House Sues Ex-White House Staffers

AP via SFGate ^ | 3/10/8 | PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

The House Judiciary Committee filed suit Monday to force former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten to provide information about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

The lawsuit filed in federal court says Miers is not immune from the obligation to testify and that she and Bolten must identify all documents that are being withheld from Congress.

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said, "We will not allow the administration to steamroll Congress."

Conyers said he is confident the federal courts will agree that the Bush administration's claims to be immune from congressional oversight are at odds with constitutional principles.

The White House took the opposite view.

"They continue to focus on partisan theater," White House press secretary Dana Perino said of House Democrats. "The confidentiality that the president receives from his senior advisers and the constitutional principle of separation of powers must be protected from overreaching and we are confident that the courts will agree with us."

The House committee early last year subpoenaed Bolten for documents and Miers for testimony in trying to make a case that the White House directed the firing of nine U.S. attorneys because they were not supportive enough of Republicans' political agenda.

Bolten and Miers refused to comply.

[taxcontrol]

The first question that needs to be answered is “What oversight does Congress have for positions that serve at the will and pleasure of the President”.

Short answer should be - NONE (dismissed with prejudice)

[NonValueAdded]

This will end up in front of SCOTUS, pro’ly after the Bush Administration is out of office and therefore dropped as moot. Seems like a clear separation of powers issue and since the US Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, a no-brainer to dismiss the suit. I’d say stop Congress from doing all this investigative work that wastes their time but when Congress does do something, they do stupid stuff like exclude oil-sands as a source of energy. And there is no relief in sight. Sigh. A lot of damage will happen over the next 3 years (one more Pelosi year plus the disaster of the 2008 Congress). The country will be ready to switch back right in 2010 - if there is a country left by then.

[gondramB]

>>The first question that needs to be answered is “What oversight does Congress have for positions that serve at the will and pleasure of the President”.

---

Short answer should be - NONE (dismissed with prejudice)<<

I hope you’re wrong. If once congress creates an agency they have no right to investigate wrong doing and the executive accused of wrong doing can just cancel the investigation and order law enforcement not to cooperate, some future administration is gonna abuse the hell out of that.

[tobyhill]

The reason the GOP needs to fight hard and bash some heads if needed is because of Rat stunts like this.

[KC_Conspirator]

Its been one witch hunt after another with these libs.

[nobdysfool]

“Death by a Thousand cuts”

[illiac]

Once again ignoring the problems of the nation that need legislation......

[PrairieLady2]

Congress has the duty and authority to keep tabs on the President, and to investigate his decisions UNLESS they CHOOSE to allow him to operate unimpeded.

Presidential Powers:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A2Sec2

Congressional Powers:
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Article1

[BooBoo1000]

First off let us investigate the replacement of all U.S. Attorney’s by the Clinton Adm.