Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers defied a Congressional subpoena last week and Congress is considering charging her with contempt of Congress. As we find out on Monday’s “Countdown,” if the DoJ does not uphold a contempt charge it is believed they will circumvent Alberto Gonzales and charge Miers with Inherent Contempt. According to Jonathan Turley, if charged with Inherent Contempt, Miers would be arrested by the Sergeant-At-Arms, frog marched directly to Congress and tried on the spot.
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On the topic of the Bush Administration’s grotesque and unforgivable handling and cover up of Pat Tillman’s death, Turley is as animated as I’ve ever seen him. He, like most Americans, is shocked at how the president has tortured Tillman’s family by stonewalling the investigation.
Turley: “The White House seems to be invoking executive privilege if anyone is within a twenty-five mile radius of the building. It’s as clever and as elegant as a meat cleaver. It is a rather bad way to go about this. Past presidents have compromised. On something like Tillman, I don’t think past presidents would have said ‘let’s fight this out.’”
Filed Under: Countdown/Keith Olbermann, Jonathan Turley, MSNBC, Military, Supporting our Troops
One Trackback To “Countdown: Harriet Miers, Inherent Contempt, Pat Tillman & Executive Privilege“
if charged with Inherent Contempt, Miers would be arrested by the Sergeant-At-Arms, frog marched directly to Congress and tried on the spot.
Beautiful!
If they charge her with Inherent Contempt, WHEN will they do it? Will months go by? Let’s frog-march her to congress NOW!
I am concerned that if the Democrats push this all the way to the supreme court, takeing into consideration the makeup of the court, this could give the adminstration undue power for all time. That said I hope the whole adminstration are frog marched at some point and the sooner the better.
I’m wondering whether Congress focusing on this stuff like Harriet Miers is really not helping the Democrats. Wouldn’t it be better just to focus on getting out of Iraq, or, is there fear that this would hurt Democrats in ‘08, the way anti-war McGovern lost in ‘72.
L.A. Confidential @ 1:
Hell yeah — I’d PAY to see that! I’d pay even more to see Busholini and Dr Evil frogmarched into the Hague!!!
I really can’t recall any instances of a past President claiming that the details of how a US soldier was killed somehow falls under Executive Privelege. I don’t even recall them having to compromise on such an issue.
L.A. Confidential @ 1:
She’s an old lady, frog marching would be crewel. But a perp walk in an orange jump suit and no make-up would work for me.
DB @ 5:
One of the main reasons that so many new members were elected was for accountability. That is exactly what this is. While some may call it petty, I think the majority of people clearly understand the issue.
DB @ 5:
“This stuff”? This stuff you say? Would you prefer that MORE illegal acts are merely glossed over or ignored?
Team Frog March
Huh?
Who got booted from Hell’s Kitchen last night?
L.A. Confidential @ 1:
Yes, that is one Reality Show that I would like to watch.
Congress should charge her with Inherent Contempt forthwith considering Al Gonzo pre-emptively gave her a pass with his letter agreeing with his co-criminal, the Chimperor.
The invoking of Executive Priveledge in the Tillman case, adding to the size and scope of the cover-up, leads me to believe more and more that it wasn’t just a case of “friendly-fire,” but rather that Pat Tillman was murdered, or as the military puts it, “Fragged.”
They couldn’t have their posterboy doing interviews with Chomsky and explaining in Football terms (that the average inlistee can understand) why the war and occupation in Iraq is illegal.
Yeah, Pat Tillman was a hero and died serving his country, but he was a liberal. So fuck him and fuck his family.
Wouldn’t an inherent contempt trial be led by… the President of the Senate?
AKA, the Vice President?
DB @ 5:
We want oversight, we want justice, we want retribution. We also want out of Iraq. If the Dems DON’T expose these crooks it will hurt the Democratic party.
A-ha! Jamie Cole, thank you for pointing out the inherent inconsequence of this whole proceeding.
Although, I’m sure positive that this scandal will be a main topic of conversation on my bus ride home from work tonight. Yup, the proles will be all over this.
Gosh, I still can do sarcasm once in a while.
Again, most people don’t understand this stuff; they gloss over it. I fear it makes the Democrats look petty, when the Dems should really be focusing on getting us out of Iraq and the Mideast.
Congressional approval numbers are low; we need to get them raised. Focus only on Iraq. (I don’t think this is like McGovern in ‘72. People really don’t want war now.)
Big woooopity dooo! All this tough talk, public poll probing talk from congress…and they won’t do what they’re commanded to do by their constituents, nor will they do their jobs. As with so many other tough talking points (dare I say “chickenhawkish” talking points), this dem congress will just bend over and take it in the ass as the wee little tough guy in the White House ruins the world and throws his feces at it without an OUNCE of accountability measured on his head.
DB @ 5:
I think that congress has to work on a lot of issues, all the time. It’s not like they can’t chew gum and walk at the same time.
Mike Mid City @ 8:
Not cruel. Toadys can be frog marched with ease.
Jamie Cole @ 15:
He would preside over it, but ultimately have very little say in the outcome. It would be a charge that is rather hard to defend considering that she just didn’t show up. Not much wiggle room there.
Rusty Shackleford @ 14:
Wow, you sure know how to support the troops. Take a hike dirtbag.
