Harriet Miers to show up?

Posted: Monday, July 09, 2007 3:53 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, Congress

From NBC's Mike Viqueira

Democrats involved with the two Hill investigations into the firing of the federal prosecutors are insisting that former White House aides Sara Taylor and Harriet Miers show up as requested this week at hearings -- regardless of today's claim of executive privilege.

Their arguments can be summarized like this:
-- The subpoena requires two things: 1) to show up and 2) to testify. Invoking privilege does not excuse a subpoenaed witness from appearing. The House Judiciary is telling Miers to show up no matter what, and they are proceeding as if she will. She is due before House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Taylor was summoned to appear Wednesday before the Senate committee.
-- Privilege would be properly invoked when the witness was asked specific questions during testimony.
-- The White House is motivated by a desire avoid a picture of Taylor and Miers before the committee, being sworn in and invoking privilege.
-- The documents requested do not fit into a claim of executive privilege, which pertain to the president's decision-making process. "However, numerous witnesses before both House and Senate Committees have testified that the President did not decide which U.S. Attorneys should be fired," the Senate committee asserts.

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Comments

"Where is all the knowledge we lost with information."-T.S. Eliot

Desmond (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:07 PM)

They shouldn't appear at political show trial. What's the point?

Bush Republican (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:08 PM)

impeach GW Bush now!!

James Dunn, Savoy,Illinois (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:29 PM)

LET'S SUPOENA BUSH.

JOHNNY JUSTICE ANYWHERE USA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:31 PM)

we know the decider did not pull the strings, the question is did rover or chain saw pull the strings?

TEC-Spring-TX (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:55 PM)

The only reason not to testify would be if it would result in revelaing the identity of a CIA agent...oops, already done that...gee, I guess there is no rational reason not to testify.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 4:56 PM)

The Clinton impeachment was a political show trial. The hearings this week are looking into questionable actions by the executive. The Bush claim of executive privilege does not excuse Miers and Taylor from appearing before the committee's under subpoena. If they wish they can claim executive privilege at the time questions are asked. Bush has spent all of his political capital. It is time to remind him of the limits of Presidential power. This, in the end, will be settled in courts. Given the current composition of the Supreme Court, what is Bush afraid of? Answer: the truth!

Gary, Franklin, WI (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:04 PM)

We have a criminal administration that has shown nothing but contempt for our democracy headed by Dick Cheney with a willing stooge placed in front of him for show called George Bush. They have packed the supreme court in their favor and does anyone think that wasn't to help them just in case some form of accountability for their crimes occured. They need to be removed and indicted to save our democracy.

Don Knutsen, Anacortes, WA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:05 PM)

This is all about keeping the lid on the real effort by this admin. ( Karl Rove ) to commit the biggest election fraud in our history..taht is why these attorneys were replaced, because they were the few appointed republicans who still believed in a non-partisan judiciary. These criminals in the white house will do anything to avoid that fact coming to lite because it is a federal crime, even when the emporer of the America commits it.

Don Knutsen (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:08 PM)

I wonder if'n we'll see Jerry CC or Dave TN or Bush Repub sign off on air when it starts to get really bad. That's the only reason I'm on these boards is to witness the abuse these boney's endure

Greg R, Spokane, WA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:20 PM)

Bush has at least learned one lesson from the Libby case. If his aides don't testify under oath in a court of law, then they can't be charged with perjury. Of course, even if they do testify under oath, and lie, and are convicted of perjury, Bush can still decide to commute the sentence, or at his discretion, pardon the crime. So, if Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor are "aide"s and are exempt from testifying under oath, then couldn't Monica Lewinsky also be considered an "aide" and should not have been required to testify under oath? By those rules, then the whole Clinton "impeachment" was improper and should be struck from the history books. Or do we have different laws for Republican administrations than for Democratic administrations???

Jael, downstate Illinois (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:25 PM)

Remove them ASAP. They are not above the LAW. Convenience is what his law is.

Carmen - Colorado (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:25 PM)

I think rather than this being settled in the courts (because we all know how much respect for courts that the Republicans have...) this will go to impeachment. The Senate won't have the votes for conviction but I think it's important to show people the price of voting Republican.

John Doe, The Peanut Gallery (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:27 PM)

Impeachment would solve many of America's problems very, very quickly. First Cheney, then Bush.

Let's send those lawless, lying thugs to jail.

Joe Doaks, Minneapolis, MN (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:31 PM)

I noticed the first 100 hours of the Pelosi administration is now into it's sixth month. Still planning on getting anything passed nancy? Still waiting for proof of impeachment, all of you begging for impeachment are going to be throwing yourselves off of buildings when it will never happen.

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:46 PM)

In defence of clueless, ignorant rednecks, they're not all as shallow and stupid as the ones on this blog.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 5:54 PM)

This all sounds so familiar. Once again, the hypocrisy of all politicians is on display. President Bush invokes "executive privilege"...Dems are up in arms over it and Reps think it's his right. Former President Clinton apparently invoked "executive privelege" 14 times during his Presidency. And surprisingly, Reps were up in arms over it and Dems thought it was his right. Saying that only one party is being hypocritical in this debate is plain wrong. Both parties will do and say whatever is to their advantage at the time. And politicians wonder why we hold them in such low regard!

Frank "Grimey" Grimes, Springfield, USA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 6:18 PM)

From the Washington Post, 26 Apr 07: "A Democratic committee aide rejected that assertion [that senior advisors to the President don't testify to Congress], providing a lengthy list of White House aides, including chiefs of staffs, senior advisers and counsels, who provided testimony to the GOP-run oversight committee during the Clinton administration."

