Washington D.C.--We all know that the Bush administration is already refusing to allow any of their appointees to prosecute any Bush aide--former-or-standing. But if Jeffrey A. Taylor refuses to under orders from the president, he's committing a federal felony. The problem is--Bush can pardon him, or commute his sentence. Congress might consider this: it's time to end the Excutive power of commutation and pardons.
In a recent Justice Dept. letter, the Bush administration has made it clear that they'll order Taylor to do just-that. This should be a clue to Congress that the U.S. Attorney scandal is 100% real, and that appointments and any statements by the administration and her servants is going to be self-serving, or a blatant-lie. This is why they won't testify under oath, excepting AG Alberto Gonzales, but he's not exactly telling anyone anything of substance at the hearings. Eventually, he's going to be cited for contempt too, and several others will be feeling this heat.
Democrats rejected Fielding's "take-it-or-leave-it" offer and advised lawyers for Miers and Bolten that they were in danger of being held in contempt of Congress. 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 [Ed.-Currently prosecuting Jeane Palfrey], 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. Contempt of Congress is a federal crime, but a sitting president has the authority to commute the sentence or pardon anyone convicted or accuses of any federal crime. (AP, 07.25.2007)
The Bush statement is essentially a declaration of Monarchism. If Congress doesn't do something substantial, other routes are going to be taken by the public when the fallout begins. At that point, there's no more democracy, and the mask is off. The myth of democracy has been crucial towards social control in the United States, and when it's gone, most forms of rule are going to be extremely difficult. As one could imagine, this isn't necessarily good for American elites, since a national upheaval of some sort would be almost certain when the president decided to truly flex his new-found powers (and he has, and will).
What's astonishing is: the public doesn't get it, they don't realize how genuine the threat is. Many still believe we have to fight the war on terror, and that it's working...when it's clearly not-working. Certainly, the majority dislikes the president and the job he's done on this nation--the illegal Iraq war, the illegal invasion of Afghanistan, his bungling on 9/11 (just starting to get that one), illegal wiretapping, his ongoing bungling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina damage, his tax-cuts for the rich, rigged elections, the Plame scandal, and-on-and-on-and-on.
It's nearly endless what he's guilty of, and he's even admitted systematically violating hundreds of federal laws. It has to be said that the GOP is the party of lawlessness and subversion, and it's time to shutter them, breaking them into several parties. Only radical reform will fix the mess made by the Bush administration. What's amazing is that their votes are counted in Congress at all after what they've tried to pull: an overturning of American democracy, and they're still trying to do it. Contempt citations can only be the beginning, it's time for real criminal investigations and hearings. House Judiciary Chair John Conyers is only three-votes-away from beginning impeachment proceedings against Vice President Richard Cheney. Start calling you representatives right-now, and give them hell-on-earth.
What's galling is, the vote today is just to approve the measure, not the full House vote. Democrats want to wait until after Congress's August recess, as though this can really wait that long. Perhaps they're waiting for things to truly disintegrate in Iraq? That's a very serious gamble with out lives and our collective-destinies. Consider the fact that two former Reagan administration officials have gone on-the-record as saying they felt the Bush administration was constructing a "police state," then it might behoove us to listen, and to act. It's of crucial importance that we all stay within the law, and let those who would back this commit the crimes. If the courts won't fix it, then the cataclysm is here, and the American experiment is over. What Congress needs to do is to create a new remedy for this situation, possibly through legislation.
Our political system is obviously broken, and new safeguards have to be created to rein-in similar excesses coming from any future president. But prosecuting the administration in civil court could be another option, one that Rep. Conyers is considering. Deeper investigations into "voter caging-lists," and the administration's politically selective (partisan) investigations could also serve in downing a criminal government. Frankly, there's so much to prosecute the Bush administration for, it's possible that the wrong route is being taken. The time has come for an independent investigation.
AP Today: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070725/D8QJMBVG0.html
The House Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.house.gov/
Marie Cocco's opinion piece: http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/287283.html
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