Just out from Waxman’s office. A letter [PDF] to House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairs Conyres and Leahy disputing Bush’s contention yesterday that he is giving Congress “unprecedented” access to White House information and officials.
The letter begins this way…
Yesterday President Bush asserted that the White House would give Congress “unprecedented” access to information regarding the Administration’s recent dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. This statement is misinformed. As you continue discussions with the White House regarding your investigation of the U.S. Attorneys matter, I wanted to bring to your attention relevant precedent.
The President said yesterday that he would not allow White House aides including Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove, former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, deputy counsel William Kelley, and political aide J. Scott Jennings testify under oath and on the record about the dismissal of the U.S. Attorneys. Contrary to the President’s contention, there is extensive precedent for officials in these positions to appear before Congress.
When Republicans controlled Congress during the Clinton Administration, they routinely insisted that White House officials appear before Congress. During the prior Administration, a series of White House Counsels testified to congressional committees publicly and under oath:
Click here for the full letter [PDF], which outlines not only numerous White House officials who testified under oath before Congressional committees during the Clinton Administration, but even Bush Administration officials who were allowed to do so, as recently as last week!
This page at the House Oversight Committee has links to additional info and reports on the matter.
They can’t overcome their delusions even when it involves one person, so I suppose we are asking too much for them to figure it out when multiple persons are involved.
Valerie Wilson was covert … according to her and according to the head of the CIA.
But they could not figure that out … even after several years and even after it was not debatable.
So here we have something involving more than one person … they will never overcome their delusions in these circumstances.
The courts will have to grab them by the ear and take them over to the woodshed to talk with Rep. Conyers and Sen. Leahy.
It figures.
THANK GOD!
They voted to serve the subpoenas to Rove and Meyers! I don’t have to quit the Democratic party just yet.
That leaves that little problem of Roberts and Alito being appointed to the Supreme Court by an illegitimate president and a non-existent opposition party.
I think Tom Delay smugly said it would take about two years for it to even get to the Supreme Court on “Hardball” today. Can somebody get this sleazeball of my television. Please! Is Jack Abramoff going to be giving his views on the war next Sunday morning on “Meet The Press?”
I hate this!
Larry #2
The house subcommittee has voted to seek subpoenas. But I think they will wait.
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on issuing subpoenas to Rove, Miers, et al.
… and since there is a majority of votes in favor of subpoenas … I expect them to do the same today.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has much more whumpf than the House subcommittee, in this case, because several of them are ex-prosecutors.
John Dean was on “Countdown” tonight saying something to the effect of ‘Bush is going to have to save his manhood, which should be thrilling.’ 🙂