That was pretty pathetic. Sending presidential aides up to Capitol Hill to testify will "harm the President's ability to get good information," Bush says. Didn't seem to faze Bill Clinton:
According to the Congressional Research Service, under President Clinton, 31 of his top aides testified on 47 different occasions. The aides who testified included some of Clinton’s closest advisors:
Harold Ickes, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff – 7/28/94
George Stephanopoulos, Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy – 8/4/94
John Podesta, Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary – 8/5/94
Bruce R. Lindsey, Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President – 1/16/96
Samuel Berger, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs – 9/11/97
Beth Nolan, Counsel to the President – 5/4/00
In contrast, between 2000 and 2004, Bush allowed only one of his closest advisers, then-Assistant to the President for Homeland Security Tom Ridge, to appear in front of Congress. He has also refused three invitations from Congress for his aides to testify, a first since President Richard Nixon in 1972. Clinton did not refuse any.
His crocodile tears for the reputations of the 8 attorneys he sacked was equally moving.
As Atrios says, "The only reason to refuse to be under oath or even have a transcript is because you plan to lie and you want to do it with impunity." Does anybody really doubt that?
Related posts:
- Does Obama Policy Allow Politicized Contact Between White House and Justice?
- George Bush Personally Sent Card, Gonzales to Thug Up Ashcroft
- Afghanistan: somebody’s already ‘mobilizing,’ but who’s calling the shots?
- The Bush Fairy Tale on the Libby Pardon
- Leak Blames Ousted Counsel Craig for Dawn Johnsen’s Stalled Confirmation
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Jane!
FITZ!!!!
Hey, Jane – how’s it going? Happy Birthday! (Am I a day late?)
that was very strange… yup, smells like desperation to me!
Subpoena time!
Transcritz?
gotta buy more popcorn.
Chimp on the run.
Mutant Poodle @
3
Just a few months, not until July. I think it was Peanut’s birthday. But thanks anyway.
I smell lying in the WH’s future. ok, that’s not news.
Sworn testimony does have a habit of getting in the way of criminal operations.
Smirk back at ‘em.
under oath, with a transcript, and in public. nothing less or i dust off my pitchfork and torch.
OT – actually on topic for the previous post, re: fundraising…how about Firepup parties where people get together, have some food, pony up $20, and get to know their neighborhood ‘dogs? I’m sure there are smart people who can figure out a way to get more value out of something like that, but perhaps it’s a start.
And maybe it’s just a rumor, but I’ve heard that if Karl swears on a Bible, God calls him on it.
Bush is a coward in many different ways. He is a scared little boy even though he is older than I am. He has never had to face adult responsibility and live up to the consequences of his actions.
Bush: Deny, Delay, Obfuscate, Lie
Congress: Investigate, Impeach, Convict, Indict
Not that it will happen, but it makes a nice fantasy. But at least INVESTIGATE the scum sucking cockroaches so that maybe the next Congress can be veto proof, no matter who is president. And put a few more liberal/progressives in office in ‘08 by letting everyone see just how many cockroaches have an R next to their names.
My $.02
Time to bring the war on the Constitution out in the open. Lance the boil and get it cleaned out.
IMPEACH. First Abu, then the rest.
why is georgie so scared of Karl? hmmm…
The travelgate documents numbered over 2000. Unprecedented? Where is the Katrina document dump?
Where is the unprecedented Dusty Foggo document dump? Cheney energy policy document dump?
Dubya is scared shitless. That was his Nixon moment.
“show trials ???”
That’s the most insulting thing I’ve heard a President say about another branch of government, EVER. It’s especially ridiculous when you consider how Chimpy got to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in the first place.
He must have been only out for 15 minutes or so. They’re not letting him out for too long anymore. I’m glad I don’t work in that White House….
It sounded as though our President was threatening the eight and suggesting that there would be an even greater effort by the White House to dig dirt,attack their performance and humilate them.
Now that Dubya has flipped off Leahy et al, would someone explain the supoena process and consenquences.
BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!
Sending presidential aides up to Capitol Hill to testify will “harm the President’s ability to get good information,” Bush says.
Isn’t that the *exact* same line BushCo. used way back when Cheney was letting the oil companies write our energy policy?
Bush’s temper tantrums must be even worse nowadays. But don’t worry…we can still go out and have a beer with him!
Wonder what KKKarl has on the shrub…This is gonna be a good fight to watch. Let’s make ‘em yell a lot in public about how terrible we are for wanting accountability. That’ll be worth watching.
My guess is that Fred Fielding is controlling this strategy, and he understands the game he’s in. I’m not sure the Democrats do.
This is the end game, the one that leads to impeachment or forestalls impeachment, and Fielding has been there. The Dems act like they’re playing some political game, and until they understand what game they’re in, they can’t be effective players. So far, they’re being outplayed.
There may be something in the released e-mails that will constitute the “smoking gun,” but that’s a guess. As long as the Dems don’t know what they’ve got, they’re stupid to go to the mat on a constitutional question when the public doesn’t know what’s at stake. By the time the Watergate investigators went to the Supreme Court to get the WH tapes, they already had substantial evidence that the WH was deeply involved in the coverup and all they needed was confirmation that the President himself knew. The Watergate investigators did their homework, but the Dems haven’t done theirs yet.
As misstep here could blow the whole effort or set it back. Sorry, but that’s what I’m seeing.
EPU’d from the last thread:
Well that about nails it for what their game plan was:
1. do not admit any wrongdoing
2. when wrongdoing becomes obvious
a. doc dump emails from DoJ
b. pin the tail on the AbuG
c. defend AbuG as firewall
d. if that doesn’t work, cut AbuG loose and stonewall on the WH
I don’t think it’s going to cut it this time, though. Subpoena those bastards, the truthful have nothing to fear from being under oath. This is something the American people innately understand, so if these asshats continue to refuse, we can beat them about the head with it indefinitely.
If it goes on long enough, hopefully someone in the house grows a pair and convenes impeachment hearings.
I just fired off a couple of notes to MSNBC. They are all agog at how good bush did, Andrea Mithchell and Chris Matthews. Manly? WTF Chris, get a grip or come on out of the closet already. bush looked pretty desperate to me and I hope that Conyers and Shumer are laughing their asses off right now.
Eli @ 24
Sending presidential aides up to Capitol Hill to testify will harm the President’s ability to get bullshit information.
Maher was just on The Situation Room, and he said it’s time for an intelligent president, that the grand experiment of having a really dumb, arrogant, stupid guy as President is over and it’s an abysmal failure (thanks a lot, MSM, for whitewashing Bush’s past and fucking up the country).
