Congress will interview Rove and Miers . . . but not under oath.

[gonzomax]

On Lehrer report they said 47 times Clintons people were under oath and with transcripts. They seemed to recognize the president and his people were not above the law.

[Liberal]

@Polycarp

Lib, I truly hate to steal the thunder of your masterly sardonic post, but you know damn well that every time that gets brought up, some rock-ribbed Republican will pop up to note that he was impeached, not for the blow job, but for lying about it under oath. I trust the relevance to the issue of the circumstances under which Rove and Miers are willing to testify is fairly clear?

I would recommend a War on Corruption if I weren’t afraid it would have the same success as the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, and the War on Poverty.

[BrainGlutton]

Two relevant GD threads.

[Guinastasia]

@Liberal

Yeah, but Clinton got a blow job.

Why do you hate America?

[BrainGlutton]

@Polycarp

Lib, I truly hate to steal the thunder of your masterly sardonic post, but you know damn well that every time that gets brought up, some rock-ribbed Republican will pop up to note that he was impeached, not for the blow job, but for lying about it under oath. I trust the relevance to the issue of the circumstances under which Rove and Miers are willing to testify is fairly clear?

By the way, would somebody hand Fielding a copy of the Constitution, and suggest he read what the Supreme Law of the Land has to say about (a) the powers of the Congress (cf. Article I) and (b) the powers of the Counsel to the President and his political and tighty-rightie advisors (uh, my copy doesn’t seem to have any definition of those offices in it).

In short, Fielding doesn’t get to choose whether they testify under oath, Bush doesn’t get to choose whether they testify under oath, the Congressional committee is the group that gets to choose whether they testify under oath.

Well, unfortunately, there’s also that thorny little doctrine of executive privilege.

[kaylasdad99]

@Liberal

I would recommend a War on Corruption if I weren’t afraid it would have the same success as the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, and the War on Poverty.

Well, Crazy Eddie is pretty effective with his WAR ON HIGH STEREO PRICES!!!

Maybe we could just turn it over to him…

[Lord_Ashtar]

@Maureen

“My lawyers said they don’t have to talk to you! You’re all just mean, and I’m gonna tell everybody you’re bad and not to vote for you!”

As I read this, I heard it in Jon Stewart’s voice doing his GWB impression.

[Voyager]

@Squink

But did you see Bush’s announcement? He was MAD.
All must Quail before the power of an Angry President!

Isn’t that Quayle?

And of course Bush likes private interviews, not under oath. It worked so well for the 9/11 commission.

<Jon Stewart>
I sat on Dick’s lap, and made my mouth move while I pretended to talk.

heh heh heh
</Jon>

[Merijeek]

@Squink

But did you see Bush’s announcement? He was MAD.
All must Quail before the power of an Angry President!

You mean “Quayle before the power of an Angry President!”?

-Joe

[BrainGlutton]

Well, it looks like what we have here is a constitutional showdown:

A defiant President Bush warned Democrats Tuesday to accept his offer to have top aides testify about the firings of federal prosecutors only privately and not under oath or risk a constitutional showdown from which he would not back down.

Democrats’ response to his proposal was swift and firm: They said they would start authorizing subpoenas as soon as Wednesday for the White House aides.

“Testimony should be on the record and under oath. That’s the formula for true accountability,” said Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Go into your corners and come out fighting!

[Shayna]

Bush, in a late-afternoon statement at the White House, said, "We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants. … "

This fucking prick just makes me seethe with fury. He sure as hell went along with the partisan swiftboat-fishing expedition aimed at the honorable public servant, John Kerry when it served his purpose.

The loathing I have for this man knows no bounds.

[Captain_Carrot]

I just started laughing when I read the phrase ‘honorable public servants’. Karl Rove an honorable anything, let alone servant? Excuse me while I wipe tears of mirth from my eyes…

[Merijeek]

@Shayna

The loathing I have for this man knows no bounds.

So, is that a possible “no” to having a beer with him?

-Joe

[OttoDaFe]

Sam Ervin, when presented with the same proposal for testimony before the Watergate Select Committee:

“Divine right went out with the American Revolution and doesn’t belong to White House aides. ‘What meat do they eat that makes them grow so great?’ I am not willing to elevate them to a position above the great mass of the American people. I don’t think we have any such thing as royalty or nobility that exempts them. I’m not going to let anybody come down at night like Nicodemus and whisper something in my ear that no one else can hear. That is not executive privilege. It is executive poppycock.”

Senator Sam got his way — Nixon’s aides testified in public and under oath. Let’s hope that Schumer can pull it off as well,

[drm]

@Shayna

This fucking prick just makes me seethe with fury. He sure as hell went along with the partisan swiftboat-fishing expedition aimed at the honorable public servant, John Kerry when it served his purpose.

The loathing I have for this man knows no bounds.

Ditto, and this specific incident just tore it for me for some reason. From here on in I’ll be surprised at nothing that comes out of that administration. In any other universe I’d be weeping that I have Stephen Harper as PM but I inevitably compare him to Bush and think, “meh, could be worse.”

[Duckster]

When discussion arose surrounding civil liberties, the necon response was, “What are you afraid of? What have you got to hide if you’ve done nothing wrong?”

Mr. President?

“What are you afraid of? What have you got to hide if you’ve done nothing wrong?”

[Polycarp]

@Liberal

I would recommend a War on Corruption if I weren’t afraid it would have the same success as the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, and the War on Poverty.

I’d strongly support a War on Declaring Wars on Abstract Concepts!

[Frostillicus]

In Karl Rove’s defense, he cannot safely testify under oath, since he would immediately burst into flames upon laying his hand on a Bible.

[wring]

@Frostillicus

In Karl Rove’s defense, he cannot safely testify under oath, since he would immediately burst into flames upon laying his hand on a Bible.

but would flames hurt the Anti -Christ?

[jayjay]

We need another independent prosecutor law enacted. The problem with a contempt of Congress charge is that the DoJ has to execute it…I don’t see that happening…