Today Congress filed criminal contempt charges against Harriet Meiers and Joshua Bolton.
A criminal contempt charge must be enforced by a U.S. Attorney. Bush has already mandated that this will not take place. The charges will languish, and Congress will do nothing.
Congress has the power of inherent contempt. It can tell its Sergeant at Arms to arrest and imprison a contemnor. It is rather obvious that given the lawlessness of this Administration, only unilateral action by Congress will work and only unilateral action stands a chance of restoring Congress to its rightful role in our system.
Alternatively, the Senate might hold up Mukasey’s confirmation until he at least agrees to appoint a special prosecutor to prosecute the contempt citations, and pledge not to interfere with that person. I suggest Patrick Fitzgerald.
Don’t expect Congress to do any of these things, or anything else even remotely effective. It is in the business of demonstrating its own impotence.
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[…] to confess to error. A while back I reported that the Congress had filed contempt charges against Harriet Meiers and Joshua Bolton. I erred. In fact, the Judiciary Committee had merely filed the charge with the full House. I was […]
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