Stevie Z ([info]sonofabish) wrote,
@ 2008-07-16 21:28:00
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Entry tags:bush, comtempt of congress, executive privilege, hyde, joseph wilson, mukasey, nixon, plamegate

It's just like deja vu all over again
Straight off the AP wire from 6:29pm EDT:

President Bush invoked executive privilege to keep Congress from seeing the FBI report of an interview with Vice President Dick Cheney and other records related to the administration's leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity in 2003.

The House Oversight Committee, led by Rep Henry Waxman, had issued a subpoena for these documents, but Attorney General Michael Mukasey refused to turn them over, saying the President invoked Executive Privilege.

Sigh. We went through this shit with Nixon but this time, there's a big difference. Scooter Libby was already convicted (but his sentence commuted by Bush himself) in this matter, so there is no question that what occurred was a crime. Therefore, it doesn't take a rocket scientist or a particularly clever lawyer to make that leap that any conversations/documents/etc associated with PlameGate are in fact material evidence relating to a crime and under US v Nixon, therefore not considered privileged.

Waxman is waiting to confer with his collegues before issuing a contempt citation against Mukasey, but at this point, it's a matter of when, not if.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but events are starting to bear out my argument that much like a stupid little breaking and entering led to the downfall of Nixon, so will this ridiculous little vendetta against Joseph Wilson lead to the downfall of the Prodigal Idiot Son President. It's one thing to be stupid, but now he's crossed the line to congenitally criminal. Thankfully, he and his merry band of supplicants are so blinded by hubris that they really believe they're above the law, just like Nixon did. Well, Dubya's going to get a nasty shock when black-clad thugs from the Department of Justice go Homeland Security (SEIG HEIL!!! ::click click::) on his ass, kicking in his bedroom door at 3am, tasering him and Laura to a fair-thee-well, and then tossing the White House like it is a meth den, dumping the drawers and tearing shit apart looking for evidence.

And wouldn't it be a motherfucker if they found a stash of secret tapes with Dubya and Cheney discussing the best way to open a can of whoop-ass on this peon Wilson? Given the parallels between what happened before with Nixon and now, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. And we can probably look forward to unsubstantiated rumors of Dubya wandering the hallways at night, drinking gin straight from the bottle, and jabbering drunkenly at the portrait of Lincoln.

It's going to be an interesting summer. It just got a helluva lot hotter.


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[info]lillyflowers
2008-07-17 10:30 am UTC (link)
I'm a little unclear on what happens when/if they request interviews, tapes and paperwork after January 09, can he still refuse under Executive Priviledge?

The longer this administration drags on (and on and on and on...) the more parallels I see with Nixon's administration. For the life of me I don't understand why someone would use a playbook that cost someone their Presidency.

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[info]sonofabish
2008-07-17 11:38 am UTC (link)
I'm not sure either, if it would be considered an impeachment or a criminal proceeding. I think, though, it would still go on if Congress cared to pursue it, just because if convicted, Cheney and Bush would get stripped of their retirement benefits, which these days, counts for a helluva lot of money.

The reason they are using this playbook is that there are a number of people in the administration like Cheney who were around during the Nixon thing and believe that Congress overstepped its bounds on a number of issues- FISA, the War Powers Act, Special Prosecutors, and the notion that Congress is allowed to subpoena the Executive Branch- and that the real power in this country lies in the Executive Branch. It's a very twisted reading of the Constitution that ignores the very basis of our country's history. Then again, Dubya's never been the brightest student, so....

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[info]batcave
2008-07-17 01:54 pm UTC (link)
I don't really think much will happen with this. It's too late in Idiot Son's last term for this to gain momentum. Remember, Watergate happened at the start of Nixon's second term, so there was plenty of time. Also, Nixon was REALLY hated whereas people just look at Bush and shake their heads in sad pity. People on both side of the aisle want Bush/Chaney gone and I think would rather just count the days rather than put the country through a criminal process, especially with the dollar dying as it is. Impeaching the President/Vice President wouldn't do much to help it recover.

Also, I don't see a groundswell of public outcry for this issue. People are more worried about fuel oil, price of gas, the war and the failing economy than this. And there doesn't seem to be the pit bull mentality in the press to focus on this issue like they did with Watergate.

I'm guessing most of the information about this case will come out in books and articles written after Bush/Chaney are gone and outside of political junkies, no one will care.

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[info]sonofabish
2008-07-17 02:04 pm UTC (link)
I'm not so sure. You're right about the timing, and this being the end of Dubya/Cheney's reign. But.... their powers are weakened. And this is a chance for Republicans, at no risk to their legacies, to get on the right side of the issue so they can run on the "you see, I was against Bush (after I was for him for 7+ years)."

