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Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the Political Hot Seat

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Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been roasted by Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.  Can Gonzales maintain the credibility required to run the Department of Justice?  We hear about today's Senate committee hearing and talk with one of the fired US attorneys.  Also, Defense Secretary Robert Gates makes a surprise trip to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders and, on Reporter's Notebook, the US Supreme Court's turnabout on abortion.  What does it mean for a woman's right to choose?

Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images

Making News

Defense Secretary Robert Gates Is in Baghdad ()

The death toll has risen to at least 180 after yesterday’s suicide bombing in Baghdad, the worst attack since February, when US and Iraqi forces began their security crackdown. Today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a surprise visit with a message for Iraqi leaders. Kirk Semple is in Baghdad for the New York Times.

Guests:
  • Kirk Semple: Foreign Correspondent for the New York Times

Main Topic

Attorney General Gonzales Testifies on Capitol Hill ()

America's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, came under attack from members of both parties today at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. At issue is how deeply he was involved in the firing of eight US attorneys. Has he tried to deceive both Congress and the American people?  What is the role of partisan politics in the administration of justice? Has Gonzales lost the credibility he needs to do his job?  We get a report on the hearing and hear from one of the former prosecutors.

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Reporter's Notebook

The US Supreme Court's Turnabout on Abortion ()

Yesterday, by a 5-to-4 vote, the US Supreme Court's new majority ruled for the first time that a specific abortion procedure may be banned by federal law. All leading Republican candidates for President support the decision; all the leading Democrats are opposed.  Intact dilation and extraction is a late-term procedure dubbed "partial-birth abortion" by abortion opponents.  Cynthia Gorney, professor of journalism at the University of California at Berkeley, is author of Articles of Faith, on the history and politics of the right to abortion.

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