What Checks and Balances?

by Steve Soto

A Bush appointee to the DC circuit just ruled against the administration, deciding that Congress does have the constitutional authority to subpoena Executive Branch officials. The case arose out of the House's attempts to drag Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers to testify about their knowledge of the firing of US attorneys. The Bush Administration, aided by the Schumer and Feinstein-approved Michael Mukasey, insisted that Congress did not have the authority to force White House officials to appear, even though the GOP congressional leadership did this routinely to the Clinton Administration during the 1990's.

All of this is moot however, because Bush will not allow any of them to actually testify, using a false excuse of executive privilege, and because Nancy Pelosi has already signalled that she has no intention of insisting on congressional prerogatives contained in the Constitution while Bush is in office.