Rembember in college when you'd be out drinking with a bunch of people suddenly like a flock of birds, everyone would jump and decide they needed to go somewhere else? Then, as suddenly as the desire initally overtook the group, inertia would creep in under the subtext of all the booze. You'd hit the cool dark night air, it'd sober you up just a bit.. and then everyone would group huddle trying to figure out where to go next. By the time the drunk cluster had reached a conclusion it was after last call and the only thing still open was fast food.
That's our Democratic leaders in the House today. The cluster cannot apparently, collectively move with any authority on any decision without first taking a poll, checking tea leaves and waiting for a lightning bolt from some unseen oracle.
This, should have happened immediately.
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee said Monday that it would move forward with contempt-of-Congress proceedings against President Bush's chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, and former White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers for refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas pertaining to the probe of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year.
Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said his committee would vote Wednesday on a resolution to hold Bolten and Miers in contempt for refusing to turn over documents and testimony the panel sought in the politically charged case.
The decision ratchets up a battle between Congress and the White House in which the Bush administration has asserted executive privilege in refusing to release information about the firings. The contempt resolution would go to the House floor for a vote if, as expected, the committee approves it.
If the White House wants us to truly believe they held no influence over the political manipulation of the justice system then all subpoenaed parties should testify with full disclosure. Otherwise, we're left to only speculate and all attempts to add opaque layers to what should inherently be transparent, only add to the suspicion. Executive privilege is only to be used in instances of national security and by the office of the president who, declares he and his ilk had nothing to do with these firings. Thus the irrelevance.
Book her Dano.
Posted by kerry at July 24, 2007 02:35 AM