Welcome to Gonzales Watch - Blawging the Ex-Attorney General

Wasting no time in answering Goodling’s testimony this morning where she portrayed Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty as a scapegoat in the U.S. Attorney firings controversy, McNulty (inset, left) fired back with a response this afternoon.

“I testified truthfully at the Feb. 6, 2007, hearing based on what I knew at that time. Ms. Goodling’s characterization of my testimony is wrong and not supported by the extensive record of documents and testimony already provided to Congress.”

McNulty announced last week that he would be resigning from the second-highest lawyer position at the Justice Department by the end of the summer.

Immediately after McNulty tendered his resignation letter, Gonzales praised his colleague, saying he was “valued here at the Department…as both a colleague and a friend.”

The very next day, Gonzales stabbed him in the back in a speech and Q&A with reporters at the National Press Club, saying that McNulty bore responsibility for the firing of U.S. Attorneys.

“At the end of the day,” Gonzales told reporters, “the recommendationon [on which U.S. Attorneys should be fired and lose their jobs] reflected the views of the Deupty Attorney General. He signed off on the names. He would know better than anyone else, anyone in this room. Anyone. Again, the Deputy Attorney General would know best about the qualification and experiences of the United States Attorney community, and he signed off on the names.”