Reports on subpoenas of Miers, Taylor ignored support from Republicans
In reports on congressional subpoenas issued on June 13 to two former aides to President Bush, several news outlets -- including Fox News, MSNBC, The Washington Times, and the Kansas City Star -- cast the issue as partisan, suggesting that only Democrats supported the subpoenas. In fact, at least two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed support for the subpoenas, which called for former counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor to testify before the House and Senate judiciary committees about the Bush administration's controversial firings of nine federal prosecutors.
A June 14 Washington Post article on the subpoenas reported that Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), the Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, "said that he supports the decision by [Sen. Patrick] Leahy [D-VT] and [Rep. John] Conyers [D-MI] to issue the subpoenas." Moreover, as USA Today reported, when the committee, on a voice vote, gave Leahy, the Senate committee chairman, the power to subpoena White House officials, "Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, requested that his vote be recorded as 'aye.' "
Despite Specter and Grassley's support for the subpoenas, a June 14 Washington Times article reported that "Congressional Democrats yesterday issued subpoenas" and that "the White House accused Democrats of provoking an unnecessary fight." A June 14 Kansas City Star article reported that "Congressional Democrats raised the bet Wednesday in their high-stakes confrontation with the White House over politics and the Justice Department." Neither report mentioned Republican support for the subpoenas. Similarly, in a news segment during the June 13 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner said that "Democrats want former counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor to testify about the firings of eight U.S. prosecutors." And on the June 13 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews said that "Democrats were firing off subpoenas today like 4th of July fireworks," and added that "Democrats want to surround [White House adviser Karl] Rove in subpoenas, then destroy him." During his subsequent report on the subpoenas, Hardball correspondent David Shuster reported that "Democrats ordered former White House aide Sara Taylor and former counsel Harriet Miers to testify next month about White House involvement."
From the June 13 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
FAULKNER: Two congressional committees issuing subpoenas for two former White House advisers. Democrats want former counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor to testify about the firings of eight U.S. prosecutors. The White House has said it would only make current and former staffers available in private interviews without transcripts. Congressional investigators refusing that proposal. If the standoff continues, the matter could end up in court.
From the June 13 edition of MSNBC's Hardball:
MATTHEWS: Good evening. I'm Chris Matthews. Welcome to Hardball. Bring me the head of Karl Rove. Democrats were firing off subpoenas today like 4th of July fireworks. Their target is Democratic enemy number one, the man who carries what Democrats would call the diminutive title of "Bush's brain," Karl Rove. Democrats want to surround Rove in subpoenas, then destroy him.
[...]
SHUSTER: Today, two Democratic congressional committees issued subpoenas for White House documents and testimony related to the controversial firings of federal prosecutors. Democrats ordered former White House aide Sara Taylor and former counsel Harriet Miers to testify next month about White House involvement.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) [video clip]: We still haven't found out who actually concocted this scheme. You know, many people suspect Karl Rove. The only way we can find out is by questioning him and questioning the people in his office, and that's what we're going to do.
SHUSTER: The Democrats, however, did not actually issue a subpoena today for Karl Rove. Instead, they say, they will work up the chain, targeting Rove's aides and then ratcheting up the pressure on him and on an administration that has so far refused to make any White House officials available for testimony under oath.
Yes, restoring oversight and investigation against potential abuse of power seem hard for some people to understand. The White House is always right, right! Thus, it is politics becaus ethe pres can do nothing wrong if he, as a commander-in-chief in his self--created war, says it should be done, right? Yes, the democrats are to blame for not listening to B daddy. The democras with some republicans are finally going the right directon: restoring check and balanced removed by the GOP and this Nixonian white house.
Specter and Grassley are RINOs, and Tweety is a liberal democrat.End of story.
I wanted to be the first with those points.
Damn it Beach...stop stealing our material!
I think a judge would rule in this particular case that the material was of no value whatsoever, therefore no charges of theft were warranted.
The media has to keep out of site out of mind any mention of any member of the Republican Party sanctioning the subpoenas; because in this way they can put a spin on it that this serious issue is political
I am not surprised that the media wants to make themselves worms for Bush aka Bush loyalists. It is obscene and demoralizing to the People of the United States that there are still worms for Bush left in this country.
