"Clearing it up 'would forever alter the accommodation process that has served the Nation so well for over two centuries,' attorneys wrote."

I would argue the the Bush Administration has single-handedly blown up the "accommodation process" by refusing to accommodate Congress on even the smallest matters.

Sorry, cut taxes in wartime, not raise them, while putting the whole war on loan too.

Such a stupid idea my fingers wouldn't type it.

It is pretty clear they have no defense.

The wording of this claim is designed to give Judge Bates the excuse he needs to justify not hearing the case and to deny the court the chance to hear legal arguments.

The Bush regime has no shortage of justices who toss cases. Their reasons are not legal reasons but almost word for word what the Bush team gives them to say.

A number of judges have tossed cases on spying saying they would not be responsible for weaking the war on terrorism by revealing secrets in court....

And some wonder why they chant liberal activist judges to ram their guys through. We'll see if justice is handcuffed by fixed judges.

I would argue that they're right! The Congress is going to the court whining and whimpering. They should be coming out like lions! Their subpoenas are being ignored by the chief executive on flimsy to no excuses because he's being cocky! They've been needing to knock him down several pegs for a long time, and now they have a blueprint from his own DOJ telling them what they must do. They have also the ability to use inherent contempt, and if they throw Josh Bolten and Karl Rove in jail until they're ready to testify, it won't take very long at all. I sure hope they have some really juicy questions ready and not the normal softball ones. If they're gonna be pushed into going farther than what they want, they should at least make it worth it! I don't want to hear any more excuses or cutesy plays of the week, they know what they have to do, just do it before the time runs out already!

"For over two hundred years, when disputes have arisen between the political branches concerning the testimony of executive branch witnesses before Congress, or the production of executive branch documents to Congress, the branches have engaged in negotiation and compromise," Justice Department lawyers wrote...."

Yeah, but:
A) This administration is historically corrupt, so it's hard to play the precedent game.

B) When has this administration ever compromised?

For pity sake, Congress has the power of the purse for a reason. When someone in the president's position shows you as much disrespect as this president has, and you represent constituents, in other words, you and me, you should, you must, shut him down until he gets the proper respect for his bosses, which is, incidentally, you and me. The congress is not just ceding their own power; they are part of the cause for a constitutional crisis for allowing the balance of power within our own government to go completely out of whack. The checks and balances have not adequately been applied as a reminder to the chief executive that he works for the people; not the other way around. I haven't seen anyone make serious enough efforts to force the president and his goon squad to understand that the executive branch is not just an arm of their party. Rethugs would never let Dems do it. Look what they did to Clinton! I realize that Dems were not in the majority for most of this administration, but they ought to be able to think of some way to exercise their powers or they're useless! Seems to me a large part of their problem is they have no testicular fortitude, as they say. Time to get some!