Why wasn't Harriet Miers arrested for Contempt or Inherent Contempt

[Totally Committed]

the moment her "grace period" expired?

TC

[sinkingfeeling]

1. No one can be arrested without charges. The committee must first vote on contempt charges and then

the full House, before a USDA will be asked to draw up charges.... then an arrest can happen. It's that old-fashioned, passe, 'rule of law'.

[Totally Committed]

5. Why weren't the charges set, and ready to go?

TC

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Because the committee hasn't voted nor the House nor the USDA, who might not because

he's one of those DOJ appointees.

[napi21]

2. Even Johnathan Turley said hethought Congress would try

the standard Contempt of Congress citation first. THEN I heard John Dean say he was positive the Shrub admin. was TRYING to force "executive Privledge" into the courts. He's been waving his red cape in the face of congress for 6 months now!

[spotbird]

22. If they assume that the traditional route

is anything but a dead end, they're fools. The problem is they aren't fools, they know what will happen, and it's just fine with them.

[ShortnFiery]

3. At this point, with the MOST corrupt Executive Branch in the History of our Nation,

I can't help but wonder how many of our Congressional Democratic "Leaders" with feet of clay have been compromised by: 1) Excessive Career ambitions placing Party above Country; 2) have been informed by Rove's operatives that intelligence has been gathered that will END their career unless they remain GUTLESS and NEUTERED; or 3) have been paid off with sweet whisper promises of power and positions by the DLC leadership, IF ONLY, they'd continue to STFU and allow The Unitary Executive to reign supreme.

We are now in the middle of a Constitutional Crisis. IF EVER there was a time for our Democratic Leadership to take a courageous, no holds barred stand for the sustenance of our beloved Constitution, that time is NOW!

Hold back NOTHING ... ===> Begin Impeachment proceedings ASAP.

IMPEACH ... with extreme prejudice. :grr: :nuke: :grr:

[Totally Committed]

4. Great post, as usual.

Thanks for that pep talk!

I needed it this morning. :)


TC

[Captain Hilts]

6. You don't need "balls" to have moral fortitude. nt

[Totally Committed]

8. There is no way to put Congress and "moral fortitude" together in my mind

at the moment. I hold no belief they have any left or are capable of any. But, it's nice to see you are still a believer, Mookie. Some of us have to be!

TC

[Captain Hilts]

9. Leahy's really going after Gonzales.

Let's give credit where it is due.

But he doesn't need balls to do it!

[Bitwit1234]

7. Since they can't receive actual steel balls

why don't we all send a picture to the committee and ask them if they have found theirs yet. Tell them the American people are waiting and we are getting damn tired of the run a round congress is giving us. I need to buy a roll of new stamps....I'll get the best picture of steel balls I can find and send them, any body else game.

[wiggs]

11. Why doesn't Colmes stand up and call Hannity a puny fascist idiot? nt

[Totally Committed]

13. Another brilliant question, if I ever saw one!

;)

TC

[zulchzulu]

12. Other: She's actually George Bush in drag

[windbreeze]

14. IS it possible....

that WE don't understand what our Congress is up to?..Are they working everything to a point, where there is going to be NO turning back, and the rep's will have no choice but to back their actions?...I don't know...I do know I have become weary of second guessing.....and the only other explanation I can come up with, for the way things are going, is NOT a good one...that some power outside(and within) our gov't is in control of everything...

I got damned sick and tired of waiting for a surprise when it came to special investigator, Fitzgerald, (and where did that go?) so honestly, I am NOT holding my breath(unless Reid actually cancels summer break for this Congress)...I believe we have been blindsided big time, for many years....and that now it's someone else's agenda being pushed....how much more obvious does it have to be? (that one fact, recognized, would go a long way to explaining why we are where we are presently, and why this president has gotten away with murder, literally)..Eisenhower warned us, and so did Kennedy..
in fact...here's a link to a great speech...

http://tinyurl.com/2v9w2e

and here's another one...I find this information revealing(and no I don't support the guy responsible for the video..I have NO candidate)

http://tinyurl.com/26newd


wb

[Totally Committed]

15. "IS it possible.... that WE don't understand what our Congress is up to?"

I know you mean something quite different than I do here, but YES, it is possible we don't understand what they are up to. If not, why not? Who controls what too many people DON'T hear/understand? If people understood -- really understood what was going on in Congress right now, my guess is very few incumbents would be re-elected.

See this excellent thread, and see what I mean:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3388056&mesg_id=3388056

MAKES. ME. SICK.


