Federal Appeals Court Stays Miers/Bolton Subpoenas
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Oct 07, 2008 1:50pm
CNN:
Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and President Bush's current Chief of Staff Josh Bolten do not have to cooperate -- at least this year -- with a congressional committee investigating the firings of U.S. Attorneys, a three-judge federal appeals panel in Washington ruled Monday.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said as a practical matter, the case cannot be resolved before the current session of Congress ends, so a new Congress will have to decide whether to pursue the matter.
In June, Democrats controlling the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Miers seeking to compel her to produce documents and to appear before the committee to testify about the firings of nine federal prosecutors.
The committee also issued a subpoena to Bolten to produce documents.
Both fought the subpoenas, and District Court Judge John Bates ruled Miers and Bolten must honor the congressional demands.
The appeals court reversed that ruling.
"The present dispute is of potentially great significance for the balance of power between the Legislative and Executive Branches. But the Committee recognizes that even if expedited, this will not be fully and finally resolved by the Judicial Branch ... before the 110th Congress ends on January 3, 2009," the ruling said.
Bush League Justice strikes again.
Login or Register to post comments.
Bush League Justice strikes again.
There are times I think we are just going through a bloodless coup and these neocon, warmongering, torture loving officials are never going to leave. Not willingly, at least.
I wonder if our country and the world will ever see justice served.
Maybe?! At a time and a place, when it's least expected....// At least I hope so. ?! #;{
I'd like to see Cheney get a face full of buckshot on some hunting trip, and it wouldn't bother me at all if Georgie slipped when weilding his brushcutting saw.... a girl can dream.
I am still holding out for The Hague. I have my pom-pom's at the ready.
..there's no difference between repugs and dems, keep those judicial appointments in mind!
in knowing they have completely forfeited any claim to professional dignity or credibility as former United Stated justice department officials.
Did she sleep through the presidential elections in 2000 and 2004 or is she just on drugs again?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/07/cind...
Motherfucker bush wins again!
Fuck bush!
and unfrickinbelievable AGAIN! I hope Bu$h and all of his cronies, every single one of 'em, end up behind bars and repaying personally the debt they've unleashed on We the People.
It figures... More runnin out the clock bullshit! What. a. crock.!!!!JD
What are the chances that a new Congress will decide to pursue the matter? I hope the hell they do. These lawbreakers can't be allowed to get away with this crap.
That's my take on it.
The Repukes can hide but the people can not let this rest they need to be dragged into court screaming if necessary but justice must be done we all know the bastards have twisted the laws to cover their asses but there are other good lawyers out there that can take this bullshit to trial!
They's better not hope that the bear market doesn't effectively hand the Democrats both a veto-proof majority on top of the White House. Personally, I'd looooove to see these high-handed mofos extradited, kicking and screaming, from some country whose attitude they've managed to poison against Americans. Karma squared.
At one time, I was pushing for Edwards at AG as I think he would do a good job putting a stop to this kind of crap. Now I'm pissed off enough to support Nader for AG. Let them (BushCo & fiends) deal with him!
As much prognosticating as we’ve done about the pitfalls of this corrupt administration, when the new Congress is seated they had better realize that it wasn’t our predictions that put them there – it was the consequences of this corrupt administration. They had better realize that they were not just elected to simply change, but to also recognize that those consequences have consequences as well – and they had better act accordingly.
This should not be a Clinton witch-hunt led by K Star, but a necessary prosecution of criminals, a deterrent, and loud and clear signal that the crimes perpetrated by the entire cabal of neocon conspirators will no longer be tolerated. Their 8-year coup cost us too much not to.
The upholding of the Constitution of the United States of America should no longer be off the table.
If all the little Bushlik henchmen receive blanket pardons for their "supposed" nefarious activities the last 8 years, it means they lose their right to claim 5th amendment protection against self incrimination. They have to tell the truth to congressional investigators, or the Obama Justice Department, or risk jail for perjury. I can only imagine Preznit Bust and Vice Chief Chaindrive frantically looking for some immunity grant that means "...they get to stay outta jail free but they still can't say nothin'".
You don't even have to tell me; it's utterly predictable.
Thanks to Conyers (& Leahy & Waxman...) writing stern letters when they should have been calling the sargent-at-arms to arrest them with inherent contempt, the Bushies will have sucessfully run out the clock - their intention all along.
Does anyone really think Obama will follow up on this? He'll just say it was "politics of the past" and we have to move on.
I do not agree with an appeal court making a decision based on a time frame. Just decide the merits of the case! Cowardly is what this decision is. Rather than upset the Bushies, the appeal court just punted. The record should reflect legal determinations based on law.
Kinda makes a blow job seem small at times dont it ?
the quality of said blow job. ;-)
Let's not get too upset here. If the dems were able to get this through under the current administration, it is pretty likely that it will be taken up again under the Obama administration (despite what he may have said before.)
Maybe I'm just reading the article wrong, but it seems that issue was not the legality of the subpoenas, but that the appeals court thought that it would be more appropriate to have this decided by the next administration/congress rather than rush it through the current group.
This actually seems to be a good thing if the election goes the way it is looking. We shouldn't get too optimistic, but the numbers are encouraging.
current poll numbers:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/...
And dems are poised to win a 60 vote majority in the Senate. All this could point to our being finally able to reclaim our country from these crooks.
Get out and VOTE!
Obama/Biden '08
a GOP-weighted three-judge federal appeals panel make a decision in favor of Chimpy and Co..................What a group of skid marks.
Well at least Bush will be out of office when I hope the new congress takes this up again. Therefore, if convicted, Bush couldn't give out pardons to Meirs and Bolten. Which I'm sure he would do if he was in office.
