"Elections have consequences."

They're hoping the sniveling ratlings chained to the White house by Bush will blink and cave. Small hope but eh.

They might also have to ...... hell just get it over with.

after August recess? Does Democracy take vacations?

>>Does Democracy take vacations?

It's been on vacation for about 6 years now.

" after Congress' August recess."

CANCEL THE AUGUST RECESS!

Do your jobs.

Truly, what is the effective difference?

Posted by: exdem
Date: July 25, 2007 12:34 PM

Is this is a serious question? Take a look at who was voting to enable an American king today, and who is opposed. Think what will happen with the Supreme Court with another Alito on it.

Go ahead and vote for Nader if you want, fortunately most Americans have come to realize that the republican party is a threat to our way of life.

Well, the Republicans of the HJC haven't caught on to our Middle Class ire on this matter. A vote along party lines shows us these Republicans are not serious about keeping institutional integrity for our democratic government. They are now at a precipice: show us their adherence to our Constitution and help us move forward on this unseemly business of "executive privilege" or show us their diehard partisan support for this WH and its obstructionism. If they show us the former, they will not fall in the next election cycle. If they choose the latter, they will be jumping to their electoral defeat in the next three election cycles. Mark my word! -Kevo

I watched it live, and I have to say you guys who made that mashup video with Josh of Alberto Gonzales' testimony did a fantastic job of distilling the entire sordid tragicomedy into just a few minutes of key snips. Very nice work.

It's incredible to imagine the power that simple reporting like this would have if it were ever allowed to air on what passes for teevee news.

Hey, look over there, it's Lindsay Lohan!

Damn right - if the talking point is tha the Congress is a "do nothing" gang, then why not give them a big fat FU and stay for August recess. After all, our troops don't get August off. Neither do the police, US Attorneys, you get the idea. I really don't think we have a month to wait...

"The AP reports, citing "a senior Democratic official," that "a vote by the full House would most likely happen after Congress' August recess."

More stalling. I think the Dems may be playing it safe for 08 by trying to run the clock out on the Bush Administration by not doing anything of substance which might cause some to get angry with them. Huff and puff seems to be the order of the day.

I am so panicked about the people who think there is no difference between the parties, including my very own spouse. If you guys vote third party or stay home we could have 4 or 8 more years of these liars, cheaters, and theives. They have made serious inroads into the career positions in all agencies. I'm not saying all Dems are good and all Repubs are bad BUT we have to pull together to get the Repubs out, clean house, and ensure the honesty of our own party.

Is this INHERENT CONTEMPT??? Anybody know? That is THE Question yet there's no word yet!

Criminal Contempt is a BRICK WALL!

I think I'll resign now. ... Oh, wait a minute... I have resigned!

Hmmmm "screw" ... Mired again!

In re: Larry,

This is statuatory, not inherent.

I see not a single Republican has any self-respect, much less respect for the law.

No wonder Congress was such a doormat for Bush during the GOP reign.

Wow! A dozen posts and none of them JakeD.

Code word = glass, as in Republicans in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Actually, if they do wait until after the August recess (which I don't think they should be having in this emergency), they will probably use the time to insure they have the votes to get the contempt citation. I guess that's where citizens come in to put pressure on their representatives to support the Contempt of Congress vote.

AFTER the August recess...?! Seems to me we are in the midst of a constitutional crisis... Shouldn't "We the people" be demanding that our representatives stay on the job, shoulder up to the challenge, and bring results, which include saying "You're fired!" How can Nancy and Harry let everyone go on vacation? There's a job to do... I'd call it defending our country...

It's an interesting point that the DC attorney's appointment expires in the middle of August, but I'm wondering how that would matter. Historically, USAs have been allowed to stay in office long after their appointment expires as long as no one complains, or the Prez doesn't decide he wants someone else in the post. Unless Bush makes a move, the DC attorney will still be the same person. And I doubt very seriously that Bush will make a move, because the prospect of Congressional hearings for a new USA at that time could best be described as 'nightmarish' by the Bush team.

The biggest advantage (and this one is a double-edged sword) that I can see is that waiting til after the August recess puts the contempt vote almost simultaneous with the upcoming September round of Iraq deliberations. And if Bushco pushes hard on Constitutional shenanigans with the contempt proceedings, it makes them look even worse in combination with Iraq report at that time. It's a political coup to be able to trumpet that you're trying two (or more) officials for contempt, and the Dems can make noise about it and turn it into negative publicity for the Repubs at a crucial time. From what I can see, the Dem leadership is hoping that things will snowball in the lead-up to September, and maybe the contempt proceedings and the WH's Gonzalez achilles heel can be converted into leverage for an end to Iraq.

Or I could be speculating out of my ass.

The reason why Bush/Cheney have been so successful is they have made their decisions AFTER much deliberation. The Democrats do not. I'm glad Conyers/Leahy are deliberative. Not like the bunch of hotheads here. Yet it seems more and more Republicons are posting here. Josh Marshall you go girl!

I'm hoping that Conyers' thinking here is that during the August recess, the Dem electoral committees can hammer the shit out of the GOPers in their home districts non-stop tv spots. If the Dems play this properly - i.e. no mercy, it is possible that the GOPers will come slinking back to D.C. bloodied and beaten by their consitituents into upholding their sworn duty to protect and maintain the constitution and laws of the United States.

