If you haven’t been living under a rock the past few weeks, you’ve heard about the eight attorneys fired by Gonzales’ office, the outcry of political motivation for their firings, and his chief of staff stepping down. Amid rumors of the firings being called for by Rove, memos wondering if Bush shouldn’t just fire all ninety-three U.S. Attorneys on the start of his second term and calls for Gonzales to either be fired or step down, Bush came out yesterday and made a defiant, if ill advised, statement that basically said, “Better stop off, bitches!”
Yet, in this case, I recognize the importance of members of Congress having — the importance of Congress has placed on understanding how and why this decision was made. So I’ll allow relevant committee members on a bipartisan basis to interview key members of my staff to ascertain relevant facts. In addition to this offer, we will also release all White House documents and emails involving direct communications with the Justice Department or any other outside person, including members of Congress and their staff, related to this issue. These extraordinary steps offered today to the majority in Congress demonstrate a reasonable solution to the issue. However, we will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants.
I love the boldness of the statement in starting to say he sees the importance, no wait, the importance Congress puts on the matter. Everything in his speech was hostile and basically put out there not as an olive branch he suggests in it, but as a slap to the Congress at almost every step. I found it pretty funny listening to it yesterday.
So today? Congress answered back:
A House Judiciary subcommittee today authorized subpoenas for Karl Rove, President Bush’s political adviser, and other senior White House officials in the investigation into the firing of eight United States attorneys.
Democrats said the subpoenas, approved on a voice vote of the panel, would not be issued immediately but could provide leverage for Congress in trying to win the testimony of the aides being sought.
“We have worked toward voluntary cooperation on this investigation, but we must prepare for the possibility that the Justice Department and White House will continue to hide the truth,” said Representative Linda Sanchez of California, chairwoman of the subcommittee on commercial and administrative law.
That’s awesome. We aren’t issuing them yet, but we could…at any time! So Bush says, don’t defy me, I’m the boss here. And the Democrats answer back with a warning shot off the port bow. Awesome.
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Now, lets not think that Democrats all of a sudden got a back bone. What’s really happening is they are feeling a bit stronger after the 2006 election and are trying to do anything they to make themselves look good and the administration look bad for the 2008 election. Which is smart and yet, still doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Ah well, it’s politics.
This funniest part? This is easily one of the lesser crimes Bush’s staff has committed during his time in office and yet here we finally have something the Democrats are standing up and shouting about.
We also have one of the fired attorneys writing up his story in the NYTimes. Interesting read.
I’m looking forward to the coming days of both sides saying they are trying to get along and neither actually doing so or trying to do so. I love the barely guarded contempt in Bush’s speeches and the pretend by the Democrats that this is all on the up and up they just want to see justice done. This is good shit.
What Would Matt Do: Get some popcorn, dim the lights a bit and watch in amusement as politics continues as normal and yet not.