If anything Gonzales should be impeached. Cheney should be impeached, Bush should be impeached. They are the eptiome of the culture of sleaze and corruption. They have zero credibility and they made he United States the laughing stock of the United States history and world history.
It's getting so bad for America that underneath our demoralized nation is anger. Both parties marching behind Bush has given America the middle finger. Both parties and Bush are losers in the history of this once great country.
The media has forfeited any claim to be the fourth estate. They have gone down the cheap Murdoch Fox path which is giving us nothing but opinion and no news. Opinion that isn't even worth the crap the flies land on.
Will we ever be able to feel like this is our Nation again. Not as long as Bush keeps saying it isn't our nation it's his, that he is the dictator and that he will not listen to We the People. He speaks, talks, and acts like the spoiled frat boy that he is. Thank you Conservatives for giving us the Mother of all losers aka Bush.
Your lack of understanding becomes more apparent with each post.
AG's cannot be impeached.
Sorry to break the news to you since you seem so sure of yourself on this one, but harlequin(sp?) is correct. The Constitution allows Congress to impeach the president, vice president, and all civil officers, which include cabinet members. The Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/opinion/03bowman.html?ex=1335931200&en=7f3b7e98227d4e3e&ei=5124&partner=digg&exprod=digg
but you see aa considers the Constitution as 'quaint' and just another rag wipe his nose with.
Yeah, I was shocked at that one, where in the world did he get that idea? I smell a bloviator in the woodwork
By all means, launch the court cases, already! Subpoena every Repugnant in Washington, and any who passed through over the last 6-1/2 years. They are rascals all, and some might be persuaded to talk as Bungle's Pardon Pen runs out of ink. If the Dems need help separating the Repugnants from the Republicans (Yes, Virginia, there really is a Republican - Hagel comes to mind, Snowe, Collins; various whistleblowers and protestors regarding the politicization of the DOJ) the litmus test is simple and accurate: if at least once in black-and-white, or on video, the individual has called for impeachment (Bungle, Darth, Abu-Gonz) then the subpoena should be used instead for some rascal.
Again, AGs cannot be impeached.
AA, where do you disagree with this ?
"Article II of the Constitution grants Congress the power to impeach “the president, the vice president and all civil officers of the United States.” The phrase “civil officers” includes the members of the cabinet (one of whom, Secretary of War William Belknap, was impeached in 1876)."
You beat me by 7 minutes. I responded to AA's above comment with the exact same link, even though my link is sloppier (I'm not good with html stuff). I guess you googled something similar to "impeachment attorney general" also. I would advise AA to do the same before acting so self-righteous.
jawill, I would advise AA to continue with his program,especially on Fridays.We all need some laughs in this life.
You are, of course, absolutely right. I typically only comment here when the comments of a right-winger cause steam to shoot out of my ears. So, I must ultimately thank all of those with opposing viewpoints for making the comments here so lively and fun.
You don't have to be good with HTML. I sure ain't. Above the comment box, to the left of the "B I U" part, you see a chain and a broken chain. What you do is copy the URL, then highlight the word you want to become the link, then click on the chain. It lets you paste the URL into the link, no HTML required.
Thanks, I'll do that from now on.
Test
No problem, it's a big improvement from having to type "<i></i>" all the time. Now if they would just bring back the "newest to oldest" and the interactive timestamp features for those 300+ post threads, it would be a perfect system (I think).
Amen to that! It used to be much easier to follow the different threads that grew out of the topic.
Oh for the good ol' days....
Are you going to sit there and pretend that the gaint steaming comment about AGs not being impeachable isn't stinking up our nice clean MMFA family room?
Sir have you no shame?
Sorry AA, but you asked for this.
"Your lack of understanding becomes more apparent with each post."
Be Nice, KIng. AA has been designated the "Deputy Barney Fife" of MMFA, and is ferociously and daily protecting and maintaining that position. ;0D
Yeah, Worrier. Nip it. Nip it in the bud.
I humbly accept the correction. Egg on my face? I think so. Thanks to the Constitutional scholars for pointing out my error.
My apologies to Harle and Conley.
I humbly accept the correction. Egg on my face? I think so. Thanks to the Constitutional scholars for pointing out my error.
My apologies to Harle and Conley.
