2 Bush Aides to Face Contempt Citations (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

2 Bush Aides to Face Contempt Citations

Wednesday July 25, 2007 9:31 AM

By LAURIE KELLMAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Heading toward a separation-of-powers
showdown, House Democrats prepared contempt of Congress
citations against two White House aides who have refused to
comply with subpoenas for information on the abrupt firings
of federal prosecutors.

The White House has said that Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and
former legal counselor Harriet Miers, among other top advisers
to President Bush, are absolutely immune from subpoenas
because their documents and testimony are protected by
executive privilege.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. John
Conyers, D-Mich., reject that claim and have drafted for a
vote Wednesday a resolution citing Miers and Bolten with
contempt of Congress, a federal misdemeanor punishable by
up to a $100,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence.

The panel's vote is the first step on the road to a possible
constitutional showdown in federal court.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6803738,00.html

[MADem]

1. Gee, the Conyers-Hating Club will be so disappointed!!

How dare he do the work of the people and not particularly want a load of assholes camping in his office while so doing!!!!

[Decruiter]

5. Let it rest. Peace. please. Don't keep fanning flames. Thanks a mill....

Have a great Wednesday, "hump day", right?

[radfringe]

2. Are they willing to take the next step?

with each story about contempt charges being filed, or just 3 more signatures for impeachment - my hopes are raised and then dashed

it's like being on a roller coaster with missing tracks at the end of the BIG DROP

Are they prepared to move forward and take the next step? If not - then this is just noise

[blogslut]

3. Today should be an interesting day

http://judiciary.house.gov/schedule.aspx

Scheduled events for dates
7/25/2007 - 7/25/2007

Wednesday 07/25/2007 - 10:15 AM
2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Full Committee
Meeting to consider: a resolution and report recommending to the House of Representatives that former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten be cited for contempt of Congress

[Senator]

4. I Think It's A Mistake

Yes, Even Inherent Contempt. This is why I've been chanting "only impeachment" for so long.

At best this is another procedural dead end. They've really got no problem letting Harriet or Fredo sit a cell (ask Judy Miller) -- in fact, that's what figureheads are for. It would have to be an old white guy -- like Scooter -- to get them to risk anything. But still, the pardon pen is properly poised.

But that's not the real problem. I think they may well be looking for any opportunity to "BushvGore" their "Unitary" delusions into "reality." And any issue will do. That's why they've been so "inexplicably" confrontive. They want something to trot up to the New Felonious Five for an "Enabling Decision."

They're not the least bit interested in "constitutional niceties." They believe them to be as "quaint" as torture bans.

They should be treated as the "fugitive" war criminals that they are. Poking them with legal sticks -- based on laws they scoff at -- is not a recipe for successful return to constitutional law.

Once again, the DC Dems are showing up with a knife to a gunfight.

==