Contempt!
The votes are in: 22-17, the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee voted to cite Bush's former top aide and counsel for contempt of Congress after their refusal to cooperate with subpoenas in the ongoing investigation into the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. After the President wielded executive privilege to keep them from testifying before Congress, Joshua Bolton and Harriet Miers are now in the hands of the full House, which will have to approve the citations. As the battle between the White House and Congress continues to escalate, John Conyers, the panel chairman, explained his decision to push for contempt. "This is not a confrontation we have sought and is one we are still hoping to avoid," he told Bloomberg, saying the White House made "take-it-or-leave-it offer which would not allow us the access to the information we need. This is the only proposal we have received." NYT has full coverage of the Democratic Response.
- Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith
