BUSH AND CHENEY ABOVE THE LAW?

Will Congress have guts enough to stand up against the most unpopular president ever?

Subpoenas were sent to Bush demanding documents from former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor with regard to the firings of federal prosecutors.

Democrats say the firings of the prosecutors were an example of improper political influence. The White House say U.S. Attorneys are political appointees who can be hired and fired at the president’s pleasure.

Thursday was the deadline for turning over the documents and Bush with his usual in-your-face attitude, cited executive privilege and refused to comply with the subpoenas saying he would not turn over any documents containing communications between the White House and Harriet Miers or Sara Taylor. He also said the neither of the two women would testify next month as directed in the subpoenas.

Congress and Bush are now headed toward a constitutional showdown. This should be a very telling confrontation, It could end up with House and Senate contempt citations and a battle in federal court over separation of powers, but I am afraid Congress will be the first to blink as they always have in the past.

The two chairmen of the investigating committees vowed to push forward with their demands.

In his letter, White House counsel Fred Fielding explained Bush's position on executive privilege this way: “Blah,blah, executive privilege, blah”

"Increasingly, the president and vice president feel they are above the law," said Democratic Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy.

His House counterpart, Judiciary Democratic Chairman John Conyers said Bush's assertion of executive privilege was "unprecedented in its breadth and scope" and displayed "an appalling disregard for the right of the people to know what is going on in their government."

Cheney was also subpoenaed along with Bush for documents pertaining to the warrant-less eavesdropping. They have also ignored its demands.

The White House declared it “Outrageous”.

I hope things will start popping, but I really doubt it.

The California Curmudgeon