Sara Taylor, thats who it was, when she testified President Bush didn't have anything to do with the firings of those attorneys, thats when Leahy said that, on cnn.
Leahy was mad then because Sara didn't implicate the President, thats when leahy said Sara would have been better off not to testify at all.
That was just before Ms. Meyers was due to testify.
I asked then, since that was a double edged sword, which way does Leahy want it? For them to testify and then say they would have been better off not to, or for them to testify?
The only problem leahy had after Sara testified was that leahy couldn't get her to lie and say the President was behind the firings.
I guess some attorneys would have a problem also with their dismissals because of "performance-related" issues.
Maybe Leahy just stays awake at night thinking of ways he can make the media and try to distract the President and our Justice Dept. from doing their duties?

Leahy said himself that the lady who testified before Ms. Myers was to testify, and she tesified that the President had nothing to do with those firings, Leahy said himself that she would have been better off to not have testified at all. And that was reported and quoted of Leahy by cnn, just before Myers was to testify, not to mention, that at the time she didn't testify, that she was protected under executive priviledges.
Leahy, in my opinion, is one hell of a trouble maker.

Jonah of Boston. Well Done! I would also add:

- Election results in Florida should have gone to Gore in 2000.

- Election results in Ohio should have gone to Kerry in 2004 but the minority areas closed early and minorities were told to go to other precincts where they were not able to vote. This is all thanks to Carl Rove who flew in the day of the election to Ohio to ensure the Secretary of State (a REpublican)enforced those republican ways.

What a sad country we're living in right now.

I wonder how much Rove and Bolten are going to get for selling those phony contempt citations on E-Bay. Sure wish they'd send me one..

Ha Ha!!

My God! You people are so stupid you cannot even see or understand your own stupidity. Bush can fire any freaking AG he wants to fire. No investigation needed morans.

Posted By bprossersme : December 14, 2007 7:52 am

Hey MORON,
What's a moran???

To those who don't care about the firing of U.S. Attorneys, you should care. Yes, they serve at the pleasure of the president and typically a new president fires all the old ones.

Here are some points to consider:
U.S. Attorneys are to be independant of any and all political influence. That means they need to be impartial and prosecute everybody that they have a case for.

The problem is that many of these firing have the appearance of being fired for political reasons. Without independant prosecutors, we risk that those that are in power could get away with far too many things; more than they do now.

Pres and White Officials under fire for firing attorneys.

Up next, citations for Congress members who filibuster. After that, citations for justices who decide cases unfavorably.

Like it or not, hiring/firing attorneys (for ANY reason, politics, the color of your shoes, or an attorney's lack of Binaca spray) is among the rights granted to the executive branch, just as filibusters are for the legislative branch. If Congress doesn't like it, they need to learn to lump it.

Jonah, Boston, MA:

Thank you for reminding me I am not alone.

My God! You people are so stupid you cannot even see or understand your own stupidity. Bush can fire any freaking AG he wants to fire. No investigation needed morans.

Previous Post:

Where was CNN's biased outrage when Billary fired ALL the US attorney's and replaced them with their own dominions??
Posted By Anonymous : December 13, 2007 1:07 pm

*************

Love it when people who don't even have the backbone to post under their name are ignorant as well.

Presidents traditionally replace attorneys at the beginning of the new administration. St. Ronald did the same.

What Rove did was to replace only certain GOP attorneys who actually believed in the rule of law instead being of drooling lapdogs for the political agenda of the Bushies… this is unheard of in the middle of their appointments. He got caught. Those
who were fired declined to go quietly.

Ignorance can be cured but stupidity goes on forever.

For the Bush followers saying they can fire any judges they want to. They're right. However they lied and claimed the justices were fired for performance reasons.

If they admitted they were fired for political reasons from the start, then there would have been no problem.

Funny how the Bush admin acts like they had something to hide when there really wasn't. That's the true nature of a criminal. Those are the people you support you Bush boot lickers.

To Mark in Shreveport LA;

The Dems don't have to make Bush look bad . . . he doe's that on his lonesome!!!! Being from LA, you should have First hand knowledge of that!!!

why is this process of getting to the bottom of things taking so LOOOOOOOOONG? CAN'T WAIT ANY MORE!!!!

