Leahy moves forward with contempt citations for Bush aides
By Steve Benen Thursday Nov 29, 2007 12:31pm
If you’d given up following the Senate Judiciary Committee weighing its next move against White House aides who blew off its subpoena, you’re not alone. There was some sporadic movement on this over the summer, and then a few other issues — namely the confirmation process for a new Attorney General — put the matter on the backburner.
Well, it’s back.
A Senate chairman acknowledged explicitly on Thursday that President Bush was not involved in the firings of U.S. attorneys last winter and therefore ruled illegal the president’s executive privilege claims protecting his chief of staff, John Bolten, and former adviser Karl Rove.
Leahy directed Bolten, Rove, former political director Sara Taylor and her deputy, J. Scott Jennings, to comply “immediately” with their subpoenas for documents and information about the White House’s role in the firings of U.S. attorneys.
“I hereby rule that those claims are not legally valid to excuse current and former White House employees from appearing, testifying and producing documents related to this investigation,” Leahy wrote.
At first blush, this may sound like bad news, as if Leahy is letting the president off the hook for his possible role in a major scandal. But that’s not really what’s going on here — Leahy was rejecting the White House’s executive privilege claim, and in order to do so, he had to make clear that Rove and Bolten had not consulted with Bush on executing the U.S. Attorney purge.
In other words, Leahy effectively said, “Executive privilege pertains to matters directly involving the president and his aides. Since Bush wasn’t involved, there’s no reason Rove and Bolten can’t have a friendly chat with the Senate Judiciary Committee.”
Jim Oliphant has more on what happens next.
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I want to hear Rove testify and tell us how it was Congress that sped up the attorney firings...
Arrest them!
Why wait?
About F-ING time! Serve those subpoenas and then serve the next round!
Leahy made a good move with this.
Senator Leahy has been lining up ducks maybe and is now ready to run the table.
Senator Leahy to the Bush Administration, "No, you go fuc* yourselves."
They'll just ignore them and wait things out.
Does anyone know how many votes it takes to vote a contempt citation out of the Senate. 51, 60 or another number.
Great hoppin horny toads! Could it be? Them Dems found their spines?!?!
liberalNmoderation @ 8:
If you wander near a flock of chickens and two roosters run out and attack you, don't assume the whole flock is backing them up.
Bush's Chief of Staff is Josh Bolten, not John Bolton. You can't keep the perps straight without a scorecard.
This may turn out to be an excellent adventure after all. 43 now has two choices. Hide behind executive privilege and admit complicity or turn over Rove, Bolton and Taylor. It’s once again time for the Decider to make a decision. That, or pull another rabbit out of his asshat.
Weaseldog @ 9:
I never make assumptions...it makes an ass out of you...and umption?
Breaking news....
BOSTON -- A man took people hostage Friday at a Hillary Clinton presidential campaign office in New Hampshire, police said.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Bombwielding_man_believed_to_be_holding_11...
liberalNmoderation @ 12:
Ahh, your comment was seasoned with sarcasm! I thought it was nutmeg...
and when it leads right to the president knowingly acting....
BAM!
and I'll huff and I'll puff this time when you ignore me...
More BS that will come to nothing. Less talk and more action.
Good move, but excruciatingly too slow to satisfy the country's growing appetite for justice and the rule of law.
Actually, Pat Fitzgerald played a similar strategy when he went fishing in the Valerie Plame leak case and caught Scooter Libby on the hook.
Too bad Cheney made damned sure that Shrubya pardoned Libby. If he'd allowed Libby to do that 30 months in jail, Scooter would sing louder than John Dean did against Nixon.
I bet Nixon's cronies (those who are still breathing, anyway) are probably kicking themselves for not thinking about offering Dean a pardon, instead of insisting he be the fall guy.
This is great news. Come on Leahy keep going. This is our chance.
Also the situation in NH is f*ed up.
Democrats growing brass balls?? finally!!! i just hope it pans out and he grills Rove like the fat eFfing Pig he is
I say contempt citations for John Bolton, and the death penalty to Michael Bolton.
I was just Joshing y'all.
Good move on part of Leahy, but "no movement" on part of bush-lite since he is
the Decider.
I'll be impressed if they actually carry through with this, especially if they use inherent contempt proceedings. So far I've seen a lot of talk and a lot of hearings while the Bush administration gets away with nothing being done. Senator Leahy has done a good job of keeping this issue alive though.