I was so sure of this fact that I did not bother to look it up. *sigh*
As I always say, It's hard to be humble unless you've been humiliated. Please pass the humble pie.
Class
I think this happens to everyone sometimes, and I'm glad to see AA respond.
Of course, if I was like Wesley, I would use this incident to hassle AA when he posts on any thread on any topic for the next year or so. I won't do that, and I don't think hardly any other liberal here will either.
Brab,
You are too kind. I'll buy the first round when we get our pictures on the cover of the Rolling Stone!
And I'll buy the first 5 copies for your mother...
It has certainly happened to me. I agree AA handled that with class
Great appology AA
Tommy I know you don't see the irony of your comment, but your could really learn a thing or 2 from AA.
With absolutely no intention of rubbing it in, I'm curious if you believed that because some pundit said it. Is this a result of conservative misinformation?
Sorry. No unimpeachable sources to list. The mistake was all mine I thought for sure that only elected officials and judges were impeachable. I guess I should have paid more attention in class.
Of course Thelma Lou had a lot to do with it too.
;-)
Cocaine Katie just filed for divorce, and demands custody of your jeans.
I'll have Daddy drive them over.
(Thanks for the laugh!)
We could all learn a lesson from AA with that comment in humility and honesty in our arguments. It makes for such better debate when we can rationally argue the issues, back up arguments, and admit mistakes. When it doesn't happen, the livelihood I mentioned to HBL turns into frustration and anger. Thanks, AA, for taking the high road.
Anyone for a couple of verses of "Kumbaya"?
Sorry, it's Friday and I'm in a good mood. I'm trying to shake off the anger at autopsychic from the Robertson post. My comments were based in my comparison of AA in this post and autopsychic in the other post. I'll cut it out with the sappiness now.
Sorry, I'm not trying to be a smartass. Civilized debate is no that common these days, and humlity and contrition are even more rare.
I just got a warm, fuzzy feeling all of a sudden.
Enough of this tranquility already. I'm bored. Where's Foser with this week's "Media Matters" column?
Good thing you didn't get that feeling in the middle of the night!
Anyone for a couple of verses of "Kumbaya"?
How about a group hug :-)
I always thought only elected officials and judges were impeachable so don't feel badly AA.
Kudos to the other posters here for also taking the high road and not dumping on AA.
This site, besides a great place to discuss, debate & argue issues also often expands one's knowledge.
Now how about we all have a cyber drink. It is Friday ;-)
Val...Packie run...Now!
And don't forget Pearlene's [box] of wine
Jeter, happy happy Friday.
AA, that was one classy apology (stole that from Tommy). I had no idea on the impeachment issue. I appreciate furthering my education.
Now since it's Friday and 106 in Las Vegas, I'll take my wine and a dip in the pool!
Sounds okay by me.
AA, wanna go up t'the fillin' station and get a bottle of pop?
Sure. Ya gotta dime I can borrow? I hope they still have grape Nehi!
I'll cover you today, AA. Good class begets good kindness. Do you like boddingtons?
Shazaam
Hahaha.... Speaking of class!
Instead of Lassie or whatever other "American" films they were contemplating sending to the ME to give folks there a better understanding of 'wholesome' America, maybe they should send episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. What country would feel threatened by Andy, Barnie, Aunt Bea, Opie, Gomer, Otis, etc...actually Floyd was bit scary...exclude episodes with him.
Last I heard, consistent with our current foreign policy, they decided instead to send over episodes of the Sopranos and the movie Goodfellas.
Thanks to all for pointing out the error, and special thanks to AA for that "classy" (ht/Tommy) apology - first time ever I have been apologized to when I have boldly provoked (attempted provocation is the same sin, right?) every right-wing poster in sight. Perhaps my view of eternal damnation for all beings has been too gloomy after all.
That's cool. One step at a time. ;-)
I'm proud of you AA. not only because you're willing to admit an error, but for sticking around afterwards.
Ditto AA, nuff said. Except for the worry of who nuff might be and why.
How long are we going to keep this non-news story going?
Let me translate from wingnutese. Stop talking about this obvious abuse of power and egregiously stupid political faux pas.
If I had a buck for every time I said something stupid (with great conviction) I'd be too rich to talk to you guys.
Yawn. I appreciate civility but this is a bit too much. I'm gonna find someone to argue with. ; )