Right again. Congressional Subpoena and Criminal Subpoena are different from each other. Likewise, compliance with a Subpoena from Congressional Subcommittee is different than compliance with a Subpoena from a criminal court proceeding.

This is not unprecedented and executive privilege has been exerted in the past on this type of subpoena, although in all fairness, the WH does usually (but not always) capitulates. Something tells me, this one won't.

Well, until an investigation has been conducted we don't know what crimes Bush has committed. This is why Congress called Miers in the first place, to delve into the murky waters here. They can look into felonies, misdemeanors, even if they simply want to make sure all these prosecutors got a fair severance package. They are entitled to investigate anything they want and when they call, you have to go. This is why Mark MacGuire appeared and fumphered his way through his testimony, because if he said 'eat me' instead, he'd have been locked up. You can be held in contempt of Congress the same as being held in contempt of court. There's limits that come from her being an ex-attorney of his and there's the limit that comes from the executive privilege; but those don't entitle her to say 'eat me, I'm not going,' and its never ok for the prez to order her to do so.

A congressional subpoena and a court subpoena are very different, defying a court subpoena gets you immediately sent to jail on civil contempt charges. You don't get a trial, just go straight to jail until you decide to talk. Criminal contempt charges are also possible from ignoring a court subpoena, but it's considered indirect contempt, and can only be punished after the accused has had a trial (unlike for, say, an angry outburst in court which is direct contempt and can be punished summarily by a judge).

Contempt of congress can never be summarily punished (it would violate the prohibition on bills of attainder), instead congress refers the case to a US Attorney, who presses charges which would go to trial. As such, there's a lot more opportunity to come to a compromise before the process is completed. Miers isn't going to jail, this was a shrewd move by the executive branch.

For the record, I don't think subpoenoing Miers is appropriate. I do think subpoenoing his aides is OK, but attorney-client priveledge can't be violated unless it's waived, and only Bush (not even Miers) can do that.

Bush had/has an absolute right to hire/fire US Attorney's under the constitution the reason is totally irrelevant legally.

So by definition no crime can be committed in this circumstance.

It doesn't matter why he fired the 8 attorneys. This is just political grandstanding by Conyers.

Bush has every right to tell them to pound sand.

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.

So why doesn't Bush tell the American people, "Yes, I fired them for political reasons"? Because it'd be his neck. Republicans in congress would jump ship to save their own arses in the next elections, and his hopes of getting any business through congress would be lost.

So Democrats have a lot to gain and Bush has a lot to lose if the truth comes out, and these subpoenas are designed to bring the truth to light. Who even cares if there was a crime?

Why should he?

Everything that happens in Washington is politics.

Why don't the dems admit that they weren't decieved about the Iraq campaign and admit it just politics?

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.

The point is this is a losing battle for Bush, it's not going to get out of the papers between now and election time.

Time for the Republicans to face the consequences of Bush's actions, for better or worse.

True it leave the papers it fits the MSM / Dems agenda. If it's not the attorneys it will be something else. The dems are in the 2008 leection already.

OTOH the dem congress has accomplished NOTHING which their ratings are even lower than Bush's. If they only thing they persue are 'scandals' which produce nothing how will that play?

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If the devil can keep you from asking the right questions he never has to worry about the answers.