Begin impeachment hearings for bush and cheney. Begin war crimes hearings for rove and rumsfeld. Don't dick around. Pull all funding for the Iraq war now. Show those republicans whining about a "do-nothing congress" what it means when you actually do what you were elected for.

Bye Bye Karl.

Next stop: Impeachment

ImpeachBush.org

Observing these past 6 years prior to the Democrats taking a slim control of congress, I have never in all my 63 years seen so much corruption as the Bush administration and the total GOP.

I would only hope that sooner than later the Democrats use the "Nuclear Option" in the senate to control the GOP filibuster machine! The GOP used this tactic to force the Democrats to end the filibuster against their Supreme court packing with GOP lackeys.

Regarding the replacing of U.S. attorneys by incoming presidents–it is normal operating procedure for a new administration. The question regarding the Bush administration's firing of certain U.S. attorneys is that they fired their own people and were doing so because these attorneys were not pursuing political prosecutions against Democrats, as the administration wanted them to do at the time of the 2006 elections. That is where the illegality arises, political interference in the legal process. If a Democrat is elected in 2008, that new president, according to tradition, would replace all of the Republican-appointed U.S. attorneys. However, should that Democrat's administration later do the same thing Bush's did–use these attorneys for political purposes–that would also be illegal. Former Nixon adviser, John Dean, has said that even in Nixon's wildest dreams, he would never have thought of all the illegalities that President Bush and his operatives have committed.

Somebody give Leahy a citation for being stupid!

Contempt citation? Obviously the Dems think they have some kind of judicary or police powers….. Gotta love when the government oversteps their constitutional powers in order to grandstand and make it look like they are actually doing something.

He should be taken out back and caned.

All we're asking for is the TRUTH. Is that so hard for this administration to understand???

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

And what ever happened when Bush threatened to hold accountable anyone who had anything to do with OUTING CIA-Operative Valerie Plame? NOTHING!!!

Obama used drugs, George Bush used drugs,Bill Clinton used drugs, but didn't enjoy it, why is this an issue now?

Congress has every right to investigate this narrow minded administration. And enough talk about how this Democratic Congress can't get anything done, it's because every time they accomplish something, this idiot from Texas heeds the warning of a veto, EVERY time. Bush would rather see 10 Million childern without health care, such a wonderful father.

Anonymous – It is customary for an incoming presidient to replace the US Attorneys at the beginning of his term. The issue here is firing competent attorneys because you don't like who they are or are not prosecuting and then saying it is because of "perfomance issues". The adminsitration should have fired them without trying to damage the reputations of the attorneys involved. The problem with the Bushies is that can't even be competent when they are trying to be crooks.

Forget a contempt charge. Just impeach them all.

Okay people, all together now. The president can replace U.S. attorneys at his discretion. BUT doing it mid-term is unusual, and even though it's not supposed to be politically motivated, it always is. However instead of just ignoring those insinuations, the dum-dums at the Department of Justice decided it was a good idea to say it was performance related, and out came old reviews proving otherwise.
Congress is within its rights to investigate, but it's a waste of time and a pure game of politics.

Well thats a pretty soft sort of punishment for a war criminal

It's not Congress that's the worst ever.. it's this "president" who thinks he's king and can dictate what the law is… and at the same time not abide by laws he does not like. "President" Bush is the WORST "PRESIDENT" EVER!

Did you ever notice Rove looks like Mr. Potato Head?

Leahy and the rest of the whiners need to get to work solving the REAL problems we have, like the national debt. Notice how EVERY candidate avoids that one?

Contempt of congress is a serious violation of the rules of our democracy. Without supeona powers and thorough investigations, the american people will never know the extent of Karl Roves malfeasence and the damage to our democracy will remain unrepairable. Karl Rove needs to cooperate NOW. If he feels he is above the law and doesn't cooperate with congress and the american people, then he needs to spend some time in prison and given a chance to reflect on his treasonous behaviours. Personally, I think Karl Rove is an excellant candiate for waterboarding. If congress can't make him talk give him over to special ops at the CIA and then destroy the tapes on his torture!!!!

The lack of clarity on this matter is astonishing. While it is true that the President can dismiss US attorneys "at will" that does not mean he can do so for reasons that are, in themselves, a violation of law.