Weaseldog @ 14:
Ayupper! And a smidge of cinnamon...you like?
Remember Gonzo's hit, "I Don't Recall." Well Rove and Bolten are already planning a duet of that same hit. Aah, American Top 40.
I think it should read Josh Bolton.
Go Leahy. You may actually restore some faith in congress and our system if you follow through. We are doing our part pushing, calling, emailing, marching endlessly. We are doing our part hopefully our Reps will do theirs. Justice!
frog march the whole Pinochetian squad
liberalNmoderation @ 25:
Oh yeah.
Julia Childs says a little nutmeg makes a dish mysterious, but don't put in so much that they can identify it. So now I automatically think nutmeg first, when I'm not sure. :)
Did you hear that thump? That was this being dropped and forgotten. I know this because I heard Rove laughing.
There is no accountability. Never will be.
Are we getting closer to holding them accountable for disobeying the LAWS?
OC Bruce @ 30:
If our nation is left with the memory of a Republican controlled congress investigating and holding a President Accountable for lying under oath about a Blow job. Yet when the Republicans continued to control congress they did not hold a soul accountable for the intelligence SNOWJOB that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries and millions displaced then Osama got his wish "to witness the US to become a shadow of its former self" focused on Bjobs instead of intelligence snowjobs. Will the Democrats step up to the plate and give Impeachment a chance?
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING
At this rate, he ought to just about be ready to wrap up his investigations about a month after GW Bush dies of old age.
Osama got his wish “to witness the US to become a shadow of its former self” focused on Bjobs instead of intelligence
This is absolutely the case, but it isn't because of Osama. We would have gotten this anyway. Rove and the rest have determined that marketing is the answer and they know it better than anyone else. It's "thieves selling shit to idiots" and they are MUCH better thieves than the opposition.
liberalNmoderation @ 8:
Leahy has lost his fear of receiving military grade anthrax mailed to his office.
Now he gets around to it?
Hell, if it was me, subpoenas would be falling like snowflakes.
Dems are pussies.
jr @ 28:
You mean like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9ZM6rI7DY
Break out the waterboards!
TB @ 36:
Then why don't you run your ass down to Congress and run for office?
Yeah thought so.
Weaseldog @ 29:
Hehe...she also was quite fond of the "cooking" sherry, lol! A little mooore cooooking sherry!
Avid Reader @ 35:
Seems he did...ya know, besides in blog or online arlticles, I've not heard squadoo about that since it happened...
"moves forward"...about as fast as a 400lb tortoise.....kill time.....kill time
E in MD @ 39:
As If.
unless is part of the Ruling Class Elite of course.
"got Old Money"?
Interesting strategy.... We'll see where it leads... IF anywhere..
I still ain't got much faith in Leahy..... In fact the whole rotton spectical ofthe last seven years leaves me less than impressed with either side these days...... But I'll most likely vote dem even if I have to hold my nose while doing it......JD
It is pretty clever...by absolving Bush of responsibility, it rightfully puts him into the "innocent until proven guilty" camp and at the same time allows for the investigation to continue with no excuses until it DOES come out that Bush was involved, at which point there will be no further guards keeping the fire away from him.
nice move, let them perjure themselves and implicate who they want to
I wonder if this going to end up in yet another "strong worded" letter of reprimand making its way from a Dem's office?
Oh, golly... a few more of those an maybe Boosh will have enough to wipe his ass with them, the constitution has already almost consumed in that endeavor.... so he need new material to clean his rear cavity.
There hasn't been a week since Boosh took office that an scandal involving these perverts hasn't come to the surface, and that is with a fully complicit MSM so imagine what it is still out there not being mentioned. And these jackasses are coming with a possible investigation 7 years into this nightmare?
I don't know what is sadder the Dems for putting this dog and pony show (Leahy has already do a lot of huffing and puffing, leading to 0 accountability) or the few hard core loyalist still getting all giddy because this may be it...
*yawn*
Yeah, yeah...
After Leahy sent the FIFTH 'strongly worded' letter to the White House asking them to testify, this is what happened...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cybtRGWg5-0
This makes sense, I mean, how could any legally-trained moral person with a belief in 'right' and 'wrong', not have contempt for Bush and any and all of his aides?
