-Caveat Lector-
Begin forwarded message:
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: July 9, 2007 2:08:12 PM PDT
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Will Bush Resign to Escape Impeachment? Next, Will
President Cheney PARDON Him?
History usually --but not always-- repeats itself:
ENGLAND:
1629 - For its refusal to provide funding for his disastrous
adventurist wars, King Charles dissolves Parliament. Members of
Parliament critical of the King are arrested and imprisoned.
1640 - Parliament is reconstituted, "stacked" with MPs loyal to the
King. When asked to fund more wars, however, even that Parliament
resists and demands that the King grant the legislature greater
decision-making power in matters of war and finance. King Charles
refuses.
1646 - "Civil war" in Parliament between parties supporting and
parties opposing the King.
1649 - Parliament purges itself of apologists for absolutist king.
King Charles is beheaded.
FRANCE:
1787 - King Louis XVI dissolves Parliament. Members of Parliament
critical of the King are arrested and imprisoned.
1789 - Members of the legislature reassemble "illegally" and begin
to prepare a Constitution.
1792 - Monarchy is abolished; France is proclaimed a Republic.
King Louis XVI is beheaded.
UNITED STATES:
1970 - Nixon devises "Huston Plan," authorizing domestic spying and
setting up detention camps for political enemies. "Unitary
executive" idea, rendering Congress superfluous, discussed.
1972 - Watergate break-in. Nixon pressures CIA to defend it as a
"national security" operation.
1973 - Senate votes to have special prosecutor investigate
Watergate; Nixon fires special prosecutor. Nixon vetoes War Powers
resolution limiting his authority to unilaterally wage war.
1974 - When evidence is subpoenaed by Congress, Nixon refuses to
comply, citing "executive privilege" -- Supreme Court rules against
him. Nixon presents argument before Supreme Court that, being
President, he is above the law -- Supreme Court rules against him.
Impeachment proceedings begins. When impeachment appears
inevitable, Nixon resigns. His vice president, becoming president,
pardons him -- sparing Nixon any criminal charges (and possible
arrest and imprisonment) for illegal acts he committed while
president.
White House dares Congress
to fight it out in court
Mon Jul 9, 2007 2:39PM EDT
By Thomas Ferraro and Tabassum Zakaria
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0928853620070709?
&src=070907_1425_DOUBLEFEATURE_prosecutor_showdown
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A defiant White House on Monday dared the
Democratic-led Congress to take it to court for refusing to provide
information and testimony demanded in an investigation into the
firing of federal prosecutors.
White House counsel Fred Fielding, in a letter to two congressional
chairmen, called their demands "unreasonable because it represents
a substantial incursion into presidential prerogatives."
Congressional leaders disagreed, and made it clear they were
prepared to battle in court -- unless they reach a compromise with
the White House on access to documents and witnesses.
"I hope the White House stops this stonewalling and accepts my
offer to negotiate a workable solution," said Senate Judiciary
Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat.
Democrats have sought compromise because a fight over whether
Congress or the White House is right could take years to weave its
way through the court system and still be undecided when President
George W. Bush's second term ends in January 2009.
Bush has adopted a legal doctrine known as executive privilege that
has been occasionally invoked with mixed success throughout U.S.
history to shield presidents and their aides from having to answer
questions or turn over information to Congress or grand juries.
White House spokesman Tony Snow brushed off the threat of a
possible congressional contempt citation, saying, "It's up to them."
"What we do believe is that we are on perfectly solid legal
ground," Snow said.
Democrats in Congress want the documents and testimony to determine
if the firing of nine of the nation's 93 U.S. attorneys last year
was the result of partisan politics and White House efforts to
reward supporters.
The White House has offered to allow current and former aides to
talk to lawmakers behind closed doors -- but only if it is not
sworn testimony and there is no transcript. Leahy and others say
the offer is unacceptable.
In his letter, Fielding rejected requests for materials to support
Bush's claim of executive privilege last month in refusing to turn
over documents. He also wrote Bush, as expected, was asserting
presidential privilege to block subpoenaed testimony by two former
aides, Sara Taylor and Harriet Miers.
Taylor, who served as White House political director, has been
summoned to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on
Wednesday, while Miers, who served as White House counsel, had been
ordered to testify before a House panel on Thursday.
"While we remain willing to negotiate with the White House, they
adhere to their unacceptable all-or-nothing position, and now will
not even seek to properly justify their privilege claims," said
House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers,
a Michigan Democrat.
"Contrary to what the White House may believe, it is the Congress
and the courts that will decide whether an invocation of executive
privilege is valid, not the White House unilaterally," Conyers said.
There was no immediate indication how much longer Democrats would
seek to reach an agreement with the White House before initiating
court action.
Bush and U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales insist the
dismissals of the federal prosecutors were justified but
mishandled. Gonzales, with Bush's support, has withstood bipartisan
calls to resign.
Lawmakers have questioned if partisan politics played a role in the
firings, and have said it appears that in at least some cases a
U.S. attorney may have been dismissed to influence a politically
sensitive criminal investigation.
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