RevDeb @ 15.. A good surgical analogy. This administration is an abscess with the pus under pressure. Hopefully the DOJ is were it is pointing to be drained.
just heard slobbering Chris Matthews say the following:
“…the president sounds like he’s willing to go to the mattress on this….”
go to the mattress? did he mean mat? perhaps not…..
Colleen @ 29
Matthews called Bush “manly” again?
Dellinger has a cold clammy wimpy handshake FWIW.
Colleen @
29
Yeah that manly shit is wierd. Where’s Digby?
TeddySanFran @ 19
And what do you call Military Tribunals?
My $0.02: When answering questions, he several times spoke about “the people” learning the truth. Yet he vacillated between that and “the Democrats” needing answers. Thats the problem with the closed-door, no-transcript, no-oath sessions: The “Democrats” may learn something (although thats debatable without repercussions for lying) but “the people” wont. All the testimony or “conversations” need to be public so “the people” can learn the truth.
marjo @ 16
Think of Jeff Gannon and who he might have visited in the wee hours of the darkness …
marjo @
16
I think it’s more like he’s afraid of life *without* Karl and his superhuman ability to convince 30% of the population that Dubya is not a blithering psychopathic idiot.
I was watching Bush’s face, particularly his eyes, during the press conference. I’d say King George was pretty pissed off.
And I’m laying my bets that Gonzales will resign by April 1. Any takers?
BTW, for you legal minds out there – IF Congress subpoenas White House officials, and IF President Bush continues to say “Hell no, they’re not going to testify under oath or on the record” – what’s next?
Colleen @ 29
How good Bush did?
What is this, American f*cking Idol, with Tweety as Simon Cowell and Andrea Mitchell as Paula Abdul?
It’s time to find out how rigged our court sytem is. There is a reason Bush has loaded the apeals courts with his justices (as well as the supreme court).
With subpoenas, the courts will be called to act and America will enter a new phase – the Media have been corupted, the Republican party has been corupted – has the Judiciary been corupted?
Our one hope is that lifetime appointment of judges, over time, tends to change even partisan judges into rule of law judges, now that they can fear no retribution – we shall see – better sooner that later.
Kindly employer Bush doesn’t want to subject good public servants to
inquisitioninterrogation under those awful kleig lights. He doesn’t want his cherished counselors to fear giving him good advice.Um . . . Bushie? Those aren’t the people the Congress wants to talk to. They want to talk with bad public servants and counselors who give really bad advice.
Tweety has these man crushes on Bush, McCain, and Giuliani. He had one on Allen for a while until he imploded, but Chris can always go back for more…
Jane Hamsher @
9
Today is Peanut’s birthday.
Damn, I have a Board meeting tonight and all of this fun going on. I sure hope it isn’t a long meeting.
Hey, Democrats in Congress, here’s your comeback line:
This is about the American people’s ability to get good information.
Yes, Chris called bush manly again and Andrea practically had an orgasm on tv. My second note to them was telling them that I had changed channels and for Chris to accept himself for what he is.
[vent]
Did we wake up in a “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy” kind of world where the pResident’s sole job is to be a distraction from those who really run the show?
Otherwise, how did such an inarticulate &%#*@ end up the the driver’s seat?
[/vent]
Jane,
Happy Birthday!
Bush has drawn his line in the sand, but it will be washed away with the next wave coming in.
I bet the Repubs will not offer any comparisons with Clinton on this issue.
It is my hope that Leahy, Schumer, Conyers, Feingold and others are up to the task.
Send in the Subpoenas now.
Colleen @ 48
Bitchez.
It’s high time George W. Bush got taken down a few pegs.This blustery bullshit about harming his information gathering is just that, Bullshit.
I want subpoenas to fly like a blizzard and I want to hear him snivel every. fucking. day..
After going over the document dump it became clear that the US attorney for Western Washington was the target of a political hit. According to the docs. the US attorney John McKay was targeted by Republican opereatives, insiders and activists because they claim he didn’t pursue voter fraud allegations. The evidence for this fraud was uncovered by a right wing blogger by the name of Stefan Sharkansky who has a site called Sharkblog. The Evergreen Freedom Foundation a right wing “think tank” headed by former Republican candidate for Gov. and Congress, pressured the DOJ to oust McKay. The Evergreen Freedom Foundation receives much of it’s funds from right wing foundations such as the Sarah Scaife Found., Carthage Found. (also controlled by Scaife), Walton Family Foundation etc.. The Republicans were fighting mad that they lost the govenorship of Wash. and for that somebody had to pay the price. The Bush DOJ surely wanted to reward it’s friends on the extreme right ergo adios John McKay.
Scarecrow @ 27
Sorry to disagree, scarecrow, but I think the D’s are taking exactly the right approach. You work up the chain, step by step. They’re bringing Kyle Sampson in to talk, and they’re working on 1600. When they issue the subpoenas, it’s going to be crystal clear that the Dim Son’s people have to testify under oath. And the only real question is who was in charge there? UnkaKarl or the Dim Son himself?
BC
…”I’m sorry this has abububbled to the surface…”
I’m telling ya, I watched MSNBC only because I watch Keith and otherwise I never tune in. I just read about what the Tweety said on the blogs. I was disgusted. I’m sure C&L will have something on it or yeah, Digby.
I think Tweety and Mrs Greenspan were frightened of Chimpy. They are worried he’s gonna break, like they’ve both seen him do privately, and his giant, very bad temper will be revealed to the American people, making Trad “have a beer with him” Med all liars.
NO ONE wants to have a beer with this tweaker — Beltway Media knows that, and they are all terrified their game is up. It’s why our guy in Secaucus (KO) can speak truth to power the way none of the rest of them can.
ongaku @ 50
I’d far rather have Zaphod Beeblebrox as the figurehead. Have a beer with him? Hell, have a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster!
did Mrs. Greenspan actually hand Tweety the kleenex ?!?! my geeaaahdd!
Pathetic. Anyone who believes this guy after all his lies and defalcations deserves what they get. He must be impeached.
Here’s the thing. I don’t think Bush can cut Abu Berto loose; Berto knows where all the bodies are buried and Bush is as tightly involved in this as anything else. He fully intends to fight this all the way out. At some point, though, the Re-thug Party gets wise to the long term damage he’s doing to them. Then comes another “Nixon Moment” – the long trudge up the White House driveway by the Re-thug Messengers of Death. Tuesday night or not, I’m getting drunk tonight.
I was WRONG… I used Witch Hunt on earlier threads and Bush used fishing expedition. Why are they withholding documents??? That’s what the news people are not talking about..
Mutant Poodle @ 13
It would be good to meet some people in realspace.
Sounds like De Nile isn’t just a river in Egypt anymore.
