Contempt Proceedings

14 Comments

1. 

   BooMan on July 25, 2007 at 12:43 pm

   The House Judiciary Committee has found Harriet Miers and current chief of staff to the president, John Bolten, in contempt of congress.  Jesus H. Christ.  And, now, it will go before the entire House.  

   What next?

   • 

     BrendaStewart on July 25, 2007 at 12:46 pm

     …as in committee, everyone will vote along party lines…I just hope they pull it off!  O cprrected the comtempt to contempt…hugs

   • 

     Man Eegee on July 25, 2007 at 12:50 pm

     From what I just read, the full House won’t take it up until after the August recess.  Why the eff would they wait?  Do they think Bush will suddenly have a change of heart?

     I say move it through now!

     Here’s Pelosi’s number:  (202) 225-0100
     Online form for email:  http://speaker.gov/contact/

     • 

       ejmw on July 25, 2007 at 1:02 pm

       The timing here is going to be interesting.  The Bush administration will fight this and want it to go to court because they want to stall investigations as much as possible…but on the other hand, they need to be in office if / when sentences are handed out so that they can commute jail time in exchange for silence.

       So, the Democrats may be pushing this off to make Miers and Bolten get just a wee bit nervous about the possibility of seeing the inside of a jail cell.

       • 

         Man Eegee on July 25, 2007 at 1:20 pm

         Interesting.  Poor Harriet – she went from SCOTUS nominee to this in no time.  Good.

         (hi!)

         • 

           ejmw on July 25, 2007 at 1:37 pm

           Maybe she’ll write a book someday.  That would be a treat.

           (Hola!)

       • 

         stormkite on July 25, 2007 at 1:21 pm

         they need to be in office if / when sentences are handed out so that they can commute jail time in exchange for silence.

         Not so.  Ford’s pardon of RMN established a precedent for the “indeterminate pardon.”  

         Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in* during the period from July (January) 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

         *italics mine

         Assuming arguendo that somehow the Shrubberies have actually been persuaded to leave office peacefully, I think we can expect to see blanket pardons for all Bush appointees or GOP officials “for any crimes they may have committed between October 31, 1999 and January 20, 2009 or related to actions taken during that period.”

         And I think we can expect that regardless of the state of any investigations at that time.  

         I think it’s more likely this is being put off in hopes that the public will be distracted by another missing blonde bimbo (or equivalent) so that they won’t actually have to address the issue at all….

         • 

           Steven D on July 25, 2007 at 1:27 pm

           True.

           Bush’s last act will be a blanket pre-emptive pardon of anyone and everyone who may have the dirt on his administration’s misrule.

         • 

           ejmw on July 25, 2007 at 1:36 pm

           I believe there’s a difference in what protections you can claim in further testimony after you’ve been pardoned vs. having part of a sentence commuted, but I’m not a lawyer.  I thought that had something to do with why Bush commuted Libby’s jail time instead of just pardoning him.

           The way I understand it, even if they’re pardoned for crimes committed during the entire reign of the Bush administration, the day he is out of office and they still haven’t shown up to testify before Congress, they’re still in contempt of congress and could be prosecuted as such.  Unless he’s going to write blanket pardons into the future, which I don’t believe there is precedent for but wouldn’t put past them to try.

         • 

           stormkite on July 25, 2007 at 2:45 pm

           Yup.  Commuted sentence means that threats of prosecution remain valid, thus Scooter can climb into a hole and pull the fifth amendment over himself.  A pardon wouldn’t allow that.

           However, a blanket pardon for everyone at the end of his term means the investigations will be, for all intents and purposes, moot.  Nobody will be left liable, nobody can be charged with anything and all the documents will be classified until the end of the world – in essence all the faits will be accompli‘d.

           And the D’s will announce “our long national nightmare is over” and go on to assume the quasi-dictatorial powers Shrub has left them to continue the conquest of the world.

2. 

   MikeInOhio on July 25, 2007 at 12:49 pm

   The AP reports, “a vote by the full House would most likely happen after Congress’ August recess.”

   (Sigh……..)
   Are you f&$#ing kidding me?

   • 

     Steven D on July 25, 2007 at 1:19 pm

     Nothing is more sacred to Congress than an August recess.  The shame is that while Congress moves like a slug, the court cases on these issues will move even slower.  They (Dem Leadership) obviously intend to drag this issue of contempt into the election cycle to be able flog the GOP over and over again with it.

     If they were serious, they could have taken this step 2 months ago, frankly.

3. 

   profmarcus on July 25, 2007 at 1:32 pm

   goddam it to hell (and, yes, i’m feeling VERY SHRILL!)…! we sit here and decry the iraqi parliament for taking august off and, while our constitution is in flames, our congress does the same exact goddam friggin’ thing…

   In a 22-17 vote, the House Judiciary Committee approved “a Resolution and Report Recommending to the House of Representatives that Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten be cited for Contempt of Congress.” The AP reports, “a vote by the full House would most likely happen after Congress’ August recess.”

   FORGET THE F***G RECESS!
   STICK TO YOUR JOBS AND PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION!

   besides, if you go into recess, bush is just going to slip through a big pile of recess appointments anyway...

   GET A FREAKIN’ CLUE, CONGRESS!
   THE COUNTRY IS AT STAKE!

4. 

   dada on July 25, 2007 at 4:54 pm

   don’t hold your breath. it doesn’t matter what happens with this, no prosecution will be forthcoming from DoJ:

   …If the citation passes the committee and then the full House by simple majorities, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi then would transfer it to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The man who holds that job, Jeff Taylor, is a Bush appointee.

   The Bush administration has made clear it would not let a contempt citation be prosecuted because the information and documents sought are protected by executive privilege.

   The Justice Department reiterated that position in a letter to Conyers on Tuesday. Brian A. Benczkowski, principal deputy assistant attorney general, cited the department’s “long-standing” position, “articulated during administrations of both parties, that the criminal contempt of Congress statute does not apply to the president or presidential subordinates who assert executive privilege.”

   Benczkowski said it also was the department’s view that the same position applies to Miers.

   […]

   via ap

   the only way this happens, is if they vote to prosecute inherent contempt, and the “trial” occurs in the house. l want to be a fly on the wall, preferably wearing body armor, when the sergeant at arms attempts to arrest miers and bolten.

   never.  gonna.  happen.

   theatre, and bad at that.

   lTMF’sA