>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080731-1544-congress-contempt.html > >This ruling, if it stands, would set a horrible precedent for the >separation of powers between the executive and the legislative >branches of our government.Congress will be able to compel anyone from >the executive branch (except the President, who must be impeached) to >appear and testify before any committee they choose, on any day they >choose.
Not really. It would ensure accountability at least. In other words a lot of the egregious crap that occurred under this and previous administrations could possibly have been either prevented or stopped a lot sooner. Besides lots of other countries that use the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy have this and their democracies haven't collapsed. > >Just consider what will happen when Congress begins to really abuse >this power (and abuse it they will, Democrats and Republicans alike, >for expressly political purposes). Congress will effectively be able >to stop all business at the White House by issuing a constant stream >of subpoenas to White House aides. That is not what the framers of the >Constitution had in mind when they created co-equal branches of >government, and I can scarcely believe a sitting judge would be so >dense as to issue a ruling that would allow it to happen. And just think without this accountability, how easy it is for the administration to abuse its power. Federal attorney firings, political appointments to non political positions within the justice department, unconstitutional wiretapping, Whitehouse interference with regulatory decisions, White House interference with judicial decisions etc. All are the result of a lack of accountability to the representatives of the people. Another couple of good examples, the Iran-Contra and Watergate scandals. > >I just hope the Supreme Court steps up and knocks this ruling down. I >have no desire to see all business of government stop in a subpoena >war between Congress and the White House. I hope not, the current administration is a prime example of what happens when there is no accountability. Here's a great suggestion, have the equivalent of a Prime Minsiter's question period where the president appears before the senate to any and all questions from the senators. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:265085 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
