President Bush and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten at Camp David Saturday, June 21, 2007. White House photo by Eric Draper.
by Frank James
In the escalating battle between the Republican White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress over executive privilege in the case of the fired U.S. attorneys, Rep. John Conyers, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, is about to take the feud to a higher level.
He's announced today that on Wednesday his committee will vote on whether to find White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for disregarding congressional subpoenas in the probe over the firing of nine federal prosecutors.
In Miers's case, Congress asked her to testify which she declined, citing White House executive privilege, asserted as part of the separation of branches doctrine. President Bush, like his predecessors, has said his aides must be immune from testifying before Congress so that they will provide him with candid advice.
Citing the same privilege, the White House refused to turn over e-mails and other communications and documents related to the firings. That's why Bolten is being targeted.
How this will all end is unclear although many experts believe the path to the end will likely go through the Supreme Court.
Here's Conyers's press release which, for the record, misspells Bolten's surname. :
For Immediate Release:
July 23, 2007
House Judiciary Committee to Consider Contempt Proceedings for Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolton
(Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) announced that the Committee will meet Wednesday, July 25, at 10:15 am in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building to vote on contempt citations for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolton, following their refusal to comply with subpoenas issued in the U.S. Attorney investigation.
"This investigation, including the reluctant but necessary decision to move forward with contempt, has been a very deliberative process, taking care at each step to respect the Executive Branch’s legitimate prerogatives,” Conyers said. "I've allowed the White House and Ms. Miers every opportunity to cooperate with this investigation, either voluntarily or under subpoena. It is still my hope that they will reconsider this hard-line position, and cooperate with our investigation so that we can get to the bottom of this matter."
The contempt of Congress citations are being considered in response to Miers and Bolton's failure to comply with subpoenas issued by the Committee for documents and testimony, including Miers' refusal to even appear at her scheduled hearing on July 12. White House Counsel Fred Fielding alerted the Committee on June 28 that the White House would not provide the documents as required by the subpoena, asserting the President's executive privilege.
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Comments
The Republicans believe in the rule of law.....for everyone BUT them.
Go Get'em, Senator Conyers!
Posted by: John E | July 23, 2007 12:48 PM
"FAILURE TO COMPLY"
That is Inherent Contempt by itself. What American has the right to refuse a Subpoena? This is not espionage, this is the "Law of the Land." She was an Officer of the Court, and she is refusing to be honest in front of Congress.
We all know the truth will shock America. We all know the truth will shock African Americans and create a new rage on the Hill.
It is obvious what happened here, and why it happened. "Theft by Deception" of 150,000 votes, many men and women fighting RIGHT NOW in the streets of Iraq to keep and win key spots in the House and Senate. It was to create this mass hysteria of "Illegal Immigration in America to justify 4.4billion dollars to "Consolidate America" and the Law of the Land (attorney general) under Homeland Security, thus "Striking" Attorney General, Secretary of Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Treasury and the Commissioner of Social Security wherever noted.
So if there were ever any legal or judicial matters at hand relating to Immigration and the Nationality of all America between its domestic and international borders.
Wherein only "Executive Priviledge" trumped the "Secretary" (Dictatorship complete)
*Note the constitutional stance we are foretaking as we blog today. Why is that, better yet, WHAT IS THAT MR. President, Mr. Secretary of Homeland Security? "remember katrina" 87,000 people are wondering the same thing.
Hey Halliburton, can a brother get some water?
Posted by: Roger Morris | July 23, 2007 12:57 PM
Hey, you folks sure were Clinton imposed executive privilige all the time! In fact, no president used executive privilige more than Clintoon.
Also, John E., Conyers a Representative not a Senator!
Posted by: John D | July 23, 2007 1:47 PM
The Cheneybush regime will never do anything decent willingly. They are liars and criminals from the very top, Satancheney, all the was down to little bertie gonzo, the poorly-trained lap dog in the Justice Department. The only way to get anything done is to storm the White House and drag the ciminals out into the square, lock them in stocks and start throwing rotten cabbage at them until Satancheney pees his pants and gives in.
We need to rekindle the spirit of 1776!
Posted by: Snalg | July 23, 2007 2:17 PM
This illegitimate Supreme Court appointed President will be the worst President in U.S. history. He is considered by many people in the U.S. and civilized world to be a criminal and terrorist. He has created the diaster that exists in Iraq and is responsible for all of the dead and wounded U.S. soldiers. He has done nothing but lie to and deceive the American people since he took office. He told us all he would restore honesty and integrity to the White House. Nothing is further from the truth. This foul hypocrite should be thrown out of the White House and held accountable for his criminal conduct.
Posted by: Doug R. | July 23, 2007 3:25 PM
I agree with Roger Morris in that nobody has the right to ignore a subpoena. Even though she intended to not say anything, Harriet Miers should've still gone before the committee and then claimed executive priviledge. Instead, by (not) responding as advised by the president, she and the Bush administration have once again thumbed their noses at the law's applicability to them. And who cares what happened during the Clinton years? That was then, this is now. Different case. It's funny how those who side with Bush say it must be OK because Clinton did the same thing, but they were against Clinton doing it then. I find that more hypocritical than the Clinton supporters who now are crying foul because the Republicans who went after Bill seem to be OK with the way Bush essentially tells Congress to screw itself. Is it 2008 yet?
Posted by: Craig W. | July 23, 2007 4:18 PM
Roger Morris is wrong there is a separation of powers in our Reoublican form of government. The Bush administration and Fred Fielding the President's counsel has asserted executive privilege and the matter will go the courts it won't be ironed ou in Bush's remainder of his term. John Conyers and the crafty Dems are doing this for gotcha politics they really don't want information they already have been given thousands of pages of relevant material theye are doing this for partisan political reasons to raise money for 08 elections. Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | July 23, 2007 5:41 PM
Judging by the polls, most people in the nation also have a contempt of Congress.
Posted by: Fran Cisco | July 23, 2007 5:47 PM
GO AWAY IDIOT!
JUST GO AWAY!
Posted by: Village Of Springfield | July 23, 2007 6:47 PM