The point where push comes to shove
The House and the Senate are subpoenaing the Administration right and left these days. Just today, the Senate subpoenaed Gonzales, ordering him to provide them with all Rove-related e-mails.
But, we're just getting to the point where push comes to shove. The administration is going to refuse to comply with most of these subpoenas. Condi Rice has already said she won't appear under subpoena. The White House has said it won't release Rove's e-mails (the ones it hasn't "lost" already - just like it lost a bunch of them when Patrick Fitzgerald was investigating). Most likely, Gonzales will be ordered to refuse to comply with this most recent subpoena. That's when the real battle begins.
The President thinks he's above the law, and a bunch of wingnut lawyers like John Yoo agree with him. Just today, Harvard Prof. Harvey Mansfield wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Now the rule of law has two defects, each of which suggests the need for one-man rule." Bush really and truly believes he stands above the law and he probably has one or two supporters of that view at least on the Supreme Court.
So, you can bet that this is not going to be a push over for Congress. In fact, Congress may well lose this war unless than can eventually bring themselves to impeach the man.
WASHINGTON - Senators subpoenaed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Wednesday, ordering him to provide all e-mails related to presidential adviser Karl Rove and the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
But, we're just getting to the point where push comes to shove. The administration is going to refuse to comply with most of these subpoenas. Condi Rice has already said she won't appear under subpoena. The White House has said it won't release Rove's e-mails (the ones it hasn't "lost" already - just like it lost a bunch of them when Patrick Fitzgerald was investigating). Most likely, Gonzales will be ordered to refuse to comply with this most recent subpoena. That's when the real battle begins.
The President thinks he's above the law, and a bunch of wingnut lawyers like John Yoo agree with him. Just today, Harvard Prof. Harvey Mansfield wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Now the rule of law has two defects, each of which suggests the need for one-man rule." Bush really and truly believes he stands above the law and he probably has one or two supporters of that view at least on the Supreme Court.
So, you can bet that this is not going to be a push over for Congress. In fact, Congress may well lose this war unless than can eventually bring themselves to impeach the man.
posted by walldon | 4:03 PM
1 Comments:
Congress can't "lose" what Constitutionally it is unable to enforce. Hold them in contempt: there is no choice but to let the Administration operate under that cloud. And make no bones about it: by refusing to cooperate in a lawful investigation by Congress, this Administration is deliberately trying to destroy the Constitution of the United States of America.
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