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Senator Threatens to Charge White House With Contempt

nytimes.com — Senator Patrick J. Leahy threatened to pursue contempt charges against the White House over its response to a subpoena for documents on a surveillance program.

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 22, 2007

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  • straybullet21, on 10/10/2007, -2/+42Bush: "I'm going to have to use my executive privilage"

    Leahy: "I swear, I'm gonna turn this car around and go right home"

    The time for idle threats is OVER. ***** do something or shut the hell up about it. Impeaching the pres and VP isn't gonna go a god damn bit of good when they only have like 2 hours left in their terms. the damage has been done, and congress won't do anything to fix it.
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -7/+42Democrats get impeached over a blojob but they can't impeach the Repukes over war on lies?!

    What a bunch of gutterlicking, hypocritical little pussies you Democrats are.
  • truspark, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15They are laughing at you like a hapless hall monitor Leahy.
  • espek, on 10/10/2007, -0/+15Yawn.

    Somebody wake me up when the Democrats find their balls and actually carry out their threats against the White House.
  • arbulus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+15Agreed.
    The Judiciary Committee and the Senate at large keeps taking this UN-like stance: "Ok now, if you keep this up we're going to do something. I mean it, one more time and we'll subpoena you! No seriously, we're really going to do it", but they never ***** do anything.

    ***** or get of the pot. I'm sick of talk. Either take action against the White House as you should and as you say you will, or STFU and move on with rubberstamping the President's *****.
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+15OK, someone needs to read the Constitution.
  • Tyrsson, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15Wouldn't cutting funding for the White House be faster?
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12Executive privilege is not a free ticket to break the law. Congress has the power to cut funding. Do it. Call your congressman today and demand action.
  • Akaji, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10That would require Congress to grow a brain. Good luck on that one.
  • kakti, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10Yup...someone wake me up when they actually do more than talking tough
  • InetRoadkill, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9This is hardly a witch hunt. It's a very real constitutional crisis brought about by a blatantly corrupt administration. Congress has a duty to investigate and prosecute such misbehavior. So far, it's failed miserably at that task.
  • StormTrooperVII, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9This guy needs to stop threatening and start doing
  • TheSabre, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Leahy is nothing more than one of those parents that threatens their children by saying "If you don't (fill in the blank) by time I cound to three... one, two...*stops*".
  • satanatnmtedu, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7What the ***** are you talking about? The Congress is one of the checks and balances on the Executive Branch. There is nothing in the Constitution that says that Congress has no power over the Executive branch and can't hold agents of the Executive branch in contempt. These agants take an oath to defend the Constituion; they aren't doingit by defending Bush.
  • Quick2822, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6How many more times is he going to threaten the White House before he actually does something. It feels like every day or two, I see an article on digg.com that says that he is going to issue this, or charge them for that, yet nothing happens.

    ***** or get off the pot.
  • InetRoadkill, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Damn straight. Take action, or shut up and announce your resignation. I think the public is tired of this lip service and empty threats of action. Just Do It already.
  • zeusthemoose, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8That is because Bush himself REFUSES to testify under oath. If the Bush was to testify, THEN you can start the impeachment process. Everyone knows that bush is a lying sack of *****.
  • ubergoose, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Apparently know one reads the history books as history keeps repeating itself...
  • WarpFox, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Since an approval rating is a random sampling of say, 1000 people or so, you can't use it for dick. In fact, ALL polls can be way off, the only way to be sure who the people want in office is to hold a massive simultaneous polling of all citizens. .... which we do every 4 years.
  • mbierman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Put up or shut up already. Shesh.
  • LBTS, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5You can take that tact with normal, honest, moral people. After 6 years of watching the Bush Whitehouse, though, it is painfully obvious to everyone that they are not normal. honest, or moral.

    It's time to start prosecuting them.
  • mbierman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Why either or?
  • mishaco, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4DO IT ! and be quick about it . quit trying to pin the war on the current administration . its theirs . now cut off the funding and let them stew about it . all this sitting around and debating the same tired points contributes to the deaths of thousands and wastes millions of dollars . GET THE JOB DONE !
  • MadScientist68, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Well, Congress doesn't care about the constitution. This is just more political posturing in trying to appeal to his base. He is trying to look like the brave Political Warrior fighting the good fight, but he is disingenuous knowing that he will never make it happen.
  • neuralzen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4It's all a show, the Senate is dragging their feet because there's some BS politics between them all....it's a feigned attempt at justice...but it really doesn't seem to be anything more then an illusion, real men would have acted, and these men are too selfish to act in the interest of others.
  • Piedramente, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8BREAKING: Senator threatens useless action and wastes more time.
  • rmmcclay, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Does anyone remember that someone tried to kill Leahy with an anthrax letter? The recipients, some of who were killed, were either "liberal" media or democrats.

    =)
  • icexe, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4The Senate is about as effective as the UN. Do as we say or we'll sit an talk endlessly about how bad you are!!
  • tazmeister, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Man, the trend here is they need to either do something or just admit they're all part of the one party in this country. Its not democrats or republicans, its the politicians party.

