CONYERS THREATENS CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST RNC-CHAIR DUNCAN & MIERS & BOLTEN

[kpete]

Conyers Threatens Contempt Proceedings against RNC Chair
By Paul Kiel - July 17, 2007, 6:41 PM
Now on to the third development of this afternoon in the U.S. attorney firings subpoena battle.

................

The deadline to comply with the subpoena was this afternoon. And today, in a letter to the RNC, the White House said it needed more time, saying that attorneys had not yet had enough time to review all of the documents to establish whether to assert executive privilege. Emmet Flood, the special counsel to the President, wrote that the review should be done by July 31st. You can see the letter from the RNC's counsel to the committee and the White House's letter here.

Conyers accordingly agreed to postpone the subpoena deadline, but warned the RNC in a letter http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003711.php#more that "it would be improper for the RNC to refuse to produce subpoenaed documents in its possession based on an assertion of privilege by a third party" (i.e. the White House). It's not for the RNC to decide whether to hand the documents over, Conyers wrote -- if the White House wants to stop them, then the White House should do that in court.

But if the RNC still decides not to produce the documents, Conyers says that the committee may conduct contempt proceedings against RNC Chairman Robert Duncan.

If you're keeping track at home, that means the committee is now contemplating citing three separate figures with contempt: Harriet Miers, White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, and RNC Chairman Robert Duncan. And that's not counting the Senate Judiciary Committee's possible citation of Karl Rove's former aide, Sara Taylor. Phew.

letter and more at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003711.php#more

[Greeby]

1. BRING.IT.ON nt

[Seen the light]

2. I'm tired of threats

Let's actually DO this for a change!

[tom_paine]

5. The impotent threats of the German Social Democrats of 1933.

They didn't work then against a monstrous tyrant, and they will not work now against a monstrous tyrant.

Send the FBI to seize their computers (even though it is far too late) or shut the fuck up.

[Poiuyt]

6. That's the way I feel too

The Republicans fight like it's all out war, we should too.

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. ME TOO! Actions speak louder than words. Lets see some ACTION! n/t

[kenny blankenship]

9. No kidding. PLEASE STOP THREATENING. Just enforce law. Don't threaten to enforce it. Just do it.

Let them worry about where the chips will fall.
Nobody with the law on their side THREATENS to enforce the law. They lay it down.

[aquart]

10. No. If we want it to stick, we dot every i and cross every t.

In case you haven't noticed, we ARE doing it. But WE, as opposed to the Republicans, are doing it according to our laws, which require that everything take time. Republicans, ignoring our laws, can ram anything thru, and have done so ...cough Patriot Act...cough...prescription drug "benefit"...cough.

Tyranny is speedy. Democracy is slow. Which would you prefer again?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

16. Great post. Trying to move to fast would allow the Republican Noise Machine to

shout that enforcing Congressional oversight was politicized and did not allow the WH sufficient time to cooperate. Slow, steady, polite, but firm movement can bring the voting public along with us. Try to go too fast and the Republicans will turn the whole thing against the Democrats.

[blondeatlast]

21. We're in the minority, but I agree. Do it right and make it STICK. nt

[BlackHawk706867]

11. I'm in total agreement with you... Stop the threats and just do it! eom. ww

[Individualist]

14. ...and dog and pony shows

attempting to give the appearance of doing something when doing nothing.

[blogslut]

18. No. This is a Pony Show

http://shiny911pony.com :)

[monmouth]

3. Of course, everyone will be on vacation during August....good timing...eom

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

4. We're Going To Huff & Puff.....

But in the end, it won't amount to Anything.

Unless they charge Inherent Contempt, which they won't, it will just be procedural meaningless CRAP.

A regular contempt charge won't get anywhere, and even if it does, King george will be LONG GONE by the time it ever did.

[VP505]

8. STOP THREATENING

and just DO IT! I am tired of that "I am only gonna tell you three more times before I hold my breath and turn blue crap!"

[aquart]

12. Well, then fall on the floor and kick your feet and scream some more.

Always effective.

[progressoid]

13. If anybody in DC says they are 'keeping their powder dry', I'm gonna fucking explode!

No more threats. Do it.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

15. Contempt proceedings should be the least of his worries!

I would like to know where begins the investigation into this ongoing pattern of malfeasance from the RNC. We may assume that nobody in the WH is ever going to face any charges relating to the RNC email scandal (which in my opinion could be the most lethal scandal of the BushCo® "presidency"), but Duncan and his Repug cronies have no protection under W's executive privilege. Who among them was the first one to either say yes to Rove asking for the accounts, or to suggest it themselves? Either way, it's an intentional end-run around the Presidential Records Act, and criminal from the moment the email accounts are activated.

And if the RNC "trashed" any documents? OB-FUS-CA-TION! White collars sure do go well with prison orange!

On a side note, I recently attempted to register for posting on RNC's forum pages a la DU. I wasn't going to flame--err, post, so much as read what the last remaining Repug ass clowns think. After registering, you are supposed to receive an email with instructions for validating your new account. Never came. I tried to register again, with a different screen name, etc. Never got the validation email. How do they know????

http://www.nirvani.net.nyud.net:8090/misc/$87,000,000,000/dubya.jpg

[blogslut]

20. Could be a blocking filter or a programming glitch

Some boards won't allow the registrations of surfers using free email accounts like Hotmail. Also, some BBS software is kind of buggy when it comes to confirmation emails, especially if you're not using IE. Try emailing the board administrator.

[blogslut]

17. Good

By the book. By the rules. John Conyers is the Tortoise to the Republican's hare. We will win this race to the finish.

[Glimmer of Hope]

19. Just do it.

[KoKo]

22. If Conyers doesn't charge "Inherant Contempt" instead of "Contempt"

then this will wind it's way through the BUSHCO Courts until 2008 ...at which time Dem President will give Pardons to wipe it away for "clean slate" if Bush hasn't already done it before he leaves the key to the WH Door with SS the night before inauguration. :-(

[creeksneakers2]

23. Another problem with rushing in

One side or the other will probably end up taking this all to court. When it gets to court, judges almost always try hard not to become involved in spats between the executive and legislative branches. It won't be until the judges can be convinced that all other remedies have been exhausted that they'll rule on anything.

[Imagevision]

24. It almost seems the Dems are helping Bushco run out the clock!! why is there

no immediate back-up plan with this so-obvious crooked administration?. This is BS. WTF.!!