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Judge: Obama Admin Must Weigh In On US Attorneys Fight By Weds
Are things finally coming to a head in the long-running effort to get testimony on the US Attorney firings from key Bush aides?
A federal court has said that the Obama administration must file its brief in the case of Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten by next Wednesday, reports Politico.
The administration had asked to have until March 4th to get its position straight.
Miers and Bolten, both top aides to the Bush White House, were subpoenaed by Congress for testimony on the U.S. Attorney firings. President Bush had asserted executive privilege, sending the matter to the courts. Now the Obama administration must decide whether to back Bush's claim.
An executive order issued by the Obama White House on its first full day in office suggests it won't, in the view of some experts.
The issue of Karl Rove's testimony on the firings could also be at stake, since any ruling in the Miers-Bolten case could affect the stand-off over Rove. House Judiciary chair John Conyers has subpoenaed Rove, whose lawyer then kicked the issue over to the Obama White House.
Things are getting interesting...
Josh
Zachary
This is critical for Obama and holder to weigh-in in favor of these turds coming before congress. Let's inform the Administration of just how important!
February 19, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somehow, all I can think of are the poor bastards at the DOJ who just saw their plans for every waking hour of every day between now and next Wednesday go up in smoke.
February 19, 2009 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Same here. But it's the disappearance of all non-waking hours that may hurt the most.
February 19, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is starting to appear that the Obama Administration is desperately looking for a way to allow Bolton, Rove, and Miers to continue to show their contempt for Congress.
Since when has a subpoena been subject to "I don't want to show up?"
This is not the "Change you can believe in."
It is a continuation of the contempt of the "Rule of Law" for political figures which was characterized in the Bush Administration.
Americans need change. This would be a good place to start.
February 20, 2009 7:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Look they asked for a two-week extension, the judge gave them a one-week extension. No biggie.
Maybe they wanted to be sure they got one week, so they asked for two weeks. These things happen.
I used to be a lawyer though and I don't miss this sort of stress at all.
February 20, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know this case makes me think of all the Ponzi schemes crashing in the news.
Did Bernie Madoff and "Sir" Allen Stanford really think the string would never run out and there would never be a day of reckoning?
Similarly did Bush's "soldiers" really believe Rove's permanent Republican majority delusion and that they would never be called to account?
Of course, while it was working, it was working really well - power and/or money and the obeisance of the Village, the political classes and the press.
February 20, 2009 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I've written to the President (whitehouse.gov -- leave a comment). I hope everybody else does, too.
If Obama doesn't get pressure from the left, he's going to keep doing right-wing stuff, as he did today on the Afghanistan prisoners. We've got to push him left. So please write to him.
The Constant Weader at www.RealityChex.com
February 20, 2009 11:02 PM | Reply | Permalink