TC

[windbreeze]

23. I agree

someone IS in control...but it isn't who we are led to believe it is....control of the media plays a big part, and had to be made possible, in order to keep us in the dark(dumbed down).....that we are currently questioning what our Congress is really up too, because we don't know or understand, is testament to the fact that..."it" works...

I don't know that I necessarily mean something entirely different than you...I think what each of us is talking about works hand in hand.....and IF more people understood what was really going on...we would be replacing incumbents...or...overthrowing the corporate gov't we now have, somehow....(after all, who's the winner in a future global world order scenario? we individuals, or the big corporations? (tptb, in other words)and could a global society, be possible w/o the corporations being allowed to take over the running of gov'ts?...and then....could it all happen w/o media complicity?)

Consider the * presidency and how it came about...weren't we all shocked, and wondering how it was possible since Gore obviously won the popular vote?....think about the arrogance of this man's governance...he's convinced he doesn't answer to us, we the people...he's said so with his actions a thousand times (We will stay in Iraq..I decide..Meirs won't honor the subpeona, the leak did come from the WH)...so who does he answer too??? and what made it all possible..??? Corporate power, and media complicity..

That chart included in the other thread, kinda made the point of the one video I included in my post...I can see the republicans being placed where they were....but most of the democrats too??? except for Kuchinic/Gravel...just as the video indicates...there are bigger powers pushing their own agenda, and where those names are placed...kinda indicates who's involved in helping it along...

It makes me sick too...but mostly it scares the hell right out of me...we need millions more to wake up..soon..very soon..IF something does NOT change...then we need to make those changes happen...
wb

[onenote]

16. because the House isn't going to "arrest" her just as they haven't arresteed anyone in 70 years

Only those who haven't bothered to study the issue think that the boundaries of the COngressional contempt authority and the president's executive privilege authority are clear. There is a reason why virtually every contempt dispute ends up being resolved through compromise -- neither side can be sure that, when all is said and done, they'd win (or that they might win, but have the scope of their powers more clearly defined, providing a roadmap for the next case).

Its really laughable how many people actually seem to think that the House would rush to "arrest" Meirs when such action was last taken 70 years ago and wasn't used by the repubs against the Clinton administration nor was it used by the Democrats against repubs such as Kissinger or James Watt.

Hell, it wasn't even used by the Democrats when, after the full House voted to hold Anne Gorusch in contempt in 1982 and the repub US Attorney went to court to argue that the House could not force him to bring the case before a Grand Jury.

Not one member of Congress has seriously suggested that they intend to pursue inherent contempt against Meirs. It was mentioned only for the purpose of putting it out there as a possible course that the Congress COULD take (not that they would). While its possible that if the repubs force the issue, inherent contempt could be used, history suggests that it is unlikely that it will come to that.

[Disturbed]

17. Arresting this Senior Citizen would back fire.

Women and seniors would be outraged. Subpoenas are only requests to appear for Repugs. When they don't show up the matter is forgotten & the witness is excused.

[onenote]

19. not necessarily

I fully expect that the Committee will vote out a contempt citation and that the section 194 process will be started. WHat happens next is anyone's guess. One or both sides will probably blink, in all likelihood. But its not outside the realm of possibility that the matter could move into uncharted waters,including inherent contempt. Its just not going to happen that quickly.

[Perry Logan]

18. Looks like we have quite a self-esteem problem around here.

Twenty years of right-wing biased media will do that.

[Major Hogwash]

20. She didn't break the law. And even if she did, she wouldn't go to jail.

Geez, didn't you hear what happened with Scooter Libby?

Man, he outed a covert CIA officer and yet he is still walking the gawd damned streets, for Christ's sake!!

They never go to jail, they never even post bail, the rest of you can GO TO HELL!

Didn't you get the memo?

[Beetwasher]

21. The Dems Are Not A Bunch Of Lawless Yahoos, They Are Following The PROCESS

and doing it as LAW and PROCEDURE proscribes. If they didn't, then they'd be no better than the lawless scumbags in the admin.

Why is it that so few here understand that Congress can't just "go ahead and arrest" anyone they want? There are proper ways to do things within the boundary of law and constitution. It sucks that it takes time, but that's the difference between the Dems and the criminals who call themselves Repubs. Yes, Dems play by the book and at times it may be frustrating to those of us who want immediate justice, but in life, in reality, rarely is there such a thing. These things unfortunately do take time when done w/ in the boundary of law.