If the law applied to Pres. Clinton, it must apply to Pres. Bush. We are, after all, a nation of laws, not of men.

J David Eisenberg, San Jose, CA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 6:28 PM)

NATIONAL PROTEST DAY....SATURDAY AUGUST 4TH., 10A.M. ..PASS THE WORD ALONG.PROTEST IN YOUR OWN CITY,IT'S EASY, IT'S FUN.

JOHNNY JUSTICE ANYWHERE USA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 7:26 PM)

Taylor and Miers should both show up for the hearings. When they are sworn in, and take the oath to tell the whole truth, they should say "Only if the committee members do, we have a few questions for them too". Would be a short hearing.

Larry T.C. Guy, Memphis, TN (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 9:50 PM)

"I noticed the first 100 hours of the Pelosi administration is now into it's sixth month. Still planning on getting anything passed nancy?"

Ol'Nancy fell right in line like a good girl after she took the gavel. Oh, she mouthed off a little bit for show at the start there, but now she's gotten real quiet. She's knows whose boss, and it ain't her.

Seems like it's too quiet for her friend Cindy Sheehan. Out flanking Nancy to the left would be a tall order, but Cindy is just the one that could do it. It'd be pretty funny watching Cindy rant and rave on the House floor. Oh wait, how would we tell the difference from what's going on today?

Larry T.C. Guy, Memphis, TN (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 9:56 PM)

Jerry, can we assume from your refusal to discuss the topics at hand you have no defense for your criminal Republican heroes?

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 10:44 PM)

YES HARRIETT WE HAVE YOUR RESERVATION, HERE AT THE WASHINGTON HILTON. 2 NITES KING SUITE OVER LOOKING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.GONZO-GATE IT JUST WILL NOT GO AWAY.

JOHNNY JUSTICE ANYWHERE USA (Sent Monday, July 09, 2007 11:14 PM)

Cite Miers and Taylor for contempt of Congress, and try to send them to jail. Bush will pardon them, of course, but the rule of law should have someone stand up for it anyway, even if this Administration is a government of men, and not laws. If I were subpoenaed, and I refused, you know MY non-connected, non-Republican butt would be in the slam! But as Ollie North once said of Congress "Those men want to get me, but they never will, because the Old Man loves my ass!"

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 7:49 AM)

Kanye West was wrong. George Bush doesn't hate black people, he hates all Americans. Ever so slowly he's tearing apart our democracy and turning his job into a dictatorship. Meanwhile, our politicians and media let it all float by and do nothing about it. The media are idiots and the Democrats are spineless. Common sense alone would have led to Bush and Cheney's impeachment years ago, yet there they still sit today. How ashamed I now feel to live in this country, run by a complete idiot, and how sad I am to see everything that this country's war veterans fought for, slowly dissolving away.

Patrick, Minneapolis (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:23 AM)

Anybody really want to hear anything Harriet Miers has to say? Sorry Congressional Democrats, but if you're hanging your hopes on finding anything out from her, you don't have much to go on. She seems like a ditz.

But I suppose we all sense they just want her to show and plead privilege, to visually perpetuate the sense (probably an accurate one) that the administration is hiding something.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:53 AM)

Congress is proceeding as if Miers and Taylor will actually show up. And I'm proceeding as if Jesus is coming back tonight, right after I expect to win the Mega Millions lottery.

Jim, Washington, D.C. (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 10:43 AM)

Jerry and Larry- the topic of this thread was........????

Buzz (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 10:58 AM)

Patrick-Right on!My sentiments exactly. We the people better wake up fast....because Orwell was off by only 20 years. The French have the cojones to constantly protest in the streets in mass for any injustice passed on by politicians;however; we camp out for hours for the lastest Iphone gadget. How pathetic have we the people become?

juan fl,lauderdale,fl (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:15 AM)

Grimy et al.
When Clinton was lambasted for pardoning Marc Rich, he waived Executive privilege, and allowed his aids to testify. Next smear please.

Funky P, Archer FL (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:53 AM)

Grimy et al.
When Clinton was lambasted for pardoning Marc Rich, he waived Executive privilege, and allowed his aides to testify. Next smear please.

Funky P, Archer FL (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:53 AM)

Larry TC guy
So you have specific information on a committee member you would like to share?

Funky P (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:58 AM)

Subpoena, question, impeach convict.
Four steps to getting our Democracy back

Funky P (Sent Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:59 AM)

Americans should be ashamed of itself and the President? As Gomer Pyle used to say. SHAME SHAME SHAME.

Chris Yandall, San Diego, CA (Sent Wednesday, July 11, 2007 3:37 PM)

Bush loves show trials.

First, there's Heckuva Job Brownie, who ran show trials before Bush appointed him head of FEMA. That didn't go so well because he had no experience in emergency mangement and the lives lost as a result were poor people stuck in the rising flood waters from breached levees the budget for which Bush cut by $200 million prior to Katrina.

Then there's Scooter Libby. What a tremendous waste of time and not because Libby was innocent but because Bush obstructed justice by commuting Libby's jail time. If there was one thing that would have pryed the truth from Libby's lips regarding Bush's and Cheney's involvement in the CIA leak case, it would be Libby's jailtime. Hell even Judy Miller sat in the hooscow for 85 days. Libby must have threatened to sing if he hadto spend one day in jail. What's a little obstruction of justice between a few senior White House officials?

Did anyone watch Sara Taylor not answer questions? I feel a contempt of Congress comming on.

Why do these loyal BushCo soldiers think their oath to serve the President is a higher order than their oath to uphold and protect the Constitution and our nation oflaws?

Neil (Sent Saturday, July 14, 2007 3:50 PM)

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