How we *could* get to impeachment: His name is Glenn Fine.

[cali]

Fine is the Inspector General at the Justice Dept. He's investigating Gonzales, and it's a broad and deep investigation, according to sources. It's not outside the realm of possibility that this investigation will document in black and white, crimes committed not only by Gonzales, but by bush himself. What would the Congress and Nancy Pelosi do if confronted with this evidence? Well, my faith in Pelosi is at a distinctly low ebb, but if there's strong evidence, I think the cries for impeachment, within the Congress, will grow.

Here's some info about Fine:

Glenn Alan Fine (circa 1956— ) is the Inspector General of the United States Department of Justice, having been confirmed by the United States Senate on December 15, 2000. Prior to his appointment as Inspector General, Fine served the as Special Counsel to the Inspector General from January 1995 until 1996, when he was made Director of the OIG's Special Investigations and Review Unit.<1>

Immediately prior to joining the OIG office at the Department of Justice, Fine had been in a private law practice in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in labor and employment law. Before entering private practice, Fine served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Washington, D.C. United States Attorney's Office from 1986 to 1989. In those three years, he prosecuted more than 35 criminal jury trials and handled numerous grand jury investigations.

Fine's father was an antitrust lawyer at the Justice Department for 28 years.<2>

In September 1993, Fine married Beth Heifitz, a former law clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. The wedding was jointly officiated at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC by Justice Blackmun and Rabbi Howard Gorin. <3>

Heifetz now works as a litigator in Washington, D.C. They have two children and live in a Maryland suburb.<2>


Education
Fine attended Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. In 1979, he graduated with an A.B. degree in economics from Harvard College, magna cum laude. He was co-captain of the Harvard varsity basketball team.

Though only 5'9", he was a 10th-round draft pick by the San Antonio Spurs, an NBA basketball team, in 1979. Instead, he accepted a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.<1><2> Fine earned B.A. and M.A. degrees at Oxford.

Fine received his law degree from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1985.<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_A._Fine

Here's a bit about the investigation:

Alberto Gonzales is still worried about the legal questions surrounding him: “No sooner did Alberto Gonzales resign as attorney general last month than he retained a high-powered Washington criminal-defense lawyer to represent him in continuing inquiries by Congress and the Justice Department…. The top concern for Gonzales, and now Terwilliger, is the expanding investigation by Glenn Fine, the Justice Department’s fiercely independent inspector general, according to three legal sources familiar with the matter who declined to speak publicly about ongoing investigations.”

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13191.html

The investigation is evidently close to finished- and that's actually quite quick; it started just about 2 months ago.

So maybe, like so many things, this will just be another disappointment, but then again, maybe it will bear some interesting fruit.

[cali]

1. kick

because this is worth knowing about and discussing.

[H2O Man]

2. Are you familiar

with the limitations on access to information that the office has?

[cali]

3. Good Morning, H2O Man,

I'm not sure what you're asking. Do you mean that the IG's office has the same limitations to materials that the Congress has encountered?

[H2O Man]

4. Yes.

I do not have any of the files on hand, but I think if you read through some of the communications between that office and a few select democratic leaders in the House and Senate, you will see potential difficulties. The office itself is good in theory, and I am not suggesting that your OP is incorrect or without merit. But the office's ability to do its intended responsibilities has been marginalized by the Bush administration -- at least in my opinion.

[cali]

5. You may be right

I think, however, that this investigation, is the one that has the greatest possibility to reveal new and potentially damaging information about the administration. As I understand it, Fine is investigating not only possible perjury by Gonzales, but the warrantless wiretapping and the firing of the U.S. Attnys.

What access does he have? Well, he probably has had access to internal information that he Congress has not. And I think it's easier for Fine to know where to look for certain materials. He's been in the IG's office for over a decade. In addition, he's evidently no slouch. And I'm encouraged by the knowledge that he's not only not a bush insider, but not even a bush appointee.

In any case, we don't have that much longer to wait. We'll know within the month how effective his investigation has been.

[H2O Man]

7. The office

would have access to information on Gonzales per the perjury and US Att firings. But it has none on the wiretapping, due to "national security" concerns. So the office has the ability to pursue Gonzales, but not to go above him.

[cali]

8. well, Fine is investigating the wiretapping

and that would seem, at least to me, that he has some information to go on.

[H2O Man]

9. Some.

I certainly agree with that description.

[madokie]

6. bushco* cannot survive any of this without destroying our Constitution

so many laws have been broken, serious laws some of them like lieing us into an illegal war that is killing thousands and thousands. bushco* cannot on the face of it do away with centuries of laws with a wave of the hand as so many think they can. When these boys and girls fall it will be top news around the world and all the other tinhorn despot leaders had better take note cause their people will be after them too. this illegal war criminal regime we have in the white house now has gone on way too long for it to survive much longer. Its not just us Americans who are getting ready to do something, russia and china are setting up straight and paying attention like never before. Like I said the People of the World will standby but for a short time longer before demanding Justice. that, as the old saying goes, can be taken to the bank