House Moves On Contempt Proceedings Against Miers

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A House panel cleared the way Thursday for contempt proceedings against former White House counsel Harriet Miers after she obeyed President Bush and skipped a hearing on the firings of federal prosecutors.

Addressing the empty chair where Miers had been subpoenaed to testify, Rep. Linda Sanchez ruled out of order Bush's executive privilege claim that his former advisers are immune from being summoned before Congress.

The House Judiciary subcommittee that Sanchez chairs voted 7-5 to sustain her ruling. The next step would be for the full Judiciary Committee to issue a finding that Miers, Bush's longtime friend and former Supreme Court nominee, was in contempt. Ultimately, the full House would have to vote on any contempt citation.



Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/election/ci_6358293

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Go Linda Go!

Can you dig it???!!

[Skink]

2. Paging Scalia.

[aquart]

3. I look forward to that vote. Hope Harriet is.

Actually, I hope she's puking in a bucket and begging her doctor for pills.

[tridim]

5. Something about Harriet tells me that she doesn't have a strong "gut"

I'd bet her precious bodily fluids are coming out both ends explosively. Now she has five more days to worry about it.

Hey Harriet, your hero is a criminal. As a lawyer you should know that.

[aquart]

26. Wonder how they'll treat her in her fancy lawyer clubs.

Yeah, I hope it's coming out of both ends, too.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Nothing will come of it.

There is no national security, or advice to the busher concerned with this testimony. There is no reason he can say he has executive privlege...no way. If the congress does not site this bush ass kisser for contempt than they should just fold up shop. He is sitting on his toilet seat and smirking for all he is worth. Which by the way sure aint' much.

[tridim]

6. They did cite her with contempt of Congress. nt

[Gregorian]

7. I wonder if any of this will lead to Justice Roberts.

I'm just thinking out loud. Ignore me.

Of course it won't LEAD to him. But you know what I mean.

Since pretty much everything that has happened in this administration since 1999 has been illegal, maybe we'll discover that Roberts lied, etc.

[aquart]

27. We already know Roberts lied.

But since we're not Putin, he stays. The question for his tiny, narrow little mind is how much power he wants to give the NEXT president, who won't be a Republican.

[Gregorian]

31. Now that's an interesting thought. What goes around comes around.

There's always room for optimism. I'm finally learning that. But it's very hard to believe, most of the time.

I keep thinking about how this is going to end, and how America is going to heal. And the answer I come up with is candidates who come from the people. Not from the corporations.

[Demeter]

8. They MUST Do the Same With Bush

Since he gave the orders. He is a felon now by law.

[Harry Monroe]

10. I agree

Unless I'm mistaken, advising someone to ignore a subpoena is also against the law. Goddamn it, what is it going to take for this country to wake up!!!!

[mvd]

15. Indeed - that's where they should focus next

So sad that there could be so many other Repukes that don't care about the rule of law that the full House vote could mean defeat.

[Harry Monroe]

9. "She obeyed President Bush and skipped a hearing..."

So we now have Administration officials obeying their Fuhrer instead of the law. How sad and tragic.

I am not optimistic about her being held in contempt since it will take the full House to vote on the citation. If this is voted down, I will have completely lost faith in what little democracy we have left. Then we should take to storming the White House and Capitol Hill and take our government back from these fascists.

[eleny]

11. Hey Harriet, how do you like your place in history now?

Even so far, this is a blot on her name forever. Just desserts.

[MilesColtrane]

12. Sorry to say it, but by the time this gets to the Supreme Court...

...Bush will be out of office.

Those fuckers have determined to stonewall and run out the clock on their crimes and the war.

[thereismore]

13. In some cases the Supremes move with lightning speed. See: Bush v Gore. nt

[mvd]

14. YEA!

Contempt is needed just to prove a point and preserve a morsel of the separation of powers. Go Linda! :toast:

[pinto]

16. Rep. Sanchez is on the mark. And addressing the empty chair was great political theater. Kudos.

:thumbsup:

[ckramer]

17. House panel rejects Bush privilege claim (showdown)

Source: YN

Over the strenuous objections of Republicans, a subcommittee cleared the way for contempt proceedings by voting 7-5 to reject Bush's claim of executive privilege. He says his top advisers, whether current or former, cannot be summoned by Congress.

"Those claims are not legally valid," Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., said of Bush's declaration. "Ms. Miers is required pursuant to the subpoena to be here now."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070712/ap_on_go_co/fired_prosecutors;_ylt=Aj72gw10e.Soxc5rFctrRE2s0NUE

---

Come on let's have a fight!

[cui bono]

18. Oh yeah baby!

:headbang:

[Alexander]

19. Hold the bastards in contempt.

Their flagrant violations of the law must end.

[stressfulreality]

34. and i'm praying for just that. nt

[Donnachaidh]

20. Can you list the 5 who voted against the measure?

We need to turn up the HEAT under their behinds. Point out that they are aiding and abetting the obstruction of justice.

They need to be remind WHO they actually work for. :grr:

[LiberalFighter]

22. That's the problem... they believe their duty is to Republican leaders

[chelsea0011]

21. repukes can't believe there is oversight in government for a change

[burrowowl]

23. Go Sanchez! From the

Free City of El Paso, Texas. City of my birth and Loretto Academy where Sister Alburt, our history teacher said invading Vietnam was idiocy and unjust! And that the reason (and she laid out all the reasons, including mineral deposits and the off-shore oil, this from 1963-4) was trumped up!

[reprobate]

24. It's unnecessary to get the courts involved or even the justice dept.

Congress has the power of "Inherent Contempt". It's not used very often - the last time in 1934. In fact most congress critters aren't even aware of it. I only learned of it from listening to Randi Rhodes.

Inherent Contempt empowers the chairman of a committee to issue contempt carges against someone they feel is in contempt by issuing orders to the Sargent of Arms in cooperation with the capital police to arrest that person. After the arrest the entire House or Senate will hold a trial to determine if the contempt charge will be sustained.

If contempt charges are upheld by the entire body, the person can be imprisoned until he/she obeys the orders of congress, or until the next session of congress. That can be up to two years. And it's beyond a presidential pardon.

Call your congresscritter and demand that Inherent Contempt be used on Myers, Gonzo, Rove, etc.

[mvd]

30. Thanks - good explanation

The arrest might scare Miers enough into actually obeying the law instead of the pResident.

[radfringe]

25. good, but I'm not holding my breath

the growth of a spine has been seen before, but so far it has failed to mature beyond a Zygote stage

the SUB-committee votes went along party lines, now it moves to the full committee (members list: http://judiciary.house.gov/CommitteeMembership.aspx )

there are 23 democrats, 17 republics on the full committee. It's pretty much a done deal that the 17 republics will vote no on the contempt proceedings.

the question is how many of the dems will vote for the contempt proceedings - should it even get to a committee vote?

[yodermon]

28. After the full House votes, what then?

Does it go to the Senate, or is it directly delivered to the US Attorney in DC for a Grand Jury to return an indictment?
Details details.

[KalicoKitty]

29. Thank you, Rep. Linda Sanchez

[ProudDad]

32. I love this kind of theater

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/07/13/panel_starts_contempt_action_against_miers/

[trashcanistanista]

33. First she "coulda been a contender"

for the SCOTUS, next thing she knows, she's sitting in a jail cell, hopefully disbarred. She is a piece of trash and a disgrace to the country and the profession. I say lock her up!