Go ahead and vote for Nader if you want, fortunately most Americans have come to realize that the republican party is a threat to our way of life.

Posted by: ifthethunderdontgetya
Date: July 25, 2007 12:40 PM

And the dems have done nothing EFFECTIVELY to alter the situation. Hearing, yes, accountability or effective change of course, no.

"What's the makeup of the committee? A 22-17 vote does not sound like a vote along party lines.

Posted by: Crust
Date: July 25, 2007 1:45 PM"

I looked at the committee's website. It looks like there are 23 dems and 17 pugs on the committee. So it looks like one dem didn't vote.

If one or more of the Democrat candidates begin to state to the public the exact ways, if elected, he/she will immediately do something concrete to diminish the out of control power of the presidency, I will vote for them. If they don't, I do not believe there will be a democracy to care about with the next couple of decades because both parties have now learned how to circumvent our constitution It does not matter WHICH mobsters are in power!
Remember... there WAS NO Gulf of Tonkin incident and that was a democrat. There WERE NO weapons of masss destruction and this is a republican.
The dead soldiers were both democrat and republican and they are STILL DEAD!

I agree with exdem.

RUN, CINDY, RUN!!!

Short of a Presidential pardon, all Bush Administration officials (up to and including the President himself) will be subject to indictment, trial and conviction on any alleged federal crime. That might set a precedent for when the next (Democrat) President leaves office though . . .

I've "jumped the shark" by pointing out that Bush is subject to indictment, trial and conviction once he leaves office?! I would have thought that would have had YOU jumping for joy.

JEP:

Wrong, as Ford pardoned Nixon with no "conviction" pending. I hope Cheney took advantage of that same opportunity this past Sunday.

You know, I just realized, these trolls give a site like this the best traffic numbers on the blogs, maybe we should appreciate them more. It is agood thing we let thempost here, because it makes these g=blogs look so much better than their wingnut copycats.

Think about folks, if not for all the angry diatribes the newbies keep throwing at them, there wouldn't be nearly so many people visiting, and the traffic numbers on the leftie blogs would all suck as bad in terms of REAL traffic as the rightwing blogs do.

Drudge isn't the only wingnut who has been accused of inflating site traffic numbers, I read a report the other day that sock-puppetry is so much more common on the right, it is epidemic. Apparently, the wingnuts have encouraged their short list of commentors to each creat multiple complimentary blog personalities, that interact in support of each other, despite the fact it is still just one doofus manning the puppets.

I think the article (still looking for the link) said that, according to IP address stats, more than 75% of the right-wing traffic at one site was as due to multiple-personality individuals commenting on the same threads as more than one person.

They have no other way to get their numbers up.

So as long as they won't let those of us here in the center and on the left, post on their blogs, they will never get the real numbers and real dialogue we know so well over here in the REAL blogosphere, the one that "The People" participate in.

Trolls give us traffic, and while I choose not to engage directly, unless I want to know more personally about the troll, I am beginning to see how they have given the Left wWing blogs so much more of a boost than their own wingnut faves.

JEP:

You are forgetting to deduct all the regulars who have posted they will no longer be reading TPM because of the trolls. Nonetheless, I'd be happy to let left-wing moonbats control Internet blogs while right-wing wackos control talk radio. Seems like a fair trade, huh?

The right doesn't do well in the blogs because so few of them can read, fewer still can write. Of that small percentage that can read and write, none can think. It's a difficult predicament indeed.

Senator Patrick Leahy, (D)-VT:
"My oath, unlike those who have apparently sworn their allegiance to this President, is to the United States Constitution."

Despite my feeling of impatience at the slow pace of these investigations, what little I know about Schumer, Conyers and Leahy leads me to believe that these guys know what they're doing, they're being methodical and patient, building an airtight case. I also suspect that they have a bit more evidence in their possession than they're letting on.
Lots of people work in the White House & the DOJ, and it only takes one or two people (who've perhaps decided that they don't want to go down with the ship) to reveal the truth about what really happened.

... and after the August recess if it's passed by the full House it will go to the Alberto Gonzales Justice Department for enforcement.
Yip, Yip, Yip, Yahoo...
Back in town with Thanksgiving approaching Congress Critters will puff up their feathers, strut around the House floor and committee rooms and nothing will happen till after the Christmas break.

Go ahead and vote for Nader if you want, fortunately most Americans have come to realize that the republican party is a threat to our way of life.

Posted by: ifthethunderdontgetya
Date: July 25, 2007 12:40 PM

And the dems have done nothing EFFECTIVELY to alter the situation. Hearing, yes, accountability or effective change of course, no.

Posted by: exdem
Date: July 25, 2007 2:17 PM

After 6-plus years of Republican control, the Democrats have been in nominal control of Congress for about 6 months. And you expect it all to be turned around in 6 months!?

Democratic due process of law takes time. That's reality. You hate the way Republicans behave; yet you demand that Democrats behave like Republicans. Make up your mind.

And while you're at it, whiner, read up on the history of third party national "successes" which did other than drain votes away from one party to the benefit of the other.