2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Defends Gonzalez Ahead of Congressional No

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
21 May 2007

President Bush is accusing Democrats² in Congress of playing politics as they prepare to take a no-confidence vote this week on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, controversy³ involving Gonzalez and his handling of the dismissals of eight U.S. prosecutors⁴, will also be in the spotlight⁵ when one of his former aides testifies before a House committee.

President Bush Monday reiterated⁶ his support for his embattled attorney general, who has admitted to mishandling the process in which the U.S. attorneys were dismissed, while denying any political motives⁷ were behind it.

"He has got my confidence," said President Bush. "He has done nothing wrong. There's been enormous amount of attention on him. That there's been no wrongdoing on his part. He has testified in front of Congress. And I, frankly⁸, view what's taking place in Washington today as pure political theater."

The president's passion in defending Gonzalez indicates that if the attorney general is to leave, it won't be the result of any decision from the White House.

But while the president believes political motivations are behind the move by Senate Democrats to schedule an unusual no-confidence vote on the attorney general, Gonzalez has lost the backing of five key Senate Republicans.

Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation last Sunday, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested Gonzalez might choose to resign before the no-confidence debate.

Designed to escalate⁹ pressure on Gonzalez to step down voluntarily, the effort by Senate Democrats will have some help from the House, where Democrats plan to bring up their own no-confidence resolution.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (l) and Adam Schiff

Democrats Adam Schiff and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz appeared at a news conference late Monday to preview that effort.

SCHIFF: "We take this step reluctantly, but we take it with the conviction that something is broken at the Department of Justice and Mr. Gonzalez is not the man to fix it.

SCHULTZ: This is not about partisan¹⁰ politics. This is about an individual who has lost the confidence of the Congress and the American people and needs to step aside."

If approved, both Senate and House measures, would be non-binding.

Adding to pressure on Gonzalez, Monica Goodling, the former Department of Justice liaison¹¹ to the White House and a key figure in the U.S. attorneys matter, comes to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.

One of four key justice department officials to resign so far in connection with the controversy, Goodling initially¹² declined to testify, citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination.

But lawmakers on the judiciary committee later voted to give her limited immunity¹³ in exchange for her appearance this Wednesday.

Testifying before the panel earlier this month, Attorney General Gonzalez apologized, as he did in an earlier Senate hearing, that the matter had become an unfortunate and undignified public spectacle.

However, he reiterated the position he has taken since the controversy began.

"It would be improper¹⁴ to remove a U.S. attorney to interfere¹⁵ with, or influence a particular prosecution¹⁶ for partisan political gain," said Gonzales. "I did not do that. I would never do that."

John Conyers, the Democratic panel chairman, had this observation as part of his opening remarks.

"One asks whether the administration is trying to cover up two simple truths: who created the list [of attorneys] and why," said John Conyers.

Adding to the pressure on Gonzalez was recent testimony¹⁷ to Congress by James Comey, a former deputy attorney general, who said Gonzalez tried in 2004 to persuade then Attorney General John Ashcroft, seriously ill at the time in a hospital, to approve an extension of President Bush's domestic eavesdropping¹⁸ program.

The key sponsor of the Senate no-confidence resolution on Gonzalez, Democrat¹ Charles Schumer, says he expects it to draw support from at least 60 senators.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

5 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

7 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

9 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

10 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

11 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

13 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

14 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

15 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

16 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

17 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

18 eavesdropping   

n. 偷听

参考例句：

• We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。
• Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间，一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。