxic for a law firm to offer him an "of counsel" spot? Enquiring minds want to know...

[Robb]

I have a very meaningful, insightful, and witty response to this blog. It is excellently hilarious, yet manages to precisely touch upon the deeper moral & philosophical issues of the topic at hand. Moreover, it conclusively proves my effectiveness as a commenter, as well as my instinctual grasp of my position as a commenter, despite all accusations otherwise. I'd like to take this time to state that I will continue to comment, regardless of whatver partisan pressure I may feel to do otherwise.

[adam]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=reKN53JUpfo

Seems appropriate.

[Michael Bloom]

There's a singer-songwriter duo called the Prince Myshkins that wrote a perfectly applicable little ditty about Ronald Reagan, "I Don't Remember."

I quote (ironically, from memory, so I hope it's correct):

Someone who sells Reagan memorabilia must laugh all the way to the bank
If there are books in the Reagan memorial library, they must be blank
I hate to be rude, but we're bound to conclude as we look through the history pages
Alzheimer's was bad, but it's not what he had: whatever he had was contagious
And even today, this disease trickles down, just ask Rumsfeld, just ask Condaleeza
The news media too, when a eulogy's due, knows that nothing succeeds like amnesia...

[Michael Bloom]

There's a singer-songwriter duo called the Prince Myshkins that wrote a perfectly applicable little ditty about Ronald Reagan, "I Don't Remember."

I quote (ironically, from memory, so I hope it's correct):

Someone who sells Reagan memorabilia must laugh all the way to the bank
If there are books in the Reagan memorial library, they must be blank
I hate to be rude, but we're bound to conclude as we look through the history pages
Alzheimer's was bad, but it's not what he had: whatever he had was contagious
And even today, this disease trickles down, just ask Rumsfeld, just ask Condaleeza
The news media too, when a eulogy's due, knows that nothing succeeds like amnesia...

[mmack]

Sometimes I wonder if "spending more time with my family" is a euphemism for "My wife/husband told me that if I don't spend more than 5 hours a week at home with her/him, s/he's taking the children and running off to Mexico with the pool boy/nanny."

cjmr, I always take it as a euphenism for "The boss/coach/manager/president/CEO/Board of Directors called me into their office and made me an offer: I could quit or they would fire me."

[mmack]

I believe the only way that we can get a true, honest answer to Fred's question is to ship Mr. Gonzales to Guantanamo Bay for some interrogation sessions. You know, the type that stop short of death or organ failure.

[Ebonmuse]

I Don't Recall: A Memoir

Best. Title. Ever.

Fred, you made my day, and on a day when Gonzales resigns, that's really saying something. :)

[85% Duane]

Watching the Gonzales and Vick train-wrecks simultaneously today on CNN, it occured to me what is wrong with "The News":

They spent much much more time speculating about what might happen next than reporting on what actually did happen. Instead of reporters, they send folks like Jeffrey Toobin, "legal analyst", on-site to do "reporting". Then they request of these sorts of folks their best guesses as to what might happen going forward.

So in an effort to be the very first to scoop a new story, postmodern journalism actually guesses what might happen next and in the process is able to create the news instead of simply report it.

I have identified the problem. What is the solution?

[Jeff]

I have identified the problem. What is the solution?

"Web 2.0" (Actually, interactive web-sites, but this is the term MSM is using.)

[Pope Easier Rhino I]

Jeff, leave me out of your horrible nightmare future, pretty please. Speculate a nice Caribbean island for me.

[Craig]

I'd be a lot happier about this if I didn't expect Gonzo to be replaced by someone just like him. Even if the replacement isn't Chertoff, they'll still be nothing more than a rubber stamp.

[Jeff]

Reporters asked Gonzales and Bush over the week-end if AG the AG was going to resign and were told he wasn't. So the last official act that Bush and Gonzo performed was to lie to reporters. How fitting!

[stinger]

Q: Mr. Gonzales, are you leaving because your wife and children want to see more of you?
A: Senator, I'm leaving on behalf of my family.
Q: Are you leaving because your elderly parents are ailing?
A: Senator, I'm leaving on behalf of my family.
Q: Are you leaving because you can make more money in the private sector?
A: Senator, I'm leaving on behalf of my family.

[Blackadder]

First Rove, then Gonzales; it's like Hercules cleaning out the Aegean Stables. Good riddance to bad rubbish.