Just as an example, firing a US attorney in order to derail an ongoing criminal investigation would constitute an act of obstruction of justice. I know that doesn't strike Bush supporters as a serious matter. In fact, its an old standard from their team's play book. But some of us old-fashioned folks still take that kind of thing seriously.

So humor us. Let's get the testimony and see the evidence before we give the "tough on crime" people on the far right another pass.

NOT POLITICS.

Oversight… and about time too.

The lack of oversight during the first 6 years of the Bush Presidency, has been astounding, on both the Executive and Congressional levels. The lack of oversight, leads many Americans to believe that laws were broken, or money mismanaged… in the case of the firings of these individuals… it appears that it was politically motivated, and that the Justice Department was irresponsible in the handling of these firings.

As to the subpoenas, it has been stated that the President was not involved, therefore, Rove and Bolten were given time to obey the subpoenas, and have chosen not too…. this is contempt.

It's time that those that are called before Congress for hearings, obey the summons, as is part of our Checks and Balances.

A little late and a dollar short.

For those of you keeping score at home:

-Failure to heed intelligence that could have prevents 9/11
-Failure to lead a successful war campaign in Afghanistan
-Failure to capure Osama Bin Laden
-Defrauding the nation to declare war on Iraq
-Shady issuing of Halliburton contracts
-Coverup of past AWOL situation while in the Air National Guard
-Valerie Plame incident
-Firing of U.S. attorneys
-Illegal wiretapping and intelligence techniques
-Tacit endorsement of torture
-Holding captives without charges or trial at Guantanamo
-Criminal neglect of Hurricane Katrina crisis
-Fake news reports and staged press conferences
-Absolute refusal to cooperate with investigations into any of these misdeeds

All of this, plus his abhorrent political positions, which are intolerant, warmongering, theocratic, and economically simpleminded and impratical. Oh, and he's dumber than more than half the people I meet every day. He shouldn't even be manager of a Burger King.

What a disgusting, criminally corrupt adminstration. Not only should they be impeached one by one, they should all be in jail. I hope there is some kind of retroactive justice policy in place to take care of this someday.

In any case, did I leave anything off the scorecard?

Posted By Jonah, Boston MA : December 13, 2007 1:19 pm

Amen! Couldn't have said it better myself Johan – thanks!

No surprise why this Congress has the lowest approval rating ever.

Lets not forget his contempt for the United States of America in general.

One snake-in-the-grass in the Senate issues citations to two other snakes-in-the-grass. Big news, but about all the first snake-in-the-grass is capable of.

I want to see Bush punished! …the hell

with all this talk!

>>> Lets' CUT the Snakes Head..off!

Gee-this will do so much. We just need to waterboard these idiots.

Does Sen Leahy really think Karl Rove and Josh Bolton gives a crap about his citations!!

The Democratic controlled Congress of the United States at this point, is an embarrasment!

Rove.About time someone questioned this sleeze ball and his past actions. Stay tuned as more is sure to follow as this guy left a slimmy trail right thru the White House.

I do not believe for a moment that the people on this thread decrying the investigation of these firings are actual sentient beings–in other words, you are nothing more than plants.

The specific attorneys that were removed over refusals to investigate GOP officials, refusals to try to taint Dems with baseless electioneering allegations, etc etc. The argument that the President can do what he wishes whenever he wishes with regard to US Attorneys only holds water in the broadest sense.

Please, please just go back to your RNC fax machine and stare at it until the next set of talking points comes over the wire.

Nice. The Senate can't pass a freakin' sensible budget but they have plenty of time for on-going witch-hunts.

Some facts for the Senate Judiciary Committee:

1. Executive Privilege is absolute unless the Federal Courts decide it's not applicable. The Senate Judiciary Committee can not over-ride the EP statute.

2. The Senate has no means to enforce any citations (unless it decides to send out the Senate's Sargent-at-Arms). The enforcing agency for any Senate Citation is the US Attorney General.

3. Attorney Generals have repeatedly in past (and this case) said they would NOT inforce a citation when EP is invoked.

4. The Senate isn't interested in solving this issue – just continuing to play-out the political smear game. If the Senate WERE serious – they would file a suit in Federal Court to challenge the President invoking EP.

