Goodling testifies about firings

WASHINGTON — Monica Goodling told Congress she had an "uncomfortable" conversation with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before leaving her post at the Justice Department last month and insisted she did not withhold information about the administration's firings of eight U.S. attorneys as she prepared other officials to testify.

But despite these and other revelations made during her daylong testimony Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, said "there were no surprises" at the hearing

"For people who are looking for corruption, they didn't find any in the testimony from her today," Cannon said. "This started out as corruption. Where is the corruption?"

Republicans saw the hearing as a sort of show-stopper for Democrats who were hoping to find the "keys to the kingdom," using a term former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias described Goodling as holding in the scandal that has erupted over how the department asked Iglesias and other U.S. attorneys to leave.

"This thing started with a hopeful bang today and ended with a thud," said Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif.

Republicans were not shy in pointing out Goodling did not have as large a role in the process as originally thought.

"In the scheme of things, she was a bit player," Ric Keller, R-Fla., said.

But Democrats found her testimony useful in finding ways to continue their investigation.

"All roads lead to the White House," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas.

Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said without Goodling's testimony he would not have leads to follow and there is still not a clear answer as to why the list of attorneys was created in the first place and who helped compile it.

"Stay tuned," he said.

Goodling, who resigned as a senior counsel to Gonzales and the Justice Department's White House liaison in April, had initially invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to testify. But the committee gave her immunity in hopes of compelling her to talk.

When Conyers asked the first question of the day around 10:40 a.m., Goodling followed the script of pleading her constitutional right not to serve as a witness against herself and to have an attorney present. She was then granted immunity and the questioning continued until 5:37 p.m.