It's a nice gesture Leahy...but they'll ignore it like they've ignored
everything else.
Such a deal! Either W is a criminal and gets impeached, or he has to throw some buds under the bus. What a hard choice. 20 to 1 on the bus.
Yesterday: A Senate chairman acknowledged explicitly on Thursday that President Bush was not involved in the firings of U.S. attorneys last winter and therefore ruled illegal the president’s executive privilege claims protecting his chief of staff, John Bolten, and former adviser Karl Rove.
Today: Hostages taken at Hillary Clinton presidential campaign office in New Hampshire.
Another Republican distraction? Hmmm...
Nah... They would never pull something like that, what am I thinking?
Call Nancy Pelosi @ 1-202-225-0100 and DEMAND IMPEACHMENT.
*yawn*...wake me up whenever they get around to actually frogmarching any of these yahoos in to testify in person.
oh, this is why a crazed bomber is at a clinton campagin office today holding hostages?
Distract with fear, the only tool the Karl rove neocons have left in their arsenal.
So proud to be an American, to be represented by such dedicated and swift defenders of the Constitution and justice. The subpoenas are "moving foreward".
MEANWHILE...
In Iraq, "We're makin' progress."
So very, very proud.
The Political Junkie @ 18 "Too bad Cheney made damned sure that Shrubya pardoned Libby."
Libby was NOT pardoned. His sentence was commuted.
And, which is key, he has never been charged on the actual crimes, just on obstruction of justice. So it's not double jeopardy to put him on trial as soon as we have the functioning justice system to do so.
Brad @ 24 "I'll be impressed if they actually carry through with this, especially if they use inherent contempt proceedings."
They are NOT going to use inherent contempt.
Avid Reader @ 35 "Leahy has lost his fear of receiving military grade anthrax mailed to his office."
Leahy, IIRC, never 'received' the anthrax. It was stopped in the postal system before it was delivered.
If they consider him a threat, King Bush will just send him more anthrax.
Otherwise no problem.
Catablaworm @ 60:
Bush will tell Leahy the anthrax is fine Columbia cocaine that he keeps stashed in the Oval Office for emergencies.
Paul in LA @ 57:
And if he was pardoned he couldn't plead the fifth citing his right to appeal.
Doesn't this put the spot-light on Michael Malarkey, er... Mukasey?
If contempt citations are issued, and US Atty. Jeffrey Taylor doesn't do anything, isn't Mukasey required to do something about them? Especially considering the conflict of interest for Taylor being both a US Atty. who kept his job and an advisor to Gonzales?
E in MD @ 39:
OK, get me the funding, run me a winning campaign and put me in office.
Can you do that?
Yeah thought so.
Now blow me, asshat.
Nothing will happen, the rot on the inside is too pervasive - change will come from a black swan with a haymaker....
Paul in LA @ 57:
Actually, it was four counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and lying to federal officials.
In other words, Scooter is an indicted, CONvicted co-conspirator thrown under the bus to prevent the real culprits of TREASON from being brough to justice.
Karl, Card, Cheney, Bush are considered Unindicted Co-conspirators, based on McClellans revelation.
duhbya commuted his sentence because the neocons were worried scooter would crack while in jail, spilling the beans on the bush cabal who committed treason during a time of war as political payback for revealing their LIES about wmd and faux-yellowcake uranium stories used to justify their illlegal invasion and occupation of iraq murdering MILLIONS!
These make the bush clan a band of WAR CRIMINALS.
got it now?
"What happens next?" Not a freakin' thing. Unless you count more threats by the Democrats to threaten to do something maybe.
"I hereby rule ...." Or else what? The scowling and complaining by Leahy for nearly a year now is meaningless unless he is willing to ENFORCE the subpoenas. If Leahy is just trying to placate his party's base, it's not working.
Go Senator!! How long are the American people going to let this joke of a standoff go on? Shameful and dishonest, this stinking administration. And THEY complained about the Clintons? Such a joke!
Leahy's one of those cowards who thought it more important to kneecap the activists in his own party over a stupid ad, than to stop $12 billion a month tossed down the rat hole. Fuck him.
Nothing will come of this. The democrats are still gutless and spineless. I have never seen a more useless bunch of people in one building.
gonzalez @ 72:
Truer words will never be spoken!
