House Committee OKs Contempt Citations for 2 White House Aides in Prosecutors Firings Flap

Fox News ^ | 25 July 07 | AP

[stm]

WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee voted contempt of Congress citations Wednesday against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and President Bush's former legal counselor, Harriet Miers.

The 22-17 party-line vote — which would sanction for pair for failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors — advanced the citation to the full House.

A senior Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the House itself likely would take up the citations after Congress' August recess. The official declined to speak on the record because no date had been set for the House vote.

Committee Chairman John Conyers said the panel had nothing to lose by advancing the citations because it could not allow presidential aides to flout Congress' authority. Republicans warned that a contempt citation would lose in federal court even if it got that far.

And the White House accused the Democrats of engaging in political theater.

"Now we have a situation where there is an attempt to do something that's never been done in American history, which is to assail the concept of executive privilege which hails back to the administration of George Washington and in particular to use criminal contempt charges against the White House chief of staff and the White House legal counsel," said White House Spokesman Tony Snow.

[stm]

According to the latest polls, about 86% of Americans are in contempt of Congress as well.

These people have no idea just how pathetic and impotent they really are.

[in hoc signo vinces]

Ahhhh...the Dems and their tireless efforts to manufacture a scandal...

I suppose it’s payback for Clinton’s impeachment...etc...though pay no minde that the Clinton administration was mired in “real” scandal...

*sigh* How about a benevolent military coup of congress?

[in hoc signo vinces]

minde= mind...duh...most...drink...more...coffee...

[muawiyah]

Part of the problem is the inability of the Democrats to deal with a macho man like Bolton.

He's just beyond them.

Just watch ~ he wiggles his moustache and the Dems drop their bloomers.

[antiRepublicrat]

"Now we have a situation where there is an attempt to do something that's never been done in American history, which is to assail the concept of executive privilege which hails back to the administration of George Washington

Tony is full of it. From another thread:

Q: Is the contempt of Congress power used often in fights between the legislative branch and the executive branch?

A: Since 1975, 10 Cabinet level or senior executive officials have been cited for contempt for failure to produce subpoenaed documents. The 10 officials are Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Commerce Secretary Rogers C. B. Morton in 1975; Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr., in 1978; Energy Secretary Charles Duncan in 1980; Energy Secretary James B. Edwards in 1981; Interior Secretary James Watt in 1982; EPA Administrator Anne Gorsuch, known as Anne Gorsuch Burford after a 1983 marriage, and Attorney General William French Smith in 1983; White House Counsel John M. Quinn in 1996; and Attorney General Janet Reno in 1998.

[Seeking the truth]

It's Josh Bolton, the WH Chief of Staff, that they want.

[Dark Knight]

Nice man Josh Bolton, but no mustache!

DK

[jootz]

Hahahaha, the do nothing congress tries to play cops and robbers. You keep issuing worthless citations, tickets and contempt charges and we’ll just keep vetoing them. I can’t for 2008 when we take back the house and the senate.