Secretary of State in Contempt of Congress

[Pontiuth Pilate]

You don't "contemplate" "rejecting" a Congressional subpoena.

http://www.huliq.com/19883/rice-hints-at-rejection-of-congressional-subpoena

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is suggesting she will defy a congressional subpoena to testify about the Bush administration's reasons for invading Iraq.

Rice told reporters in Oslo, Norway Thursday that she has "answered and answered and answered" questions about what she knew about the administration's claim that Iraq sought uranium from Niger in order to build nuclear weapons. That claim later proved to be false.

Rice served as President Bush's national security advisor during his first term, when the administration began planning to oust Saddam Hussein. She says any discussions with Mr. Bush on the matter are protected under executive privilege, and she is not required to testify before Congress.

The Democratic-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved the subpoena Wednesday by a vote of 21 to 10. Rice says she will be happy to answer any of the committee's questions in writing.

Past U.S. presidents have used executive privilege to prevent turning over information to the legislature, claiming it is part of the separation of powers granted under the U.S. Constitution.

Another House panel Wednesday authorized, but did not issue, a subpoena to a former Department of Justice official involved in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. The Judiciary Committee voted 32 to 6 to grant immunity from prosecution to Monica Goodling, a former aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Goodling resigned her post earlier this month. She has refused to testify before Congress, citing her rights under the Fifth Amendment of the constitution which protects individuals from self-incrimination. - VOA New

 

[White Elk]

Through the power of CSpan I witnessed that entire meeting. The case was made to me that Condy needs to appear before congress. The adminsitration attempted to prevent Specialist Bryan O'Neal from testifying but the committee was able to bring him in. Condy has not answered all of the questions they have, and like Gonzales she had some bogus 'I cant remember' answers. If Congress calls she must answer. Otherwise she will undermine the power of Congress to act as a check and balance against executive power. She must go on record under sworn testimony and answer the oversight committees questions.

While spell checking O'Neals name I discovered a US Gov site which apparently has the entire meeting available on line.

 

[GenMarshall]

Oh my, the Bush Administration is getting itself in hot water! .

 

[Phlegmak]

Secretary of State in Contempt of Congress

Condi Rice is making me hot.

 

[mrt144]

what the hell is wrong with this admin? I dont even mean from perspective of what they are doing is wrong, it's the image of what they are doing. Is there anyone in the admin that actually cares about public relations?

 

[Irish Caesar]

The article says that past presidential administrations have refused these sorts of things, citing executive privilege. Does anyone know any examples of this? Does that, in fact, fall under executive privilege?

 

[Mr. Dictator]

what the hell is wrong with this admin? I dont even mean from perspective of what they are doing is wrong, it's the image of what they are doing. Is there anyone in the admin that actually cares about public relations?

"For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side."

dead being an obvious metaphor for losses and stupid moves the administration has done, in this context.

 

[White Elk]

The article says that past presidential administrations have refused these sorts of things, citing executive privilege. Does anyone know any examples of this? Does that, in fact, fall under executive privilege?

I am curious of this as well.

According to Answers(.)com (its actually a wiki referance)...

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications.

That Committee issued the subpoena. The Secretary of State is a federal program, as is National Security Advisor (the job she held when the Tillman and Lynch lies were propagated). And I think that a conspircarcy to decieve the public falls into that "federal policy implications" bit. One of the reasons the oversight committee wants to talk to her is to discover where in the chain of command did the lies originate. Just going by that definition it seems to me that she MUST obey.

And I cannot personally imagine how any president or any government official is above the law of Congress. How can we have a check and balance against abuse of power if certain officials are immune to Congressional oversight? But then I dont understand how bush can do many of the things he has done.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Next time I get a subpoena filed against me, I'll contemplate rejecting it.

 

[bhsup]

Well now, to be a proper check and balance, can the Executive branch summon via subpeona a member of Congress and force them to appear before the President to answer questions?

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

No, because the President's check on Congress isn't investigating it, it's being able to veto its legislation (and to have some influence in the EXECUTION of passed laws).

The Constitution specifically states that Congress can impeach federal officials. Without the subpoena, Congress could never investigate far enough to bring any federal official to trial. It would be squelched right when the President said "I am categorizing this information as protected by executive privilege lol," or in sweeter and shorter terms, "Go Cheney yourself."

The Congress has the supreme investigative function. In fact Congress's ability to ferret out corruption and abuse of power may be more important than its ability to pass laws in the first place.

 

[emzie]

"Go Cheney yourself."

I am so using that in conversations.

 

[bhsup]

I was actually just joshing a bit there, Pontiuth. I sure think Congress likes to use these for grandstanding purposes a lot, but I don't deny their right to subpeona federal officials.

Now private citizens, that's another matter. I think anyone who gets a subpeona from the US congress should tell Congress to go pound sand.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

"I am categorizing this information as protected by executive privilege lol," or in sweeter and shorter terms, "Go Cheney yourself."

why do i not have trouble seeing presidents say lol?

maybe cause congressmen tend to know how to speak in chatrooms too.

I was actually just joshing a bit there, Pontiuth. I sure think Congress likes to use these for grandstanding purposes a lot, but I don't deny their right to subpeona federal officials.

Now private citizens, that's another matter. I think anyone who gets a subpeona from the US congress should tell Congress to go pound sand.

federal officials are, usually, still citizens.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

to go pound sand.

I was about to use that metaphor, then stopped when I realized I read it most often on FreeRepublic. I dunno, is it a rightwinger thing? Maybe a southerner thing.

I sure think Congress likes to use these for grandstanding purposes a lot,

Subp'ing a federal official? I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Subp'ing friggin MLB players? Ugh.

 

[El_Machinae]

Is pounding sand a boxing reference?

 

[bhsup]

federal officials are, usually, still citizens.

My use of "private citizens" was meant to exclude federal officials.

I was about to use that metaphor, then stopped when I realized I read it most often on FreeRepublic. I dunno, is it a rightwinger thing? Maybe a southerner thing.

Is pounding sand a boxing reference?

I had to go to Urban Dictionary to find a reference to its origins. Quoted below is the first reference given. Apparently, it can also refer to a Vietnamese sexual situation, but I'll leave that one unquoted.

"The origin of the expression go pound sand is from a longer expression, not to know (have enough sense to) pound sand down a rathole. Filling rat holes with sand is menial work, and telling someone to pound sand down a hole is like telling them to go fly a kite. The expression dates to at least 1912 and is common in the midwestern United States."

 

[BasketCase]

I've been in contempt of Congress ever since they came up with those T-shirts with a picture of a guy whacking a Congressman with a baseball bat and saying "Let's see if my Congressman bounces as far as his checks!"

 

[IglooDame]

The Congress has the supreme investigative function. In fact Congress's ability to ferret out corruption and abuse of power may be more important than its ability to pass laws in the first place.

That reminds me of a doctor telling a patient with a straight face "you really need to quit smoking" just before taking a smoke break to finishing off his second pack of the day.

 

[Phlegmak]

"Go Cheney yourself."

That...is pure deliciousness.