Folks, as this political storm continues to grow, grow, grow (does anyone think the Democrats in Congress will just accept the stonewalling?), remember: this started in the blogosphere.
Josh Marshall and the TPM team are going to claim some mega-scalps with this. Yee-effin-hah. Who do you think will play Josh in the bio-pic?
Mutant Poodle @
13
That’s not true.
But his hand smokes and blisters.
TeddySanFran @ 57
Okay, how about some lines, then?
Waxman, Conyers–
Play The Subpoena Card — PPPPLLLAAAAAY IT!
Maybe a little fear of testifying before congress will make sure advisors to the President give legal and sound advice, not just any old advice.
Bush’s response to the fired USA’s.
“I hate it when the body in the trunk starts to kick and make a fuss.”
-GSD
PATRICK FITZGERALD FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
that picture up top must be the one that inspired Steve Bell…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/cart…..86,00.html
LOL!
And yes the stench of desperation and fear is remarkable.
curve666 @ 67
Let’s not forget Leahy!
Pectopah @ 68
I’m pretty sure that the only lesson the Republicans have learned is that they can’t afford to let the Democrats have a majority in either house.
CALL SENATOR LEAHY TONIGHT TO ASK HIM TO ISSUE SUBPOENAS NOW!!
DC PHONE – 202 224 4242
FAX – 202 224 3479
I left a message saying to go for the throat.
OT Jane, When in July is your birthday? Did you find someone to shovel your drive way? Last Question, Are you celebrating each time you finish a treatment?
We went on a fishing expedition and all we caught was this lousy witch.
-GSD
Not sure if the pResident is still a dry drunk. Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters might explain some of the behaviour! Either too many, or not enough.
Scarecrow @ 27
Agreed. And T/Blossom will never cop. Never.
Dems really would like to make some pretty good political hay out of this, and it shows. They have the look of hungry wolves and not of lovers of the rule of law. And it shows.
Peterr – I epu’d this on the Catbird thread, but it is so late I’m putting it here to fwiw.
Tweety and Mrs. Greenspan really need therapy. Their king is melting before their eyes, and they’re in denial about it.
Tom @ 18
I thought so too. I graduated from college in 66, so I remember it well. But which Nixon moment was it? There were several & I couldn’t pinpoint it.
RevDeb @ 72
Especially Leahy. When I saw the Fred Fielding doubletalk about investigating the “presidential principles” involved, I knew it meant they were concocting an executive privilege defense against subpoenas.
Not that I really needed the hint.
Tennessean @ 71
Nuf said.
Respectful Dissent @ 64
Exactly. TPM started this. I remember Kos had an article from Jim Carney, editor of Time, who dismissed this whole thing as a, you guessed it ladies and gentlemen, a “partisan witch hunt, conspiracy laden paranoia”.
Cornyn up on Span2 being W’s lacky
James Knodell was WHCounsel Fred Fielding’s experiment — send up a low-level civil service manager and see if he can testify under oath without revealing anything that gets the Democrats all hot and bothered. That idea fell flat; now we all know the Chimp lied about finding out who the Plame leaker was, and that there was no investigation of the security breach.
Seeing how badly that went, Fielding will take these subpoenas to the Supremes.
Lamb Cannon @ 33
Going to the mattress is what the Mob does when there’s a disagreement over who’s in charge and rival gangs start shooting each other up.
Tom at #18 – Those were my exact thoughts while I was watching bush, his watergate moment.
Didn’t they try this crap when the 9/11 Comission wanted Condi to testify? My guess is that the end result will pretty much be the same.
The MSM sucks rocks. Carney at TIME should be fired, but then, he’d probably be replaced with William Kristol…
Fielding knows that when the Supreme Court took the Nixon tapes case, there was clear evidence of felonies and coverup. There was a special prosecutor appointed to pursue the crimes. There was a strong argument that the WH tapes were the “best evidence” to prove/disprove allegations (which made their release essential), and it was on that basis that the S Ct. ruled, 8-0 that the needs for this “best evidence” overruled the strong claims of the executive to keep the evidence privileged.
So far, we don’t even have a criminal investigation going, nor have the Dems estabished a sufficient basis for an indictment, IMO, wrt to the e-mails and USA firings. There’s probably something there, and Dems should investigate that, but they’re just starting and can’t prove enough yet to the level necessary to get an indictment.
So the basis that allowed the SCt. to rule against Nixon wrt to the tapes and overrule executive privilege are not yet there, and we’re going to need at least as strong a case for today’s S.Ct to rule against Bush as we had in Nixon’s era.
My guess is that Fielding is betting the Dems have a weak hand and he’s hoping the President can bait the Dems into overplaying their hand before they have a strong enough case to win. They need to hire a smart impeachment-savy lawyer.
Jesterfox @ 87
yep
Lamb Cannon @
33
The Godfather: When the mob war is about to begin, Clemenza calls it “going to the mattresses.”
OT SPEW ALERT Vomit Jean Schmidt said that Walter Reed conditions have been overblown. Did she visit before or after her mishap?
eCAHNomics @
82
Sadly, it wasn’t the “getting on the helicopter and flying off to ignominy” moment
“As misstep here could blow the whole effort or set it back. Sorry, but that’s what I’m seeing.”
I urge caution and timidity too. Karl Rove is magic and Fred Fielding did wonders for Nixon.
-GSD
TeddySanFran @ 86
Which reminds me of a question I haven’t seen asked or answered: *Why* did Waxman call Knodell and not his predecessor who was actually in the position when the leak occurred? Did they not realize that Knodell was not the guy, or did the predecessor refuse to testify?
I asked on my blog, but it’s not widely traveled…
itwasntme @
26
I heard Karl was just off camera with a handful of pretzels.
Jane, can we get a link to Abu’s testimony to Congress? Didn’t he say that Rove wasn’t involved?
ongaku @ 78
Well, from the eyes he was zonked on something when he had those pre-invasion Press “Conferences” and blethered “Al Kayda, Terrosists, Saddam Hussein” in answerr to every single question, and surely the long silence of nothing he was at Da Ranch as Katrina struck smacked of something like bottles of dark brown stuff!
The bumptious strutting aggression sure smacks of dry drunk now, though.
So, presidential advisors shouldn’t testify before congress.
What was George Stephanopolous? The pool boy?
Scarecrow @ 92
If the Democrats cower at every bluster they will never get anything on Bush. There are no audio-tapes and there have been enought impeachable matters to fill a stadium.
If they don’t and push hard they’ll be shown to be the pushovers everyone fears they are.
-GSD
Senate staffers are still in their offices right now. Call and let them know that this is not going to get King George off the hook.