Ron @ 23:
Geez, Ron. Even I can tell this is sarcasm.
Ron @ 23:
Wow, you sure know how to detect sarcasm. Take a pill cleanlinessbag.
According to Jonathan Turley, if charged with Inherent Contempt, Miers would be arrested by the Sergeant-At-Arms, frog marched directly to Congress and tried on the spot.
Ain’t gonna happen. Not by these spineless ninnies in Congress.
DB @ 18:
No, most people clearly understand that when you receive a subpoena, you have to show up. You can’t just proclaim that you are not required to be there. Add to this that Miers was a Supreme Court nominee who still feels that the laws don’t apply to her and I think most be understand quite well. It is rather difficult to consider yourself Supreme Court Justice material, yet have very little understanding for the law.
The average person understands that they would be jailed for this.
Rusty Shackleford @ 25:
I am sorry, but I get a little offended at that kind of sarcasm. I know the troops wouldn’t appreciate it.
RayC @ 4:
Certainly not for all time. In Jurney v MacCracken (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=294&invol=125&friend=nytimes) SCOTUS denied a habeas petition to someone imprisoned under inherent contempt. Now, this court’s own contempt for previous SCOTUS decisions means that Congress could lose in this circumstance, but a future SCOTUS could simply overturn this court’s decision.
It’s become more and more obvious that the current White House uses “executive privilege” for the purpose of obstruction of justice and covering up evidence of their own crimes. And they’ve gotten away with it for years!
Let’s see some more “inherent contempt” charges… Arm that Sergeant!
So Ron. You speaking for the troops now? Putting words into their mouths?
Where’d you buy that crystal ball?
Btw, we’d really want the House to handle any contempt case. A Senate case would find Cheney (as President of the Senate) running a contempt case there.
booshco should cite Executive Privies.
As in, “He can’t answer your question, he’s taking a dump.”
How exactly do you know this?
Ron @ 28:
I completely agree. Take it up with the Bush Administration. It was their attitude I was sarcastically expressing.
Jamie Cole @ 15:
Only if the Senate filed the contempt charge to begin with, ergo let the House do it.
ashton @ 34:
The same way Bush et.al. “knew” Saddam had WMD, faith-based “knowledge”…
“Waaaah….they want to ruin my legacy. I don’t have to show them the papers. I don’t hafta, I don’t hafta. I’m the President guy, the commander, the decider guy. I don’t have to deal with no body. This is my war. My guns. My tanks. See…i got the big round shield thingie in front of me when I speak. I don’t have to talk to no families, I don’t have to see them. I know he got killed…I honor him for his service, but it wasn’t my fault…so I don’t have to talk to them.”
Boy, have you guys got attitudes today.
First off Dems should get as much light on this as possible because it’s absolutely disgusting, nothing new from BushCo about that.
Second, they have to really be out of their minds to be pissing on the demographic that respects Tillman. From vets, to the NFL, to even the NASCAR crowd, you have to know that a young handsome professional blowing off millions of dollars in order to defend his country is the definition of a folk hero and one popular kind of guy. This is like asking who likes apple pie or who would defend their mom. Stonewalling this investigation is just dumb.
If I only wanted Democrats to win, I would cheer this boob; i would tell GOPers to cling to him like a life line in a storm; I would only hope that Bush continues to be the stubborn little boy that he is and that the GOP bow down to him as well as Cheney and Karl. However, I’m an American first. I sincerely hope that all the facts of Tillman’s death come to light and that Bush is impeached as soon as possible, followed by Cheney and then Gonzo.
ashton @ 34:
And you think they would?
SO …subpoena Rove…he wont show up….arrest him…. and be REAL slow in processing his case… Watch the spin and inner working of the White house go out of control….. :)
With regard to Pat Tillman’s death & Bush’s claim of executive privilege, the obvious question is:
What did the President know, and when did he know it?
Sound familiar?
This criminal administration is a cancer - Impeachment is the cure.
Ron @ 39:
Gee, could it possibly be due to the fact that SUBPOENAS are now being IGNORED by these contemptuous fascists?
The BELIEVE they are above the law. Without the rule of law…THERE IS NO COUNTRY. PERIOD.
And the People just sit by and DON’T GIVE A SHIT. I HATE THIS COUNTRY. I REALLY DO. I’ve had ENOUGH.
Want to know what would happen to these BASTARDS in a REAL COUNTRY…they’d be HUNG BY THEIR FREAKIN’ NECKS. THEY”D BE IN FRONT OF A FIRING SQUAD. THE WHOLE LOT OF THEM. INCLUDING THE IMBECILE IN CHIEF.
Bet she looks hot in handcuffs.
Tillman was murdered because he realized the truth about the “war on terror”
Way over the top.
Shows the President will oppose all.
miss_kitty @ 31:
Meh. He didn’t get the sarcasm and he’s trying to cover. Lol.
Rusty Shackleford @ 14:
The above is a perfect example of a sad little deranged man living in his mothers basement. You sir, disgust me.
Now that I’ve have probably fed a troll on to the post. Speaking of deranged, it seems the longer the War Pigs go on the more ridiculous they become. It looks like to me they have literally lost their minds. I wonder if Dick and George are pulling out all of the stops and see how far they can get with all that absolute power they have collected into the executive branch?