Or is my thinking way off here?
They (the current Administration) will ALL WALK. I'll be surprised if anyone faces any charges of any kind.
I'm afraid I don't see the issue here. The cases and the subpoenas have not gone away, nor been vacated ... they've been postponed until the start of the next Congress. A Congress which has every look of being a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate and an even larger majority in the House. Why is that a bad thing? I don't see it.
The fundamental issues for these people aren't going anywhere and they have an even sterner venue looking at them from across the calendar in January. They may well be wishing they had stepped into to the legislative chamber while a sufficient number of Republicans were still around to offer them cover.
Thanks.
mp
and if that doesn't work, you got any spare lots available in Paraguay? I hear it's a nice place to retire...
The charges still are there, but how is it that ignoring subpoenas until they go away is viewed as anything but contempt? If not by the courts, which seem to suck, then by us. Obama/Biden 08,lets vote for candidates that actually have souls, rather than ones that pretend to.
I used to think that justice would eventually rule. But it does not. People who are rich and powerful live under a different set of rules than the rest of us. They believe that they can do anything and there well be no consequences for them. All you have to do is look at this administration and his family. Look what his grandfather, and father got away with. His grandfather wanted to over throw the government. If it were anyone else they would have been in jail, not elected to the senate. Look at the Iran contra affair, he father was involved with that and look what happened to him. He was elected president. Need I say any more.
I used to think that justice, or karma, would eventually catch up with evil-doers also. But now I am inclined to believe that the only justice that can exist in this world is that which we make for ourselves. Put another way, "There can be no peace without justice!"
There are two "Golden Rules". The NeoCons, the Bush Crime Family, the Wall Street (and Enron) arbitrageurs all believe in the 1st Golden Rule, which is: "He who has the gold makes the rules!" The rabid sociopaths and misogynists of this world truly believe in nothing more. The vast majority of people with either an abiding faith in a superior being, or just in the nobility of Mankind believe in the 2nd Golden Rule, which is: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you!" These people tend to be socially moderate, or even liberal, with a "live-and-let-live" attitude, generally speaking.
But there IS a limit to the abuse, to the social injustice, to the twisted Machiavellian thirst for absolute power and absolute wealth that ANY RATIONAL and EMPATHETIC INDIVIDUAL can withstand. At that point, the status quo, the "Rule of Law" however trampled, no longer restrains the people from seeking redress, in the streets AND perhaps with TORCHES and PITCHFORKS!
When the tidal wave of populist revenge rises up to wash the last vestiges of the NeoCon Ponzi and "Pump and Dump" schemes heaped upon the American people, I suspect that there will NO PLACE on EARTH that will be a safe harbor from the people's wrath. The USA definitely needs to keep the not-so-secret domestic holding cells/prisons built by Halliburton/KBR, and Guantanemo Bay open for some unfinished business. And some "extreme rendition" one-way travel accommodations need to remain in place for some ex-government types from the USA to the Hague War Crimes Tribunal.
Methinks that the Democrats will win handily.
Methinks that they will find time to pursue this case.
If the economy sucks, it may not get the press it deserves, but this is stuff that is fundamental to our democracy, and I for one will argue for the rule of law.
Seriously. If you wont uphold the law then you must be removed.
The committee admits the current Congress will not be able to hold hearings even if the court compels them to appear. This Congress is dissolved on January 3, and a new Congress and Congressional session will have to take the issue up. They allowed the clock to be run out. This is not one sided blame.
Besides, everyone knows they have to go back home to raise money to get re-elected, and take a month off for two "holi"days like the rest of us...oh wait, we don't get a month off, nevermind.
that is their plan, plain and simple.
they could have subpoenaed sooner. they didn't. they just waffled around, blowing hot air, not being serious, until they backed themselves into a corner.
they could have sent the sergeant at arms to bring them in. they didn't. the reason? election year politics. it was team over principles. they didn't do what was right, because they thought the entire party would be punished for it.
The upside is when Obama wins, they pull these two dummies back in and nail them. Then, they go to jail...... unlike if they came in now Bush could pardon them.
as POTUS should hopefully realize the significance of pursuing or not, the prosecution of the crimes by BushCo and all its minions.
I think Obama isn't even going to touch the subject unless it becomes a topic of the MSM, which would b e surprizing this late in the campaign.
2 what?
Meiers looks like the scrooge on the Simpsons, Mr What's his name.
Here's is why this decision chaps my ass.
The most obvious is the precedent laid out for the future congress to have no power of the subpoena over the executive.
If they wait until the next Administration to settle this, it gives the idealogues in the courts 2 options.
Firstly, if the Bushies win a 3rd term then we can rest assured that subpoenas will NOT be enforced.
If the Bushies lose, hell, the courts will make sure there aren't 'separation of power abuses', thus ruling for the enforcement of subpoenas to ensure 'checks and balances'.
In my opinion, this won't favor the Dems in either scenario. If they force a decision now at least you know that the idealogues will not be allowed to make a ruling depending on who is in power in the future.
Or does this whole McCain campaign slogan 'Nation First' smack of fascism.
When i hear Palin basically calling Obama a domestic terrorist via his past associations, it makes me wonder if thats how they will view the civil unrest sure to occur if they steal this election(with 70-80% unhappy with the direction of this country the only rational way they win will come thru theft). And by calling him a terrorist they will surely apply that tag to all that support him.
I can hear the OJ ruling comparisons now from years ago, 'they lost the election and can't handle the truth so they are causing civil strife'.
It will be the minority having power over the majority as most fascist states play out. Question is will we swallow it.
Is it time to take it to the streets?
Login or Register to post comments.