I spoke w/ a Kennedy (DC) staffer after the president’s presser. They know where this is going. They will subpoena anyway. I asked if they were ready to pursue the consequences when the subpoenas were ignored. He told me they were ready to go the distance.
I think the American people will understand perfectly the issue once the subpoenas have been ignored.
Isn’t it a crime to lie at a congressional hearing even if you’re not under oath, same as lying to an FBI investigator?
Jane Hamsher @
9
You’re not “the peanut”?
I wish a reporter had asked Bush what Rove planned to lie about since he wouldn’t be testifying under oath.
Sidestep the issue -
Pass a law that anyone lying to Congress is guilty of a crime whether or not they have been sworn in.
Kyle Sampson might be pissed off enough at being Scootered that he goes up to the Hill and sings like a canary. The emails we’ve seen are only the tip of the iceberg, and the iceberg is fast melting just like Greenland.
If Gonzales isn’t gone by the end of this week, I have a feeling he stays. Which is still bad for the administration!
Yeah, I’m not getting my panties in a bunch just yet with the Dems doing the right thing here. We are dealing with total professional liars. Come to think of it, I wrote MSNBC Harball show to not get their panties all in bunch on how good bush did. LOL
I’m sorry to highlight but IT’S NOT THE TESTIMONY, IT’S THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING WITH HELD.
Scarecrow @ 92
Very interesting. Dems do seem like they smell blood but they’re probably trying to take advantage of the fact that the wind of public opinion is finally at their back and it’s an opportunity to exert some oversight at last. It’s a risk but there’s enough skeevy stuff just in the Lam firing to say some questions ought to be asked.
The only way out for Bush is replacing Gonzo with Fitz. It would all end. And any of the USA’s who replaced the eight are not getting the respect of their office, most likely.
JPL @ 95
As long as she hates the gays, her constituency will keep putting her in every 2 years…
Scarecrow @ 92
Scarecrow, The courts may rule in favor of Congress or in favor of executive privilege. But Congress still should issue the subpoenas. Congress has a right to know and so let the courts rule on the matter if necessary.
Eli
Knodell was the right guy, because Thompson could have spoken of the matter up only until he left, whereas Knodell could swear to inaction right up to that day.
JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin @ 85
Carney mea-culpaed last Sunday on Stephenopoulos.
Jacqrat @ 105
I think you mean “subpoenut”.
Jacqrat @ 106
She’s our goober.
Frank Probst @ 100
Frank– I don’t know if he spoke about Rove but scroll down to Jan. 18, 2007 at the link and his testimony is available.
http://www.npr.org/templates/s…..Id=8922944
Sessions on the floor of the senate trying to change the subject and accuse the dems of raising taxes.
They’ve got nothing and they know it.
I just came in. I see bdu at 28 used the word I was thinking about: Stonewall.
The stonewalling has begun.
Also I will have to look at the transcript but Bush seemed to use the word “reasonable” ane its synonyms a lot, indicating that his offer is anything but.
Finally, to the second or third question, Bush had his characteristic tells. He let a big “humph” and then started blinking like crazy. This guy should never play poker. He practically has a neon sign that lights up when he’s lying.
dakine01 @
94
Ok, let’s put Tweety in perspective: He’s a “journalist” who is also the biggest suck up in Washington. From what I’m told, the traditional media LOVE conflict. They love to see full contact politics with blood and Gore. He’s just sinking to his natural level, egging them on. It’s too bad that we’ve gone beyond this point. It would have been fun in the first term, but after 6 years of Bushie destruction, the bloodsport aspect is not compelling TV anymore. I just want to see the bastards indicted.
maunga @ 115
But the question I *really* want asked and answered is, “At the time of the leak, the President said he intended to get to the bottom of it. Why were you not asked to initiate an investigation? Were you asked *not* to initiate an investigation?” Knodell doesn’t know the answers to those, or can at least plausibly claim not to.
Scarecrow @
27
The issue here is not the US Attorneys and the perception of political interference vs. executive prerogative, it is obstruction of justice in shutting down H. Marshall Jarrett’s DoJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigation of the NSA wiretap program.
Gonzo and GeeDub shut this down under national security grounds while Gonzo was still WH attorney. Please read this letter from Senators Feingold Durbin Kennedy & Schumer to Gonzo. It is beyond me why this linchpin continiues to be ignored. Especially since the reply was due today. I hope that Leahy et al ask him about this on Thursday.
If Gonzo goes down, who can they replace him with that won’t push this case? Jeb?
liz @ 108
Actually, I believe that law already exists…
Sparkles the Iguana @ 117
That isn’t surprising. I guess Carney’s not going to the matt for his king, Bush.
maunga @ 116
He was the right guy because he doesn’t apparently even exist. If you don’t exist, it’s okay to testify, but if you do exist then you’re happy to “visit”.
Fielding’s letter at WAPO, (last paragraphs below)
Such interviews may cover, and would be limited to, the subject of (a) communications between the White House and persons outside the White House concerning the request for resignations of the U.S. attorneys in question; and (b) communications between the White House and members of Congress concerning those requests. Those interviews should be conducted by both committees jointly. Questioning of White House officials would be conducted by a member or limited number of members, who would be accompanied by committee staff. Such interviews would be private and conducted without the need for an oath, transcript, subsequent testimony, or the subsequent issuance of subpoenas. A representative of the Office of the Counsel to the President would attend these interviews and personal counsel to the invited officials may be present at their election.
As an additional accommodation, and as a part of this proposal, we are prepared to provide to your Committees copies of two categories of documents: (a) communications between the White House and the Department of Justice concerning the request for resignations of the U.S. attorneys in question; and (b) communications on the same subject between White House staff and third parties, including members of Congress or their staffs on the subject.
We trust and believe that the accommodation we offer here, in addition to what the Department of Justice has provided, should satisfy the committees’ interests.
Sincerely,
Fred F. Fielding
Counsel to the President
That isn’t surprising. I guess Carney’s not going to the matt for his king, Bush.
You did mean mattress right?
Kargo X on kos just posted that the penalty for refusing to honor a Congressional subpoena is a contempt of Congress indictment. The rub is that those are filed and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Maybe they’re not as dumb as they look. And maybe Abu will get to stay a little longer after all.
dakine01 @ 125
It appears that the WH is withholding documents that the Congress could question Rove about. So lying might not be the only problem. I think that Fitz would call it obstruction.
Lamb Cannon:
Chris Matthews always makes a big deal of movie quotes. He’s talking Godfather, going to the mattresses meaning gang war.
Scarecrow @
27
Scarecrow- I think this would make a great topic for a post. Something that should stir up some discussion. I’d certainly like to hear more.
