Friday, February 29, 2008

next move on the harriet miers contempt chess-board


you'll recall that she, in her
role as white house counsel (and
white house chief of staff josh bolten)
each simply "blew off" duly-issued sub-
poenas to testify before a congressional
committee -- pulled a no show, with-
out even the legally-required pre-
face of appearing, and asserting some
purported executive privilege
. now,
speaker pelosi, chairman conyers, and
others, are making their next move:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) released the following statement in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) referring the committee's contempt citations against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeffrey Taylor:

"Now that the Speaker has referred the contempt citations against Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten to U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor, I hope the Justice Department will put the partisan manipulation of our system of justice behind it, and follow its obligation to allow this matter to be addressed by a grand jury. To do otherwise would turn on its head the notion that we are all equally accountable under the law."

will the u.s. attorney, jeffrey taylor,
ever empanel a grand jury? we'll see.

i'd like to think mukasey will
follow the law -- we'll see.

3 comments:

Life As I Know It Now said...

it would be nice if Bush and his buddies could be held accountable to the rule of law. so far, however, it doesn't seem likely. I grow ever more cynical and weary as the Bush administration carries on.

condor said...

and you seem wise to be
skeptical, as i'm sure
you've read by now, lib,
that mukasey has flatly
refused to enforce the
contempt citations -- and
so, speaker pelosi will,
on monday, or shortly there-
after, file a civil proceeding
in the d.c. district court to
hold miers and bolten in civil
contempt.

great -- the rule of law can
no longer count on the u.s.
attorney to enforce it -- the
legislative branch must now
resort to self-help. astonishing.

p e a c e

Life As I Know It Now said...

he is a lap dog to power and money and he should never have been appointed. yes, I am skepical but still disapointed in his performance.