Nice way to waste tax-dollars Mr Leahy!! No wonder 80% of Americans think you're worthless. You're only pandering to the far-left base just prior to elections. Go ahead and keep ignoring the men/women in Iraq who need to be paid or the crisis of Illegal immigration.

There is a difference. Look up the change the Patriot Act had on the approval process for US Attorneys. Then look up what happened to that bit of the Patriot Act once this all aired.

Basically the Administration used the Patriot Act to get a bit more power regarding US Attorneys, immediately abused that power, and got caught doing so.

Sure, it is a fact that every US President appoints Attorneys who are professionals, often prosecutors who, are friendly to that President's way of thinking. But basically of the pool of people who can do the job, a President has picked people who are more likely to be friendly to his philosophy. Okay, fine, sure, every President has done that much. The thing is though, long as the guys are qualified the system still works. The X's, for example might might turn their eyes more toward way Y's are doing, but 1) if faced with obvious crimes by crimes by fellow X's they will investiage and 2) they will not make up stuff about the Y's out of whole cloth.

The Bush Administration, took this one step further. Bush Loyalty became THE factor which DEFINED qualification. The most qualified where guys who could most stick it to the Dems. This goes substantially further. It simply became a Loyalty contest. He fired his own guys to replace friendly guys with outright boot-lickers (thanks to the extra power boost from the Patriot Act).

This Congress should do what they do best.

Naming Post Offices.

Dismissed as "politics." No kidding, that's their job. They work for politicians. They are being accused of doing their job in an abusive matter.

Finally, somebody has enough decency to be outraged by this disgusting partisan hack.

…………………….
What a disgusting, criminally corrupt adminstration. Not only should they be impeached one by one, they should all be in jail. I hope there is some kind of retroactive justice policy in place to take care of this someday.

In any case, did I leave anything off the scorecard?

Posted By Jonah, Boston MA : December 13, 2007 1:19 pm

Jonah,
Nice summary of bluders and improprities by this administration. I would add:
1. Destruction of tapes on Waterboarding.
2. Hiding NIE on Iran and promoting World War III or IV
3. Politics in vetoing every bill sent by democrats incl. Energy and SCHIP
4. Don't have any concern about Global Warmingand showing arrogance on their stand against signing treaty
5. Massive spending on defense programs ignoring social ones
6. Tax cuts for the rich
7. No concern for violent crimes committes by gun fanatics. No policy on gun control
8. Record debt 9.1 trillion
9. Misuse of executive priviledge
9. Secracy in hiding millions of e-mails from White House

Hey Mark from Shreveport,

Democrats don't have to do anything to make Bush look bad. He does that a great job of that all by his little minded, lonesome self.

My apologies; my first post was filled with too many typos to correct, and it drives me crazy when other people write that way on here. Sorry.

But I remembered something else to add to the list: election fraud in Florida and Ohio in both elections that he "won."

Good luck getting this one past the entire Senate.

The Senate GOP will only vote against the effort to put a member of the Bush Administration in Contempt of Congress. Just showing us that they are only there to provide cover for this inept and deceitful administration. Revolution is starting to sound more and more interesting right now.

Telling it like I see it,
Wynter

God, I hate this administration…

After this criminal republican regime is out, we should get together a special tribunal to shine a light on all that they have done so that our country isn't damaged like this again.

great! a step in the right direction, these crooked politicans are NOT above the law.

It's way past time for members of the Bush administration to be held accountable.

The Democrats have been way too soft on the administration's scandals. We're lucky they even formed investigating committees. All we've had is talk with little or no action.

At the rate they are going, the truth of many of the Bush administration's scandals won't be known until after all involved are finished with their current jobs anyway.

It isn't playing politics to get to the bottom of scandals involving abuse of power and breaking the law. Republicans wouldn't have hesitated to go for the jugular if the tables were turned on these scandals.

This is pure politics. It is a shame the AMerican people can vote on a "Contempt of Congress" resolution. Oh wait, we can; it's called an election.
All I can say to this bunch of do nothing politicians is that November 2008 is coming. They need to quit playing divisive politics and start working to solve our nation's problems.

It's about time somebody stood up to these guys. Question now is can they make it stick? I kind of doubt it.

Git a rope!!

