Such contempt?

Question

So now Bushco won't even obey a subpoena issued by Congress? Even if they show up and say they won't answer the questions because of the B.S. reason of "executive privilege", they need to show up. For the President to demonstrate such contempt for Congress (funny how this has happened now that the Dems control the House and Senate) and our Constitution is just wrong, dangerous, and downright UN-AMERICAN! To say there is a political element in all this is stating the obvious. It's Washington, duh! What Congress did IS legal, that can't be argued (no matter what your political leanings). What the President has done is not. It is contempt of Congress.

What should be done to make this White House follow the rule of law?

Sucks2BeU - even Nixon's white house didn't ignore Congressional subpeonas. What defines executive privelege is another issue.

Answer 1

At this point..honestly I don't think there is much that can be done about it.

You could argue it before the courts..but that takes time..and Bush knows it. By the time the courts settle the arguments, Bush will likely be out of office.

In short..he really doesn't care what Congress, the Courts, or the American people think.

Answer 2

The "Executive Privilege" clause has been pulled out of the Presidential drawer on innumerable occasions during this modern era. President Clinton invoked it on some 40+ occasions. Remember, this was during the Lewinsky scandal so the number is probably unusually high.

The principal behind it is one in which I believe: that the President of the United states should have the ability to ask people for open and honest opinions on important subjects without the threat that those people will be subpoenaed. It is simple enough to put together a conspiracy theory (9/11, WMD in Iraq, etc.), it is a much tougher thing to prove it. Anecdotes, sentences taken out of context, "feelings" and the like will muddy the water even more. So, I favor these claims, no matter who the President is at the time.

PS: The White House has offered to have the two people in question testify privately before the House committee requesting their public appearance. If the true object of the subpoena is to find the truth then that White House offer should suffice. If the investigative party is looking for headlines then the public testimony is required.

Answer 3

Were you old enough to write during the Clinton years? He did the same thing. So have many other Presidents through history. The US has a "separate but equal" system of government so one branch cannot dictate to the country. Bush most certainly has executive privilege. So did Clinton. I wish congress would get the balls to stand up to the real threat to our constitution - the Supreme Court. Study up on your history and take a course in American Government. Not the one taught by the socialist teachers in the public school system, or the leftist professors in our universities, a real one. Get a book and read it.

Go Answerer, and don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out. Don't bother coming back.

Answer 4

Hate to say it but Executive privilege is protected by the Constitution. That is why it will never make it to court, because then the Democrats will have egg on their faces for pushing a bogus issue. This was proven out with the Cheney / Oil corp. meeting notes that the Dem's. wanted a few years back.

So many of the American people have such a short memory. This is what fuels the politicians, the public ignorance of the law and media manipulation.

Answer 5

How can congress have such contempt for the Whitehouse? Since they failed to elect a president from their party, the dems in congress have been trying to pick off members of the administration, one by one. They just want to get staffers in there, when there's not even a crime to investigate, and testify under oath. Hopefully, when memory fades a little, one of the staffers will forget to say "I don't recall" and contradict themselves so they can be charged with perjury. Since the dems are just playing gotcha' games, I think Bush feels ok giving them the finger right back.

Answer 6

I think that Congress should issue a contempt citation and start the impeachment procedings. I think enough Republicans would go along. They just don't want to be the ones to start it.

The Clinton impeachment is a bad example of the timeline. Starr had to trump a lot of new charges as each wave failed. 440 charges in all, 439 of which were ruled unfounded by the Republican House Managers. No need to waste time like that on this one.

Answer 7

This is the same song and dance that Nixon did when he was president.

The house of cards will fall only if the truth comes out.

With the Nixon admin, it took a patriotic insider code named deep throat to leak the truth of criminal activity in the administration to investigative reporters Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein for the house of cards to fall.

Answer 8

There's no clear cut law that will forced the White House to allow the executive branch to have its subpoenaed staff appear in Congress. Pass a specific law to that effect and those who will not follow are subject to appropriate punishment. If there's no punishment, it can be ignored.

Answer 9

No man or woman, regardless of wealth, position, creed or religion is above the law. To say the law is blind in this country is a flat out lie. Bush thinks he has no accountabilty to the American public or responsibility for his actions. Even now he is trying to blame the failures of his Iraqi adventure that has left so many dead on Hillary Clinton.
In our fear after 9/11, we gave him too much power. Absolute power equals absolute corruption. He thinks he is above everything and everybody including the laws of this land. Why else would he call himself the decider? Why else would he call the Constitution a God dmmmed piece of paper. Is this not the document our soldiers swear to uphold and defend to their very death?

Answer 10

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