    The white house quite obviously is set in its ways and obviously will not compromise, so threatening just delays the inevitable.
  • bshock, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Dear Esteemed Gentlemen:

    Please stop threatening -- just do it already!
  • UglieJosh, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8It WILL do a LOT of good. It will set a precedent and send a message to future administrations and make it impossible for the history books to vindicate Bush Co.
  • waynemr, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Stop threatening and ACTUALLY ***** DO IT!
  • zadadka, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Actually, that's "Man Bites Dog"....
  • theNazz, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I'm certain the Justice(?) Department will refuse to go after anybody in the Bush/Cheney protected circle even if Leahy manages to find his balls.
  • dreamtiger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3It's time to DO IT Mr Leahy. The whole world is watching.
  • Tyrsson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I don't know that I presented this as an either/or option. Rather, I asked if one would be faster than the other. It remains true, however, that I have serious doubts about pursuing a lengthy legal process that likely could be extended to the end of Bush's term, especially when that route runs straight through the US Attorney's office.

    The Founding Fathers gave Congress the power of the purse for a reason. It shouldn't be used frivolously, but neither should "Executive Privilege," a "privilege" that is not even codified in our Constitution.
  • Neurocat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5STOP THREATENING. PUT UP OR SHUT UP.
  • seanherman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Congress is in recess, Leahy can't do anything immediately. As the story mentions, Leahy is finished waiting for the Administration to cooperate, and claims he will absolutely support contempt citations when they're brought (and they will be). Unfortunately, until congress is back in session in September, nothing whatsoever can be done. This is a final deadline, and there will be no more extensions.

    I've said it before, but some people don't seem to understand that cooperation is the more effective legal route. The Democrats, being reasonable people, tried pursuing that route first, in hopes of avoiding lengthy, complicated legal battles that could carry on for years. The administration is clearly unwilling to cooperate, so they've started pursuing different avenues.
  • TherealObadiah, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Little leaky Leahy and his 18% supported Democrat Congress.

    Bwahahahaha....what next, Leahy threatens to hold his breath until he turns blue??
  • inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5The mainstream politicians mislabel our current overextension of the military and deficit spending on the military as "strong defense", when in fact we are more vulnerable to a combo military/financial attack than at any time in our history. Borrowing trillions fo dollars from china and the oil producing countries makes us INCREDIBLY vulnerable to a 1-2 attack on the dollar and then our military. The current interventionsit foreign policy is endangering our country!

    Read the CFR articles now and from throughout the Vietnam war. Shockingly similar rhetoric. "Isolationism" is their dirtiest word, slung around to diparage any liberal peace niks or communist sympathizers. The only reasoning they use to argue against the current war strategy is that it is so widely hated by most americans they are scared it could make the populace go "isolationist"=peaceful advocates of free-trade =lower taxes and lower military spending. This is seen as unnacceptable by the CFR crowd so they are willinging to accept CFR team b candidates like Obama or Hillary...who will maintain military spending, foreign bases yet appease a large portion of the anti-war crowd.

    In one of the issues that I agree with the published articles CFR ,opening up free trade with Cuba, it is interesting to see that NONE of the CFR presidential candidates are in favor of free-trade with Ron Paul....ONLY Ron Paul! why is this...the more you do honest research on CFR the more you can see that they are 100% pro-interventuion and military spending on every issue.

    RON PAUL is the only true american running for president!
  • NotAChickenHawk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Threatening contempt charges is useless. Why? Because Contempt of Congress is a Federal crime like any other Federal crime. That means that the prosecutor would be the US Attorney, who can decide not to prosecute (or decide not to try very hard). Considering that all of the US Attorneys report to Gonzo, and he reports to W. Oh, and lets not forget that since Contempt of Congress is a Federal crime just like any other, the President's powers of commutation and pardon come into play too. So, something tells me that Contempt of Congress charges against any of W's inner circle will float about as well as a lead balloon.
  • Buckler, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I agree that Congress should put up or shut up. It won't make any difference in the end, though; the DoJ has already said that they won't pursue contempt charges. The only hope, I think, that Congress has is to attempt a charge of Inherent Contempt.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inherent_contempt#Inherent_contempt

    Have the Sergeant-at-Arms arrest the bastards and throw them in the cell in Congress' basement until they're ready to pony up the information that Congress wants. Of course, they'll never have the balls to do it.
  • arbulus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4No, it has already been shown that they spy program eavesdropped on every single american citizen.
    This is not a matter of listening to foreigners ouside the US, it's a matter of spying on innocent people with no just cause, no warrant, no reason, because that is what's happening. They're just blanket spying on everyone and hoping that they catch something while they're at it.
  • DeathBorn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2It's not our fault that our representatives are wimps, do you really think that the American public would rather have Democrats who get pushed around by the Bush administration?
  • Homerr, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3***** 'threatening', just do it already!
  • CatScan29, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2BLAH BLAH BLAH, please someone wake me when they actually do something besides pout. (I think that I will get a very long nap in while I am waiting.)
  • knomevol, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2yeah - the bush administration!
  • LBTS, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Ah, rabies. At last we have an explanation for Cheney.
  • yodaj007, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I did. She acted like Nelson, pointed at me, and said, "HA HA!"
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