Answer the Question, Mr. Gonzales

“Why wasn’t O.P.R. given clearance as so many other lawyers in the Department of Justice were given clearance?” Mr. Specter asked.

Mr. Gonzales replied, “The president of the United States makes decisions about who is ultimately given access,” and he added that the president “makes the decision because this is such an important program.”

That's going to get you an "F" in debate class, Albie. Neither of those excuses is an answer to the question posed.

An answer in keeping with constitutional principles would be along the lines of:

"The O.P.R. was not given clearance because other intelligence agencies advised the president that commie infiltrators were trying to steal our precious bodily fluids.

Therefore, the justice department, under my direction, exercised authority to prevent this grave threat to national secur-it-tie, by obtaining warrants from the FISA court to surveil those parties. We then found that they were innocent of any wrongdoing. I have no idea why the preznit did what he did."

Notes for debate class: "Resolved: The United States Government of, by, and for Republicans is immoral and must be replaced."