Our Republican Monica takes the fifth

You've seen this scene before.

A beefy, olive complexioned man in a shark-skin suit, with a nick name that sounds like Vinny the Weasel, sweats beneath the steely gaze of his intrepid Senatorial interlocutor.

Senator: Mr. the Weasel, these documents (waves thick sheaf of papers) show that you were involved in a conspiracy to see that one Jimmy the Rat, would soon be sleeping with the fishes. Do you deny this charge?

Vinny the Weasel (after leaning over and holding an intense, though inaudible conversation with the attorney at his side): My lawyer tells me I gotta take the fifth.

The hearing room errupts in pandemonium.

(Cut to)

Vinny the Weasal in chains and oddly stripped jumpsuit being led to the hoosegow.

(Fade to black. Roll end credits)

Well, for today's edition of the Saga of the Gonzales 8 (will someone please establish a "gate" name for this fiasco so I know what to call it?), the part of Vinny the Weasel will be played by DoJ White House liason Monica M. Goodling.

Oh god, not another Monica.

Happily, for the moral fiber of this nation, this Monica has never given any president a blowjob (as far as we know).

What we do know is this. That this senior counselor to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, after taking an indefinite and unspecified leave of absence form her job at Justice last week, was this week called to testifiy before the Senate regarding her role in Purgegate (c'mon folks, let's settle on that nickname and soon).

And this afternoon we now find out that our Republican Monica (shouldn't EVERY party have its own Monica?) will, rather than testify, be instead taking the fifth.

Finer legal minds than mine will have to analyze the implications of her move. Certainly I have a hard time blaming her for not wanting to become a scapegoat for this corrupt and incompetent administration. But this is exremely bad news for the Bushies (hey, I wonder if they have a softball team? I can suggest a name). It just doesn't look good.

I'm especially looking forward to hearing wingnut spin doctors explain the finer points of Ohio v. Reiner and how, just because Monica is invoking her right against self-incrimination, it doesn't mean she's done anything incriminating.

That ought to go over well with the American public.

Unless they've seen the movie.

Some random reactions around the 'sphere:

The commenters at TPM Muckraker are, um skeptical.

One of Andrew Sullivan's readers think she should be offered immunity so she can testify (I agree, Ms. Goodling's a small fish in this scummy pond).

Over at Daily Kos mcjoan notes that Republican's aren't always big supporters of the Fifth Amendment, at least when (surprise, surprise, surprise) it applies to Clintons.