Two weeks ago, the House took a bold step demanding accountability for the Bush/Cheney Administration by holding former White House Council Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten in Contempt of Congress for blatantly ignoring congressional subpoenas for over 8 months.
Though it was not a surprise, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, wrote a letter to the House of Representatives stating that he refuses to call a Grand Jury to enforce those contempt citations.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Judiciary Chairman Conyers have smartly decided to pursue a civil lawsuit to force Bolton and Miers to appear before Congress. We should pursue a lawsuit – but I think we can do even more.
While a court may order – months from now –that Miers and Bolten must appear before Congress, by then George Bush and Dick Cheney will have largely accomplished their goal of running out the clock on the investigation into this Administration's politicization of the Justice Department. Even a successful outcome in federal court might only mandate that they appear, at which time the witnesses are likely simply to continue their obfuscation by claiming executive privilege of the 5th Amendment in person.
The House of Representatives must re-establish its legitimate rights as a co-equal branch of government. Congress cannot allow its power to be summarily ignored and justice delayed.
The House was correct to hold these renegade White House officials in contempt, and much credit should be given to Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Conyers for pushing for that outcome. Now, we must go further: The House must immediately consider taking the following actions:
- Initiating impeachment hearings that would likely break through the reckless claims of executive privilege made by the Bush Administration.
- Approve a resolution that calls for an inherent contempt citation which would give the House Sergeant at Arms the power to bring Miers and Bolton before Congress.
As you may know, 17 of my colleagues, including four of my fellow members of the Judiciary Committee have joined my call for impeachment hearings.
This is not an issue between Democrats and Republicans. As members of Congress, we have an absolute duty to enforce the checks and balances prescribed by our Constitution.
We have ceded too much for too long, enabling George W. Bush to assume a unitary imperial Presidency. It is long past time to secure accountability for those who have, by all appearances, committed significant breaches of our laws and trust.
Mukasey's claims are simply the latest in a long line of outlandish legal arguments ranging from the idea that we can selectively cherry-pick from torture laws to the concept that the Vice President is no longer part of the Executive Branch (except, of course, when he needs to claim Executive Privilege).
Over the past months, I have received tens of thousands of emails and letters from you expressing your great support for my efforts. Your encouragement and activism on these causes are much appreciated. I continue to work hard on your behalf and hope you feel these updates are valuable.
Robert Wexler is a Democratic congressman representing South Florida's 19th district, serving his sixth term in the House of Representatives. He has earned a reputation as a straight-forward and articulate legislator who energetically advocates for his constituents. Wexler has been named one of the "50 Most Effective Legislators in Congress," by the influential magazine Congressional Quarterly and was named to the Forward 50 list as one of the most influential leaders in the American Jewish community... Read Robert's full biography
Congressman Wexler sits on three committees: the House Commitee on Foreign Affairs, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe; the House Judiciary Commitee; and the House Committee on Financial Services
If Bush/Cheney's web of deceit is not brought forth
in impeachment hearings....Dem's run the risk of again losing to the "fear" card. If American citizens were able to see the lies and cover-ups that this administration used, to control the minds and votes of citizens...perhaps Americans could again make informed choices..instead of bad choices based on fear of global Islamic terrorists...bring on the hearings, lets get to the whole truth and stop this control by fear.... come to think of it..is this why the Dems won't investigate...they think its their turn to rule by fear...?
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Susan Nelsen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 252 comments)
on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 1:38:00 PM
Millions of Americans have been calling for impeachment for a long time, Rep. Wexler and I admire you for pushing the issue in the HR....BUT-- I wonder why you praise Speaker Pelosi so highly since she is the person who took impeachment off the table from the start of the movement to take these criminals in the WH down to where they belong--under oath and before a jury of their peers. Get going! Ms. Pelosi shouldn't have to get her butt kissed to do her job defending the Constitution!
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Papawhale (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments)
on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 5:27:59 PM
Wexler is beginning to sound like part of the problem, which is a pack of ass-kissing Democrats — the entire lot of them. For all the good he has undeniably done, I'm starting to wonder if this is merely a pacification process underway, to keep the remaining disaffection at a low simmer, until the time has fully passed for it to do any good at all.
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Irvthom (6 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 82 comments)
on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 11:46:07 PM
and far, far too late as well. It will be a simple matter for this administration to run out the clock now, a fact that Rep. Wexler is very aware of I fear. The time to address constitutional violations is immediately as they occur. The time to stand ones ground against a bully is while that bully is still in the damn room, not as he is packing his things to go home.
I picture these last ditch attempts as more because the poor democratic legislators have gotten their noses rubbed in the dirt by the administration than because of any sort of sincerity to actually impeach. There you stand, Congressman, nose bloody, bully long gone, shaking your fist saying,"dont come back or else". Sorry but pathetic and , as I noted earlier, far, far too late, either to redress the wrongs committed by the Bush administration or to salvage any vestige of pride or ethics.
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ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2388 comments)
on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 6:04:08 PM
Can you say: Dog & Pony Show? I knew you could ...
One of the methods used to demoralize the masses is to constantly bring their hopes up and continually bash them down.
If anyone of us had committed 1/10th the crimes committed so blatantly by these criminals we would have already been serving time. We have to at some time come to the clarity that the system is so corrupt as to be unrepairable through so-called normal channels.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable." John F. Kennedy
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Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 1254 comments)
on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 9:17:19 PM
