White House reiterates ‘full confidence’ in Gonzales as GOP support slips News
White House reiterates ‘full confidence’ in Gonzales as GOP support slips

[JURIST] The White House reiterated President Bush's "full confidence" in embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [JURIST news archive] at Friday morning's press gaggle [transcript]. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that the administration considers next week's proposed Senate vote of no-confidence in Gonzales [JURIST report] a political stunt, and that Gonzales can continue to serve without the support of Congress. Fratto's comments came as a fifth Senate Republican, Norm Coleman (R-MN), called for Gonzales to resign [statement]. Gonzales has been under fire for the allegedly political firings of nine federal prosecutors [JURIST news archive].

When questioned about recent testimony [transcript, PDF; JURIST report] by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey [official profile] before the Senate Judiciary Committee that then-White House Counsel Gonzales attempted to pressure a hospitalized then-Attorney General John Ashcroft into reauthorizing the warrantless domestic wiretap program and whether President Bush ordered the visit, Fratto refused to answer, citing issues of national security. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UK parliament passed Statute of Westminster

On December 3, 1931, the UK Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, under which the British dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland gained complete legislative independence. The statute received royal assent and came into force on December 11.

President Theodore Roosevelt calls for dissolution of trusts

On December 3, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt called for the dissolution of business trusts in his first State of the Union address. Roosevelt would go on to dissolve 44 trusts during his administration, earning the nickname "Trust Buster".