For those of you keeping score at home:

-Failure to heed intelligence that could have prevents 9/11
-Failure to lead a successful war campaign in Afghanistan
-Failure to capure Osama Bin Laden
-Defrauding the nation to declare war on Iraq
-Shady issuing of Halliburton contracts
-Coverup of past AWOL situation while in the Air National Guard
-Valerie Plame incident
-Firing of U.S. attorneys
-Illegal wiretapping and intelligence techniques
-Tacit endorsement of torture
-Holding captives without charges or trial at Guantanamo
-Criminal neglect of Hurricane Katrina crisis
-Fake news reports and staged press conferences
-Absolute refusal to cooperate with investigations into any of these misdeeds

All of this, plus his abhorrent political positions, which are intolerant, warmongering, theocratic, and economically simpleminded and impratical. Oh, and he's dumber than more than half the people I meet every day. He shouldn't even be manager of a Burger King.

What a disgusting, criminally corrupt adminstration. Not only should they be impeached one by one, they should all be in jail. I hope there is some kind of retroactive justice policy in place to take care of this someday.

In any case, did I leave anything off the scorecard?

Hillary Clinton says if she's elected president, she'll fire all the US attorneys and replace them. If this happens, I hope she's investigated.

US attorneys are appointed and replaced based on politics. Bush did it, Bill Clinton did it, Bush Sr. did it, Regan did it, and so on.

There's no story here other than Democrats looking to make Bush look bad since they can't get anything accomplished in congress.

This is an investigation into nothing. It is simple political appointees can be hired and fired for no reason. Every President has done it.

This is just politics plain and simple.

Why doesn't Congress address important issues facing this country?

The Executive Branch protecting former members from getting fed to the dogs. The irony of people wanting an honest politician. They're an oxymoron! The Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all had corruption in their political arenas. We the people have always been weak to a handsome face and a soft smile. The Bushies if you met any of them strive to be homely, courteous, and friendly, even while their turning the knife in your back! By the time the Bushies leave office our forefathers wouldn't recognize the form of government we live under. A brash mix of Theocracy and Oligarchy, with a heaping helping of Corporatism within a caste system. Good bye Middle Class!!! Hello 1984!!!

Can anybody say 'scumbag' or 'abuse of power.' These are low-level lackies that used their relationship with Bush to pursue personal agendas and shape the justice system at the level of US attorneys, to accomplish God knows what. They should be punished for playing with the big boys' toys. Plus Rove is really fat and ugly. He'd be somebody's wife in Federal Prison.

A step in the right direction, but what's the point?? Bush will just grant immunity or pardon to everyone involved.

With Congress' approval rating below 25%, why keep digging into an event that the President has sole authority to perform? Who cares who and why these attorney's were fired. The President has full authority to authorize their release at any given moment.

Why is it news that Karl Rove was in contempt of congress? He was in contempt of the American people since his first day on the job.

Now this lead is a hoot!
Considering Rove's:

Contempt for truth.
Contempt for the constitution and bill of rights.
Contempt for anything but the company line.
Contempt for the Congress.
Contempt for classified information.
Contempt for Democrats, Independent–and anyone who is liberal.
Contempt for the U.N. and other international forums of conscience.

Yep…it's about time he were held in contempt alright.

Where was CNN's biased outrage when Billary fired ALL the US attorney's and replaced them with their own dominions??

obama honestly thinks that his drug use is not an issue with the american people? Should we now say tht sex offenders and murderers can be elected as one of our leaders?

So how long till the Republicans that voted in favor will be called RINOs? I know Specter was called one during Gonzo-Gate despite his conservative voitng record.

An 11-7 committee vote represents nothing but more partisan politics from the biggest do nothing congress in American history.

WORST EVER!!

It is just amazing, the amount of illegal activities the bush people continue to endorse. This behavior would be considered arrestable in most circles, yet they continue to consistently violate the law. Aren’t they the ones whom are sworn to protect and uphold the law? Oh wait, that is a phrase police officers and citizens live by, not the political giants in D.C.

George, this is not Pakistan where the dictator can sack chief justice and get himself reelected to be president. The rule of law is paramount and that is why America is the greatest country in the world and a beacon of democracy. As ususal, you have no clue as to what your cronies are doing in your government and you want to protect law breakers and not law enforcers like those border guards in Texas who are rotting in jail for just doing their job. I am glad your days are numbered and you deserve to be named the "worst president ever".