Scarecrow @ 92
If anyone’s overplayed their hand here, it’s Alberto Gonzales. It’s pretty clear he lied his ass off to Congress. Kyle Sampson may try to go to Congress and stonewall, but there’s already a lot of paper out there on him, and his lawyer will likely tell him that his two options are to either ‘forget’ everything (VERY risky) or spill his guts. Trying to bullshit Congress when they’ve already got a bunch of your e-mails is a very bad idea.
I also don’t see how executive privilege applies here. Congress is interested in communications between Rove and Miers and the DOJ, NOT between Rove and Miers and the President. They aren’t interested in the “good advice” that Rove and Miers gave to the Shrub. They’re interested in the political scheming Rove and Miers did with Gonzales. How is there privilege here?
Scarecrow @ 27 –
exactly what action do you recommend? what kind of evidence do you think is needed before issuing subpoenas?
i’ve learned not to ignore your thinking (’cuz so far, you’ve always been right *g*).
please, i need more analysis & more explanation to understand what you’re driving at. thanks!
GSD — this is not about being “timid” or “cowering,” it’s about being smart. This is very high stakes, and you have to have the best hand before you sit in that game. I agree that Bush has committed many impeachable offenses, but the confrontation on executive privilege is not being waged on any of those crimes.
Instead, Bush is inviting the Dems to have that battle on safer grounds for Bush — testimony regarding the handling of the USAs, for which the President has substantial discretion and all we have is intriguing suspicions and circumstantial evidence. If there was clear evidence of obstruction of justice involving Rove (there may be, but we ain’t seen it yet), and there was an investigation that had already uncovered substantial evidence of that, and all we needed was the sworn testimony of Karl’s involvement to prove/disprove that, then the Dems are on stronger grounds. They need to build that case first before provoking the constitutional issue over executive privilege.
piling on . . .
Clinton WH Employees Testifying Before Congress
Samuel Berger, National Security Adviser
Lanny Breuer, Special Counsel
Lloyd Cutler, Special Counsel
Lisa Caputo, Press Secretary to the First Lady
Charles Easley, Director, White House Office of Security
W. Neil Eggleston, Associate Counsel
Mark Gearan, Assistant to the President for Communications
Deborah Gorham, Assistant to the Associate Counsel
Nancy Heinreich, Deputy Assistant
Carolyn Huber, Special Assistant
Harold Ickes, Deputy Chief of Staff
Joel Klein, Deputy Counsel
Evelyn Lieberman, Deputy Press Secretary
Mark Lindsay, Director of White House Management and Administration
Bruce Lindsey, Special Adviser
Capricia Marshall, Special Assistant to the First Lady
Thomas McLarty, Counselor
Cheryl Mills, Deputy Counsel
Bobby Nash, Director of Presidential Personnel
Stephen Neuwirth, Associate Counsel
Dimitri Nionakis, Associate Counsel
Beth Nolan, Associate Counsel
John Podesta, Staff Secretary
John Quinn, Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Charles Ruff, Counsel
Jane Sherburne, Special Counsel
Clifford Sloan, Associate Counsel
Patty Solis, Director of Scheduling for the First Lady
George Stephanopoulos, Senior Policy Adviser
Patsy Thomasson, Assistant Director for Presidential Personnel
Margaret Williams, Chief of Staff to the First Lady
He has never seen “good information”; wouldn’t know it if he slept with it.
JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin @ 126
That isn’t surprising. I guess Carney’s not going to the matt for his king, Bush.
Well, I think it also adds to the evidence (the LA Times piece, the respect for the Libby trial coverage, the amazing work done on Gonzo-gate) that the MSM is grudgingly realizing that the Lefty Blogosphere can’t be ignored.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Hedley Lamarr @ 137
I think “good information” has roughly the same kind of meaning as “good dog”; i.e., information that he likes, that is properly obedient to his commands.
Dear leader at Big Orange has a good point:
RevDeb @ 142
A good point, but the SPELLING! “Feat”???
I too am secretly happy each day AbuG remains W’s AG.
Fundraising idea: FDL convention. Channel Esther Dyson. Content here is free. Mingling with the celebs costs money. Or the Nation or National Review cruises.
Jane — I agree that the Lam firing seems the most promising — if the Dems decidee to make the firings the issue on which to force the issue of executive privilege. Better yet, the removal of the Guam USA. But both would have be be developed further before you forced the constitutional issue, because — you don’t want to lose that one.
The great irony is that all the crap they put the Clinton and Carter administrations through…. now those very things that the Repugs did…. CAN be used now on a Republican Preznut and the Administration.
The MSM is finally waking up to the fact that there’s a real story here. Now they smell Watergate and big headlines and Pulitzer Prizes. Like a pack of wild dogs attacking a sick and wounded animal. heh.
Orangerie doesn’t give points for spelling. Give up on “its, it’s” especially when you go there.
FYI…
A hit, or assassination, of a “made” man had to be preapproved by the leadership of his family, or retaliatory hits would be made, possibly inciting a war. In a state of war, families would go to the mattresses — rent vacant apartments and have a number of soldiers sleeping on mattresses on the floor in shifts, with the others ready at the windows to fire at members of rival families.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia
shorter Scarecrow -
I don’t want my brother comin’ outta there with just his dick in his hands
katymine @ 145
I *sorta* just posted on that…
I wish the wrongly used NSL letters at the FBI had gotten more attention before this crisis swamped that story. Will Leahy et al. come back to that sometime?
cbl @ 149
707!
Scarecrow @ 145
Wouldn’t it be nice if the WH were willing to produce e-mail correspondence between Miers and Rove discussing this. I remember the Nixon tapes.
RevDeb @ 141
Agreed. Popcorn futures just went up.
Smirk or flared nostrils? Which is more telling?
cbl – great list.
Does this mean that we can allow the Republicans to say one of their famous phrases: “BUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHT Clinton Did It!… er…oops…”
I can’t help but want to turn that phrase on them. Another overused Freeper phrase comes to mind, too: “if they don’t have anything to hide, then they shouldn’t be worried about it”.
As someone said in the previous thread – IT IS ON.
Too much excitement here for my poor heart to take. Off to the Board meeting to quiet it down. (maybe I will peek in now and then if I can).
GO TEAM!!!
Sachem515 @ 124
this does seems like a much more clear-cut case of obstruction of justice… but i don’t know/understand/pr the legal implications of this one or any of the outrages…
OH NO, he dih-n’t.
President Bush is warning the Democrats to not make this a ‘partisan’ fight.
Excuse me, Mr. Bush. Excuse me. There is evidence that these attorneys were forced out for partisan reasons. YOU’VE ALREADY MADE THIS PARTISAN!
