Another wardrobe malfunction, this time by the White House. Somebody's exposing something big, well, maybe not "big," but bigtime, in the president's directive to "defy congressional subpoenas" today. But, one would hardly expect an administration that decided to go to war unilaterally to cooperate with other branches of government
Quel irony that an administration which once boasted of "openness" and "transparency" now will only let former aides Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor testify "off the record and with no transcript." (AP) What they are showing by trying to hide...my, my...
What a statement, too, that the aides are under command, by the president, to break the law, and refuse to honor a subpoena. But then, as Senator Specter suggests, who's going to believe that criminal charges will be brought by a Bush appointed U.S. attorney? And, what are the odds of going up against a 5-4 Supreme Court? The deck is stacked against accountability, and the buck now can only stop where it began.
Fred Fielding, counsel to the White House and a pro when it comes to claims of executive privilege, notion that the president has "the right to hire and fire his own political appointees" is not without validity, and Congress has the right to investigate those firings, too.
But, somebody in Washington, D.C. has been watching too many John Wayne movies, and needs to be reminded of their inaugural oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States," cause that ain't happening, and this executive needs to learn as much about Billy Shakespeare as Billy the Kid, too. One need only to look at the record number of times the Freedom of Information Act has been invoked during the Bush years to understand the perniciousness of this current rabid claim of "executive privilege."
The people have rights, too, like the right to fire and hire their political appointees. Indeed, Congress has been elected to represent us with respect to that right. It's time to consider firing those who continue to expose their vehement, and toxic disrespect for those documents, and deeds which have defined us as a country for more than two hundred years.
Even the president of the United States doesn't get to hide behind an American flag.