Just impeach Bush/Cheney. Forget the aides. It'll take 18 months to get a hearing on it.
They should send out Federal Marshalls and lock them ALL up in the Congress... till they can stand trial for Contempt.
Cowboy Bob in Austin @ 75:
The Congress does not control the Federal Marshals.
The Sergeant at Arms in either body are not law officers who arrest members of the Executive. You apparently missed the tear off of the calendar when 1900 rolled around.
gonzalez @ 72:
Gonzales, what have YOU done.
I know, JFK's words are so tired and old, and you don't even know them.
"I have never seen a more useless bunch of people commenting in one blog."
nsr @ 71:
That Congressional resolution made MILLIONS for MoveOn, so what is the downside?
None. If you had a clue about how the Senate functions, you would be one clue closer to a pair.
FreedomOfInformationAct @ 66:
Those are all obstruction of justice. NONE of those convictions regard his criminal actions in the outing of BJ or VP, which is the important point. HE is an unindicted co-conspirator, just as much as the rest of those goons.
TB @ 64:
You left off "Change my diaper."
While he's at it, maybe he can have sex with your wife and get you some children who can do your work for you.
I believe it's Josh Bolten.
Paul in LA @ 78:
Paul in LA @ 78:
No downside?
"CNN’s Campbell Brown Calls MoveOn.org “American Insurgents”
By: Logan Murphy @ 6:46 AM - PST"
Would she be doing this if the Senate had jammed the resolution back down Cornyn's lying throat? You tell me. You know how the Senate works.
well now just bullshit, if leahey moves one more time on this will he have to leave his forwarding adress??? so these thugs can send his summons back shit stained!
nsr @ 83 "No downside?
"CNN’s Campbell Brown Calls MoveOn.org “American Insurgents”
Which itself will make millions for MoveOn.
Is Chairman Leahy a coward? No, he's a Senator with a great deal of power, none of which is directly able to remove this coup and the huge number of corrupt Senators who are holding this coup in place.
I'm pretty sick and tired of reading the endless nasty, cynical, "knowing," defeatism of leftists who so far as anyone can tell, do NOTHING, and just like to throw tomatoes.
This action by Leahy is a plus, not a minus, even if you are too lazy to overcome your whining sense of personal tragedy and your anger at others who actually have to put on a suit every day and deal with those other bastards. Chairman Leahy has done the groundwork for pushing contempt forward, and slow as it is, it is still a good day when that process moves.
That's twice now you've thrown in this snide crap. I didn't say anything about you personally.
Leahy, man I loved his work back when he was doing TV shows.
He IS prone to drama and fake outrage now and then, but I think he's in the top half of the Senate Dems. Where in the top half? Well, I guess we'll see how this plays out.
I'm not quite sure what the bitching is even about... he just ruled out executive privilege. That's a good thing.
Sheesh. Villagers with pitchforks and torches is just so... Republican. I can't wait to see those asshole in the shiny new jails they built either, but things like this have to be done right. If you start skipping the rules and sane procedure, you could end up doing something idiotic, like impeaching Clinton's penis. So... patience (but you are right -- do not forget or let up)...
We'll be fixing government from the damage the criminal Bush gang caused for 10 years. At least. So, pace yourself folks.
nsr @ 87:
If you are disaffiliated, then you feel no loyalty (or faith) for your elected officials of longstanding public service. But it bothers me when you have the audacity to call Chairman Leahy a "coward" as if that kind of personal attack on him is valid. When people call good politicians names like that, I take personal offense, just so you know.
MoveOn will tell you how much money they made on that Resolution -- a ton. Of those 79 House or 21 Senate who voted NAY, they were mostly doing so because they objected to the Congress' time being caught up in more of such bullshit (that most of them lived through in the House under the absurd R leadership since 1994).
Speaker Pelosi, who refused to schedule the Resolution, said that if MoveOn had contacted her, she would have told them that attacking a four-star general in print is USELESS in changing Congress. She then said that any such Resolution was a waste of the House's time, and not at all its business, which is correct. Nonetheless, the scene of the R in Congress dragging their DINOs behind them to another politically destructive, narcissistic misuse of power did help the D caucus some, and it did make MoveOn a much more well-known funding target for angry voters.
In other words, it backfired. Big time.
What happens if the testamony given buy these criminals does in fact, point the finger at the bastard anyhow?
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