Paul Wartenberg @ 161
He doesn’t pee without it being partisan, and everybody in this country knows it. Even
the backwashhis diehard supporters know it.I am but an impoverished grad student, who has not the cable. Did Bush really use the phrase “go to the mattresses”? Did he really quote the Godfather?
no cleter, just us hippies
cleter @ 164
Well, he was asked by a reporter if he’d go to the mat. He said yes.
TeddySanFran @ 153
Video of Conyers’ hearing on the NSLs over at C&L.
146 – the Ark appointment might actually yield some of the best grounds, not so much for the appointment (although the “we can’t use the 1st assist USA bc she’s pregnant” gambit is questionable) as for the coverup. Sampson’s email about gumming things to death, telling Congress DOJ will review their candidates and interviewing them, etc. while all the while having only the intent to “run out the clock” and give “good faith” form with no substance, reads like a text of conspiracy to lie to and/or mislead Congress.
The other huge big issue is the whole of the Patriot Act provision handling and the emails relating to how DOJ planned to use that provision to circumvent the Constitution’s requirement of Advice and Consent.
That’s a pretty big deal – that DOJ may have had a cabal directly involved in a conspiracy to put forth a scheme to allow presidential appointments evade advice and consent.
Ok. Thank you.
This would be another version of that now
well known Bush2WH “stratergy” that currently
is in play in Iraq War. That of course being
the “surge”. At this point the “smells bad must
be bad” test is not being passed. And once more
G.W.Bush is living down below his big early on
2001 statement that HIS WH would be showing us
how decorum,law abide and proper “preznit”
conduct and behavior would be HIS WH golden
rule. Well…how many times has “little George”
skirted around and ignored that now?
It is plain enough to see this WH will now do
whatever it takes to muck up,gum up and play
out the clock on Iraq War so this “war preznit”
does not have admit how wrong he was before
Jan. 2009. So too now with all this rotten
illegal and less than ethical surely way too
political DOJ/WH mixing and matching. They will
run out of stones stonewalling likely enough
but the idea will be to muck things up,admit no
illegal conduct and run the clock out on the
DEMS. The DEMS really need to wise up here.
K.Rove missed out on the Libby gig and he is
surely going to be a skunk about telling the
truth now if there is any chance he can get
around it. The “boy preznit” must know this one
is going to really rip his “legacy” if it ever
gets to the light of day. Run George.Run Karl.
When it comes to character,a profile in courage
and doing what is ethical and moral count these
guys out and running away. The cowards they be.
Sachem115 at 124 — your issue is not the same issue that Fielding is pushing as the battleground — see Pet Wrecker at 128.
The Dems need to get on the field where they have the strongest hand and the strongest rationale for forced the WH to open up. Or they could combine fields. But what they shouldn’t do is play only on what appears to be (now) their weakest field — and that’s what I see Fielding (no pun intended) doing to them.
selise @ 159
Someone is going to need to make a scorecard of all the different threads involved. I mean, this is a level of complexity that makes the layman’s eyes glaze over. How many threads of the last 6 years passed through the DoJ and the AG’s office?
- Corruption scandals, including the unresolved CIA / Dusty Foggo business
- the above-mentioned shutdown of the OPR’s investigation of the NSA program
- the partisan demands for investigations into non-existent ballot stuffing conspiracies
- lying to Congress
- piling on Fitzgerald
- the lack of an investigation into the Plame leak
And that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head.
Like I said, we need a scorecard to keep track of all the threads.
A question that I wish someone had asked Bush is: Your Administration has come up with 3 or 4 stories about the firings. All of them have been discredited. Some of them you repeated this evening. Why should we believe you this time or those in your Administration like Karl Rove who refuse to testify under oath?
Cleter, Tweety on MSNBC used the mattress term. Not sure that Bush is that up to date.
Abu resigning doesn’t actually help end anything for Bush, does it? Wouldn’t it be easier to subpoena a former AG than a current one?
dakine01 @
14
Hey, bro–
If you da kine, I think we got a Maui Wahine among the commentators here at The Lake, too. If you guys can party with a haole, mebbe we can form a Hawaii caucus, ya?
Bob in HI
RevDeb @ 15
Amen.
Scarecrow
You are reminding me just what an enormous amoun t of talent FDL has up its sleeve.
Are you suggesting that too much foot-stamping about the USAs help deflect attwntion from the Great Treason?
I posted earlier that eRiposte’s ppost got only a liitle attwention but it could open up massive connections through WHIG/WINPAC direct to Cheney/Bush via the suggested authors. It is to be asumed V Plame and CPD knew all about the Niger docs bullshit……
merciless @
131
Yes, BUT –
Is that not the point at which impeachment proceedings against Alberto Gonzales begin?
yellowdogD @
133
well everything i ever learned in middle age i learned from my fellow blogonauts.
Can Tweety punch out a metaphaw or NOT?
JPL @ 174
Bush doesn’t strike me as a fan of long, talk-y period dramas like The Godfather. Not enough explosions or car chases. Bush making an allusion to, say, Porky’s II, I could buy. Godfather, not so much.
After all this, there can be no doubt that Republicans place party way before country. It will be hard for them to explain away their behavior during the Bush era.
Little Lord Pissypants put on quite a show –
it was his “I am not a crook” speech.
And he was blinking like a fucking strobe light.
That’s hardly the sign of a Konfident King.
Scarecrow @ 171
The big problem in “choosing your fights” with W is that the really important ones have been thrown out by the courts for “national security” reasons. So Ds are stuck with the ones that they have some chance at. Besides, remember they got Nixon on a 2-bit burglery. So you just never know where these things will lead. Didn’t Fitz have some great quote about following the evidence & doing your job?
I imagine this stance by Bush puts significant pressure on Sampson to limit his disclosure to Congress.
Here’s the Drudge Report headline after the presser:
BUSH VOWS TO BLOCK SUBPOENAS; WARNS DEMS, NO ‘SHOW TRIALS’
The Dems are warned! Ooo, we are shaking!!!
Eli talking about overreach upstairs
eCAHNomics @ 183
I agree. Whatever finally brings the whole thing down will be something smallish but incontrovertible. It’s not going to be for something vast like “lying us into war.” It’ll be something dumb. Al Capone’s taxes kind of dumb.
Scarecrow uses the card game analogy in a couple comments above, and I totally agree. My concern is the “bluff”. If Bush knows anything, he knows bluff pok*r, being from Texas and all! I think he’s very adept at this game, but, running the country…not so much! Jus’ sayin’ Like all politics, this is high stakes pok*r. I call.
