Democrats Pass Contempt, Republicans Leave the Room

12:45 Michael Arcuri says this is about whether we have laws in this country. Is the Constitution going to be followed? he asks. Well, not if he doesn't back impeachment hearings.

12:46 Lundgren again complains there's not enough time to talk about the substance of the issues, and then proceeds to talk about the need to get immunity to criminal telecoms.

12:49 Linda Sanchez, Chair of the Subcommittee, says that since last March she and Conyers have sought documents and testimony from the White House related to the firings of U.S. Attorneys with no cooperation from the White House. She uses the term "Nixonian." The assertions of executive privilege are improper and not legal, she says. If the executive branch is allowed to simply ignore subpoenas, she says, we will have abdicated our role of oversight. (Sadly, that's already been done by taking impeachment off the table).

12:52 Chris Cannon, ranking Republican on the subcommittee, claims he cares about the rights of Congress. He asks Conyers why these subpoenas are needed, claiming there is no evidence of any involvement by Miers or Bolten.

12:56 Conyers replies that he has no evidence and has made no accusations, and is seeking information in order to exercise oversight on the question of whether the DOJ has been politicized.

12:57 John Yarmuth says the Democrats were elected in 2006 in order to restore the checks and balances of the Constitution and hold the President accountable. He debunks the myth that the election was entirely about the war. But he refuses to use the word he must have in mind, the word people were shouting so loudly: impeachment! If we don't challenge the president on this issue we will have surrendered our prerogatives and that is the worst fate, he says, adding that Congress's low approval rating is not do to Congress doing too much but to its doing too little to reinstate the Constitution.

1:00 Steve Chabot is not even pretending to talk about the motion on the table. He's just pushing the immunization of criminal violators of the 4th Amendment.

1:02 Conyers now says he has 100 pages of wrong-doing by the DOJ, including possibility that decisions to fire or retain US Attorneys were based on the partisan politics of their prosecutions, and the possibility of lies to Congress.

1:04 Betty Sutton is shouting about the Constitutional responsibility to pursue this. But she does not support impeachment hearings. In fact, they have not allowed a single supporter of impeachment to speak.

1:06 I take it back. Steve Cohen is now denouncing Miers' refusal to appear when subpoenaed. "There is no such thing as an imperial presidency, and no one is above the law."

1:07 Wexler: No one is immune from the rule of law: Miers, Bolten, Bush, and Cheney! Not since Watergate has a prez so openly disregarded the will of Congress. (He's rolling!) The power of the Congressional subpoena safeguards our liberty. It protects against an all powerful president. Wexler closed by speaking of upholding the Constitution. The speaker then admonished him or someone for wearing a "communicative badge." I did not see what Wexler or anyone else was wearing.

Wexler video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYGhzqZFh80

1:10 Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, arrogant opponent of impeachment, favors passing contempt and says "Enough is enough." (My sentiments exactly, Debbie. Get it together.)

1:11 Shiela Jackson-Lee and W-Shultz both refer to the "equal" branch of government. Have they read the Constitution? She says Conyers has the patience of Job. (And look how that worked out for him.) Let the Constitution stand, she concludes.

1:12 Diaz-Balart is repeating himself with the same complaint about not getting a chance to debate the substance, a topic he continues to scrupulously avoid. He then proposes to adjourn and request a quorum for the vote. This will kill 15 minutes.

DRAMATIC CLIMAX

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