Gate-crashers to take the Fifth if subpoenaed --who the fuck do these people think they are?

[spanone]

WASHINGTON - The White House gate-crashers' plan to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to testify if they are subpoenaed to appear on Capitol Hill about the security breach.

Reality TV hopefuls Michaele and Tareq Salahi said through their lawyer on Tuesday that the House Homeland Security Committee has drawn premature conclusions about the Nov. 24 incident, when they were able to get into the state dinner without being on an approved guest list.

The committee plans to vote Wednesday to subpoena the couple to testify.

In a letter Tuesday, the Salahis' lawyer, Stephen Best, gave examples of what he said were the committee's premature conclusions.

‘Practiced con artists’
Best cited District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's characterization of the Salahis on Nov. 30 as "practiced con artists."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34335296/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I think they're US citizens with the right to invoke the 5th.

I'm probably odd man out, but I kinda think what they did was funny. Yes, it points up some serious issues, but these two are simply clowns who harmed no one ...... well ..... apart from some peoples' prides.

[spanone]

5. clowns that could have killed the president

they claim there are 'premature conclusions' yet they don't want to set the record straight.......publicity clowns

[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. with their bare hands i assume... n/t

[spanone]

9. or anthrax

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. yeah...right...ok... n/t

[sharp_stick]

22. Yeah cause you can just

mix up a batch in the basement and whack an entire city. I'm surprised nobody thought of that earlier.

[spanone]

25. only takes a small batch my friend

[ProdigalJunkMail]

28. and anthrax cannot be treated... ok

not exactly a very good weapon...

sP

[spanone]

31. whatever

[ProdigalJunkMail]

33. yep...whatever... anthrax... whatever ...

[sharp_stick]

42. Yes a small batch

plus a couple of incubators, some freeze dryers, some specialized growth media, sprayers to weaponize and -80 freezers to hold your stocks.

Oh, not to forget a batch of anthrax that has been modified to allow for easy weaponization because the wild type won't provide enough toxin in normal lab conditions.

Piece of cake.

on edit: I almost forgot the bio-containment facilities so you don't kill yourself before you can deliver the anthrax to the target.

[Toots]

10. How would they have accomplished that?

They went through multiple screenings for weapons. Were they going to grapple with the President and strangle him with their bare hands?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. anthrax apparently...

[Stinky The Clown]

14. I was listening to some teevee "legal analists" who say it is very possible these two never broke ..

..... any federal laws.

(Yes, I am aware of the misspelling of "analyst")

There have been more than a few incidents, discussed here on DU, where sentiment was in favor of this or that person's arrest, but where no actual law was broken.

I am not saying that *is* the case here, but it sure could be.

[spanone]

27. then why would they take the fifth?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

32. because they have the right to not talk...

that is why.

sP

[FSogol]

15. Hardly. They still passed thru Secret Service metal detectors, frisking, etc.

[TheCowsCameHome]

21. All they needed was a table fork or knife..............

Fuck those two. I hope they throw the book at them.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

23. list the charge you would like to see them charged with...

and then explain why, after weeks have passed, they have not been arrested and charged...

sP

[Ed76638]

26. LOL

I'm loving the logic here: Not having your name on a list automatically makes you LETHAL to the president.

[spanone]

29. not automatically.

[Warren Stupidity]

41. even killer clowns have rights

and to the poster above you, even non-citizens have rights. The fifth is not restricted to citizens.

[Vickers]

43. You are extraordinarily naive if you think the record is set straight in a courtroom.

:eyes:

[Bitwit1234]

46. Well the Secret Service can still have them arrested

and it might seem funny but if they flew and airplane over the whitehouse or jumped the fence, they WOULD be in jail now. They are absolutely no different from the people who try to gain illegal entrance. If the Secret Service doesn't take action, who's to say some one else might try it again and they might have EVIL intent.

[yodoobo]

2. Americans?

I have a big problem with these people and I think they should be jailed for endangering the President.

But, they still have rights and I have no problem with these criminals exercising their rights as Americans to not self-incriminate themselves.

[JVS]

3. goddamned rights users!

[MercutioATC]

4. Hey, it apparently works.

If I'm ever subpoenaed (anywhere) I think I'm just going to decline the "invitation".

[Ozymanithrax]

6. Just as long as no one in the legislative branch offers them immunity to testify...

They should be indicted and tried before a jury of their peers.

[Fla_Democrat]

11. Where you gonna find

Where you gonna find twelve self absorbed, attention seeking gate crashers to serve on the jury? :evilgrin:

Trick question... just about any city in the country could produce a pool. :think:

[blondeatlast]

18. "Reality TV hopefuls." I think the answer is right there. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Tried on what charge?

Offending sensibilities? Outrageous social climbing? Trespassing? Attempted embarrassment of federal officers?

[Fla_Democrat]

7. The nerve of these people

Using their rights. :smoke:

[hootinholler]

16. Republicans n/t

[blondeatlast]

17. "Reality TV hopefuls." Speaks volumes about them. nt

[blondeatlast]

19. I deplore them--but they'd be stupid not to invoke the Fifth. nt

[Lurks Often]

24. they do have rights

Initially Congress "invited" them to appear before the applicable committee, it was not a subpoena. Now Congress is going to subpoena them and they, on the advice of their lawyer, I'm sure, are going to invoke their 5th amendment right. Given that no one in the Dept of Justice appears to have decided whether or not to indict them on charges, they would be crazy NOT to invoke their 5th amendment right.

IMO, this is something that should be handled by the President, the people under him and the Secret Service and that they should decide the charges to be pressed against them. I think Congress is more interested in appearing like they are doing something about this, then actually getting to the bottom of the matter.

My guess is that no charges will be filed, some Secret Service people will either be fired or re-assigned and in two months there will be the next big news event to distract us. I also don't think anybody actually involved in this incident wants this to go to trial.

[Tailormyst]

30. Its the right of any American to plead the 5th.

[MadHound]

34. They think that they are US citizens who have the right not to incriminate themselves

You know, just like the rest of us have that same right, all due to that pesky thing known as the Bill of Rights.

Look, I don't like these people either, but they do have certain rights in this country. Take away those rights from them and you take those rights away from everybody. Sorry, but I can't go along with that.

[fishwax]

35. who the fuck do they think they are to invoke their constitutional rights?

I think that's a weird question.

[LiberalAndProud]

36. Can they be offered immunity and then be required to

testify? Since there apparently is no crime, rather a lapse of oversight, I fail to see how their testimony would incriminate them. Unless, of course, they really did do something illegal, in which case, they should certainly keep their mouths shut.

[sofa king]

37. They think they're guilty people.

Recall that when both Jack Abramoff and a male prostitute posing as a reporter repeatedly showed up at the White House, we never learned how often, how long they stayed, or who let them in. But Karl Rove was smiling a lot in those days.

[DefenseLawyer]

38. The Gate Crashers point to one obvious conclusion: Rescind the Bill of Rights!

Put John Yoo on the case. We'll damn well have order in this country, by god.

[guitar man]

39. Hell, why bother to show up?

KKKarl never showed up and nothing happened to him, right? :shrug:

[TexasProgresive]

40. Since they are likely to be procecuted

the are probably acting on the advise of their lawyer, and I would say that it is good advice. Too bad they didn't seek sage advice before their little escapade.

[Javaman]

44. Fail.

Your argument fails massively.

I see that you use the old tact of "outrage trumps rights".

Or do you keep a copy of the patriot act in your pocket?

get a grip.

[Hepburn]

45. They have a right to take the 5th...what is your problem with that? n/t