Subpoena Power
The Democrats have it and, much to the chagrin of the Administration, they are using it.
From today’s New York Times:
Two congressional committees are issuing subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor on their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors, according to two officials familiar with the investigation.
…
The White House has repeatedly refused to make current and former officials involved in the firings available except in private interviews, without transcripts. Congressional investigators have refused that offer.
”The committees can easily obtain the facts they want without a confrontation by simply accepting our offer for documents and interviews,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday.” But it’s clear that Sen. Leahy and Rep. Conyers are more interested in drama than facts.”
No Dana, they don’t issue subpoenas for dramatic effect, they issue subpoenas because they want the truth. That’s something they have a difficult enough time getting from the amnesiacs that have recently testified before them. They certainly can’t expect to get it from behind closed doors with no transcripts.
What is with people in the Bush Administration? They are always so defensive when they are asked to answer questions under oath and in public about how they govern. They think they shouldn’t be bothered by pesky congressmen asking questions about what they do. Everyone in the Administration seems to think they are exempt from public scrutiny because they think everything they do is right, so why would anyone need to ask questions?
Their reaction mirrors what I’ve heard from hardcore Bush supporters who respond to criticism of Bush’s programs for illegal spying on American citizens with, “I’ve got nothing to hide. They can listen in on my phone calls and intercept my emails all they want. What’s the problem?”
So let’s just reverse that. If everyone in the White House did everything right and followed all the rules, then why so much fuss over a few subpoenas? They should be happy to go before Congress and answer questions under oath, because that would just show the people how honest they are about their apolitical performance reviews and subsequent firings of federal prosecutors that were just too lazy to get their work done.
What’s the problem? They act as if they have something to hide.
It’s their clear disregard for honesty. They don’t need to uphold their oaths if they’re never held accountable. Just as I, an avowed dissenter, won’t happily submit to transcripts being made of my trials. I’ve offended recent, enforceable national guidelines. Bush has offended revered national tradition.