See what I mean–you never know where it (evidence) will lead! This from the Arkansas case:
In a Dec. 26, 2006 article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse explained that they “temporarily” appointed Griffin, rather than Bud Cummins’ deputy Jane Duke, because Duke was pregnant:
He noted that often, the first assistant U.S. attorney in the affected district will serve as the acting U.S. attorney until the formal nomination process begins for a replacement. But in this case, “the first assistant is on maternity leave,”
So now they have a discrimination charge in addition to all their other woes.
See http://thinkprogress.org/2007/…..nancy-doj/
Scarecrow @
92
This sounds very on-target. But I think that Leahy, Waxman & Conyers know exactly what they’re doing. I don’t think they’ll overplay this too soon. Besides, the Democrats have had one foot on the break ever since last November!
Bob in HI
Besides, remember they got Nixon on a 2-bit burglery. No, there was a conspiracy to obstruct justice that included the WH paying hush money to the burglars, one of whom was blackmailing the president to keep silent about the connection to the Republican campaign committee. Nixon authorized the payments, and that evidence was on the tapes.
I don’t think I have enough cuss words to go with this picture and article. goddamn the goddamn goddamn muthafuckin goddamn
Bob Schacht @
176
Sorry Bra! One haole ex-GI here. Four finest kine years tho
Diane @
22
Hi Diane, I’m still reading, but this report, Congres Research Services report entitled Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power is pretty comprehensive.
SixStringSlingr @ 148
I was impressed with the (was it only 3?) hard questions that the reporters asked before Bush stalked off. He seemed stunned, fumbled around … “What, they’re actually challenging ME?” Was that just my wishful thinking, or did others get that impression? I think the worm has turned.
KestrelBrighteyes @
41
SCOTUS
Much as I wish I didn’t, I think scarecrow’s concerns have merit. IANAL, but I think the Fielding/Rove strategy may be to force a Supreme Court decision on Congressional subpoenas over a lower-grade scandal than, say, the NSLs, or the Plame identity breach, or torture, or habeas, or NSA eavesdropping sans warrant, etc., etc.
If Congress loses the current subpoena bid, that could create a precedent (if not legally, then at least through Fox-fueled cries of sour grapes and witch-fishing) that would make further subpoenas over more momentous scandals harder to pursue.
In short, the Fielding/Rove strategy is to hobble Congress with scandal fatigue now, to try to keep the monster scandals at bay. To counter that gambit, Leahy and Conyers need to nail a clear case for obstruction, lying to Congress, perjury, or all three on the USA firings. And we all need to remind the good guys again and again over the coming months that we’ve got their backs and demand accountability on each and every festering scandal that David Gergen managed to never notice until this week.
Scarecrow @ 192
“We could get that. We could get a million dollars.”
Scarecrow @ 192
My point was that the burglery was the entre to the whole mess, not that Nixon was guilty of the burglery per se. Even if he had no knowledge of that, starting with it & continuing the investigation raised enough evidence to damn Nixon.
Does anyone doubt that investigating any W issue deeply–including the way he ties his shoes–will result in daming evidence?
And have we been hearing a lot from George [on ABC Evening News] about this?
Looks like another great opportunity for a backasswards “Clinton Did It!!!”
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
here’s a speech if someone wants to use it…
BUSH SHOULD BE IMPEACHED ALONG WITH CHENEY!
IMPEACH BUSH!
We have no alternative, he is UTTERLY beneath the law, and made that choice quite publicly, TODAY, by claiming this inquiry into the attorney firings is partisan politics. And for obvious reasons, we need to impeach Cheney right along with Bush.
I’m one of those who has always considered Bush a hand-puppet, and like Rush Limbaugh, just an impotent player in a game managed by smarter people who feed them their lines. And I have little doubt that Rove is and always has been the author of both those puppet’s lines.
But this latest escapade is so shameful, it proves Bush cares nothing for the rule of law, especially any law that applies to him and limitations to his power. Bush, or ANY president for that matter, is just a man, an elected official, nothing mre than a glorified a public servant, and not the royal ruler his delusions of grandeur and his minions apparently have convinced of.
Bush forgot long ago that “The President” is just a man, not a king, who should realize that in our nation of equal members, honor and glory are earned, not inherited. It is given to those who stand forth and do what is right, regardless of the consequences. That is the meaning of nobility in this age of reason , freedom, and equality. If the man behind the office were a truly noble person, none of this would have ever happened in the first place, so he is not only a failure as a president, he has proven today he is, at best, a mediocre person, totally bereft of the real “excellency” of truth and honor. His nobility is imaginery, and vain.
His loyalties are to his cronies, not the taxpayers OR the voters.
It is time to hang the impeachment sword over his head, and give him an historic asterisk as big as his arrogance. It is time to start the process to hold him accountable for his hubris and defference.
All I have is my keyboard, a computer and a list of people who seem to tolerate my vociferous political emails. And a bunch of blogs I inhabit now and then. It may not be much, compared to the apparent power and wealth of our adversaries, but it might well be enough, if there are many of us who will make the same commitment. Call it the liberal blogosphere, call it grassroots, call it a popular groundswell, whatever label it takes, it is really a new revolution.
We do not need to resort to violence or insurrection: Our guns are keyboards and our bullets are words of truth, that can not be denied without a lie. If we will just seek and nurture a ressurection of our democratic spirit, we can and will effect an historic change, simply by our mutual will.
I hope many of you will join me in making a pledge to redouble the effort to eject this infection on our highest office, well before the next election. The speech I just watched made me ashamed of our government, and that shame has turned to slow, deliberate rage.. the kind that keeps me up at nights, searching the news for one more tiny piece of evidence that might be used to topple these arrogant rogues.
So I’m making this personal commitment, as John Brown did when he stood forth and made his pledge to free the slaves. In the name of Voltaire, Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy and King, and for the sake of my children and grandchildren, I am committed to peacefully casting these dark angels out of our highest office, before their time is due, as a lesson to future dishonorable despots-in-Republican clothing, who would assume their no-bid, book-cooking ways can go on forever, at the expense of our free and equal nation, “the last, best hope of mankind on Earth.”
I wonder if we shouldn’t bring up times when Republican presidents’ staff testified? Show the difference between Reagan (Iran-Contra) and W? Did any staff from Bush I ever have to testify?
160 – A professional responsiblity investigation is not a criminal proceeding and I don’t think obstruction charges would apply to blocking that, per se. THe underlying facts that such an investigation might reveal, however, that might be different.
fwiw – my bets are on the big OPR issue being suspected misrepresentations to the FISA court and not the wiretap program itself, bc it would be very hard for OPR to investigate the program or make a determination on its legality – that’s not what they do or are able to do I believe.
