By Dan Eggen, Washington Post
Friday, March 16, 2007
The White House retreated today from its claim that former counsel Harriet E. Miers first came up with the idea of firing U.S. attorneys, another apparent shift in the Bush administration’s evolving version of events behind the controversy.
White House press secretary Tony Snow told reporters that it was no longer clear who first initiated the idea of dismissing a large number of the 93 federal prosecutors following the 2004 elections.
“It has been described as her idea but . . . I don’t want to try to vouch for origination,” Snow said, referring to Miers. “At this juncture, people have hazy memories.”
Snow and other administration officials have said for the past four days that Miers first suggested firing all U.S. attorneys. They have cited e-mails from a Justice Department official on the topic and the recollection of presidential adviser Karl Rove.
Wasn’t a bad memory Libby’s defense, too? Bush Co. seems to be running out of excuses…