I keep hearing that the coming clash between the Administration and Congress over the subpoenas of Rove and Meirs will end up in the courts. But I’m a little confused as to how and by whom an action would be brought against the Administration. Congress would need a US Attorney to agree to prosecute, right? The same US Attorneys that are appointed by the Administration? Or would Congress pass a bill to charge the Administration with contempt? Could the President veto it?
The point of the U.S. Department of Justice is that it is supposed to be above politics. Same with the various US Attorneys.
In reality there will be plenty of political pressure on the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeffery A. Taylor. I don’t envy the position he’ll be in. Though the news shows have indicated that some solution will be worked out before it goes to court, so we’ll see. That seems to be the way it usually plays out in this dangerous game of chicken.
In any case, Congress doesn’t do this with a bill, so no veto is possible.
Every time I read one of today’s apocalyptic ‘constitutional crisis’ headlines, or saw some breathless bubblehead presaging doom over the news channels, I thought of this little song.
We worked it all out with Nixon, Reagan and Clinton. It’ll get dealt with this time as well.