There are a couple of things at stake here. 1 is Congress wanting to reestablish its role as an equal in government. 2 is the not so small matter that if they're impeached, their pensions and all post-office perks go bye bye. It's a shame we wouldn't also get to be treated to the sight of them in orange jumpsuits doing the perp walk out of a courthouse.....

And there is enough time to get things going. Kucinich already filed articles of impeachment and they're sitting in committee, waiting to be acted upon. Now there's this, and I think things are going to move insanely quickly, and we'll be treated to the same summer spectacle as Nixon's impeachment, which happened in July and August as well.

Finally, I think people would support this. Bush is responsible for quite a bit of this mess, and I think impeaching him would be good for the nation and for the standing of the US in the world, and that would actually help the dollar. Our country is a mess and the world knows it, and this would be a way of showing that we're serious about getting back on the right track and playing nice with the rest of the civilized world.

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[info]batcave
2008-07-17 02:33 pm UTC (link)
Well first of all, do you really think that Bush/Chaney are going to be needing that $190,000 a year pension? How much do you think they are worth right now and how much do you think they can pull in every year with speeches and corporate board membership. Look at how much Clinton has pulled in since he left office. Those pensions and perks might look good to you and I, but they are nothing more than the spare change you find in the couch cushions to them.

Also, Congress has no stomach for this. How long has this case been dragging on and they still aren't close to getting it done. If they really gave a shit, all this would have been happening months and months ago. Also, pretty soon, Congress is going to be bugging out, getting ready for the conventions and their own campaigns. Yes, a few like Kucinich keep making noise about it, but if the rest of them gave a shit, why are the articles still in committee where they are going to stay until this Congress ends, with nothing done about them.

People care about getting the $600 a month to pay for heating fuel next winter, they care that their investments and their IRA's are shrinking every day and that $100 doesn't buy as many groceries as it used to. They don't care about this case, most of them probably have little knowledge about it or understand just what happened. Watergate was in the news every single night, every press conference with Nixon had question after question about it and the hearings were shown live on television every day. People knew what was happening, they could listen to the secret tapes and hear Nixon scheming. You don't have that with this case.

Yes, things are a mess right now (still nothing compared to 1968), but the country and the rest of the world know that the Bush era is just about over, it's not like there are 3 more years left in his term. I think the country and the world will be satisfied just to let the process happen and let Bush walk away early next year.

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[info]sonofabish
2008-07-17 02:48 pm UTC (link)
Well, it's not just the pension- it's the budget for staffers, office space, secret service, and all that. It's a few million a year total. Small change compared to the rest of the budget, but still....

Congress hasn't had a stomach for this, no. But now... their hand is being forced and I think they will fight back because there's now a very solid opening and this is a chance for them to get back some of the powers that Bush/Cheney stripped from them and turned them into nothing more than a bunch of rubber-stampers.

By claiming executive privilege to cover up what's already by determined to be a crime by a court, they're A> telling Congress fuck you B> going against the precedent established in US v Nixon.

And I think, properly positioned, Congress can get people to care if they draw a very simple diagram that traces all the current problems- high oil price, the fucked economy, etc etc- back to Bush. And it's easy. If not for this war in Iraq, which was largely brought about by the lie of Saddam having nuke capabilities and wanting to fob a few off on Bin Ladin, in exchange for "special" goats.... this country wouldn't be in the mess it's in today, and "outing" Plame as punishment for Wilson telling the truth is a direct cause of their troubles.

I dunno, maybe it's the theater geek in me that thinks this should play out like an opera- the bad guys get their just desserts and the fag tenor rides off into the sunset with the girl.

And yeah, I used the word fag. Kind of a running opera joke that anyone who works operas know. The tenors themselves think it's a hoot and wonder when they can get the boy instead.

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[info]batcave
2008-07-17 03:01 pm UTC (link)
Let's see, Bush's net worth is estimated at just under $30 million and Cheney's is at about $100 million. Again, do you think they care when they will be able to get millions in speaking fees, book fees and corporate board salaries? Just don't see it as a factor.

And I'll tell you how confident I am that Bush won't be impeached. If he is, if there is even a vote in Congress for impeachment regardless of the result, I will pay for a round trip ticket for you to go visit the wife in St. Petersburg.

Aeroflut flies out of Boston, right?

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[info]mperrotti76
2008-07-17 04:08 pm UTC (link)
Screw it. I'm moving to Canada.

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