What do the Legal Eagles at the Lake have to say about what will happen if the Senate supoenas and Get Away With Murder Inc. refuses to honor them?
So much of this stuff is politics, the lay person such as myself needs the fine print (why all the Plame reporting was so beneficial).
It is so easy to get baited into wasting one’s time and mental energy over these scoundrels; i.e., (maybe the scandals lead us to forget that the vandals have already switched the handles) I mean, meanwhile back on the Iraqi ranch…, meanwhile on planet earth getting hotter…, meanwhile as baby boomers head to the emergency room without insurance…, it’s so easy to just wish someone, anyone, would grab Red Rover by the balls and really squeeze, not let go for a count of, oh, 2 to 20 down the hall from Scooter.
It’s so easy to quote Bob Dylan, “even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.” But there he goes again parading around in his new suit of clothes, while no one can get him to account for his sorry ass.
Thanks Firedoggers for being on it. Please bring your 20 pennies and your hammers.
ralphbon@198–
Anyone who is already talking about scandal fatigue didn’t rush home from work night after night to find out what happened in Watergate that day. Took a long time, and every minute was pure delight.
BTW, my big shock about age occurred nearly two decades ago when, in a random conversation, my assistant said “What’s Watergate?”
rxbusa @ 193
But after saying I would never pay for this treatment, there goes rxbusa with this throwaway line and, well, okay, I’ll pay.
But would she pay for saying this?
Tennessean @
71
Well, he is special prosecutor.
Diane @ 22
You mean explain it to the Prez?
Ok, I read the link to Diane @ 22, the courts will call for negotiations; so given this justice dept., what is the real likelihood transcripts can be taken for the record and all the communications, not just those cherry picked by the White House, if not under oath testimony is proferred?
Pardon me for asking this, the fine legal details escape folks like me, and I still don’t see why, for example, no one was legally called into account for leaking Mrs. Plame-Wilson’s identity when Mrs. Toensing is so utterly off the mark in her comments about V P-W’s CIA status.
*xyz @ 42
While I appreciate your point about the abject shallowness of the whole thing I’d love to see Randy say, ‘Yo dog, yeah man, hey it just didn’t cut it for me man…no…just not good enough man…”
JEP at 202 –
Whew! Just, whew!
Eli @ 141:
I hope this Good Dog poops on his carpet!
Glen Greenwald has some great quotes from Tony Snow, circa 1998:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/index.html
You talkin’ to me???
This “wahine” has two college-age kids. And lives in DC.
But thanks.
Da kine: KO says W’s pet name for Abu is “Fredo.”
[Sorry to spoil the surprise, Left Coasters.]
That’s interesting about the Clinton aides testimony because on Hardball they’ve just been saying, “There is no way any president would let his top political advisor testify under oath in front of an opposing Congress. Clinton wouldn’t let Carville go up there.” Hmmm..
T-shirts for everybody:
Americans fishing . . . (front)
. . . for the Truth (back)
I’m with Scarecrow on this. Doesn’t it seem a little early for a showdown over subpoenas for the big guys? Shouldn’t you first be having testimony from the lower level people who are already screwed and afraid of the consequences? If I remember my watergate history, it’s the smaller fry witness who lets slip the info that leads to the evidence that contains the “Smoking Gun.” By that time, the tale of perfidy is told and the public is with you, and THEN you have the standoff over Karl.
I’m in EPU land … maybe this’ll get read …
Here is Sen. Leahy’s response after meeting w/Fielding today:
Comments Of Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy
After A Private Meeting With White House Counsel Fred Fielding
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
“I was glad to meet Mr. Fielding and I welcome the fact that these issues have his full attention.
“I don’t accept his offer. It is not constructive and it is not helpful to be telling the Senate how to do our investigation, or to prejudge its outcome.
“Instead of freely and fully providing relevant documents to the investigating committees, they have only selectively sent documents, after erasing large portions that they do not want to see the light of day.
“Testimony should be on the record, and under oath. That’s the formula for true accountability.
“I hope the President will agree to be forthcoming.
“The straighter the path to the truth, the sooner we will finally know the facts.”
In other words — No dice, Freddie!
itwasntme @ 26
itwasntme @ 26
He’s got the TANG documents squirreled away in a safe place, plus other stuff about him and women (and God knows maybe boys, too), we don’t know about.
TeddySanFran @ 153
I’m so late to this thread. Don’t know if you’ll see this TSF.
Conyer’s House Comm. had a hearing on this today.
Here is a link to Conyers’ statement:
Conyers’ statement
Also, I think you can watch a video of the hearing on the judiciary site. Should be linked to —-
this page
TeddySanFran @
19
wish I could have been brave enough to watch. I just cant stomach him. I wasn’t tired when he was “appointed” but I’m sure tired of him and his crew now. I cant wait until 2009. Please, IMPEACH (but remember, Cheney first – or a twofer).
Marc Sterling @
43
Impeachment will take care of that. Impeachment can’t be appealed. ANYWHERE.
Love the photo of Bush.
Can we stuff a sock in it? Or a Halliburton**?
**Isn’t a Halliburton a fish? What? It isn’t? Well it sure smells fishy?
YEA he feels bad and I am a Rockerfeller…the Bush Co and Rove will be after those poor attnys for the rest of their careers and lives.
People need to see how much of this monkey business has been going on in all the depts/agencies with “non appointees”
If I were Queen George, I wouldn’t be too worried about harming the ability to get “good information”, in light of what he’s getting now.
It’s good to be Queen!
Seems to me that everyone agrees that the USAs serve at the pleasure of the president. The issue is not whether he can replace any or all, but the justification for replacing them.
The WH/AG don’t want the reasons for replacing these USAs to be documented. No transcripts behind closed doors means they can stonewall and still say “we testified”, and it seems as if they were deferential to Congressional authority.
The WH knows that won’t be acceptable to Congress. I don’t believe that the WH is willing to take this to the Supreme Court, unless they know they have a lock on the ruling of the court. Is the SC so beholden to the WH that that might be true?
eCAHNomics @ 206
Hi. If you’re still here in EPU land, I was around for Watergate and never tired of it. But I was also around for Iran-Contra, which was by rights a bigger scandal, and never tired of it even though most of the country yawned through it. And at least a half dozen current Bush scandals make Iran-Contra look like an expired parking meter, and I never tire of any of them, but the media and public have devolved into Short Attention Span Theater after 30 years, and they’re doing their best to commence yawning already, and so yes, I’m concerned about scandal fatigue.
Sending presidential aides up to Capitol Hill to testify will “harm the President’s ability to get good information,” Bush says.
I’d like to think it’ll harm even more his ability to get the evil misinformation he’s become addicted to.