Bush lashes out. And Leahy's response:

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/20/bush-lashes-out/

Bush lashes out.

At a press conference moments ago:



“We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants. The initial response by Democrats unfortunately shows some appear more interested in scoring political points than in learning the facts. It will be regrettable if they choose to head down the partisan road of issuing subpoenas and demanding show trials. And I have agreed to make key White House officials and documents available. I proposed a reasonable way to avoid an impasse, and I hope they don’t choose confrontation. I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials.”

UPDATE: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, “I don’t accept offer. It is not constructive and it is not helpful to be telling the Senate how to do our investigation, or to prejudge its outcome. … Testimony should be on the record, and under oath. That’s the formula for true accountability.”

[Eric J in MN]

1. Good answer by Patrick Leahy. NT

NT

[Cabcere]

2. Right on, Leahy!

:thumbsup: You tell him. :patriot:

[skooooo]

19. Right on

I was hoping the Dems wouldn't wimp out. I think Bushco is against the ropes.

[Cabcere]

20. They had better not wimp out.

This looks promising, though...keep your fingers crossed! :)

[deepthought42]

3. Yes! Go Leahy! Glad he caught the absence of the words "under oath".

Show no mercy! :evilgrin:

[billybob537]

4. Repukes wrote the book on partisan fishing

Now we'll use it against them
Boo FRICKEN HOO

[The Doctor.]

37. Not quite.

Their criteria was bullshit, these investigations are not.

[Fridays Child]

51. Exactly...

...and the difference is EVERYTHING.

[Supersedeas]

48. Afriad the Dems might catch a big CRIMINAL fish

[Botany]

5. Yes .... You go Pat

Well I wont back down, no I wont back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I wont back down


Mother Fucker wants a fight ... well now is as good a time as any.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

10. Yep.

The Constitution, wielded mightily, will knock these losers on their asses.

[Botany]

13. They want a fight

Let us give em one. They fired the Attorneys because they were getting
close to exposing bush / Abramoff / Rove / Cheney / and others
CRIMINAL ACTIONS. End of story.

Democratic voter fraud was failed to be prosecuted so that is why they
had to fire some of the attorneys .... please what a line of shit.

[klyon]

62. The problem is that if it goes to the courts, it falls to the guy

appointed last summer to the First Circuit, a loyal Bushie, I think. Anyone know for sure?

[4nic8em]

33. Damn straight...

by god, it's time to throw down and stomp.

[ejbr]

49. The courts

have been predicted to rule in our favor, with the obvious exceptions of Scalia, Thomas and Alito. The other jurists want to leave a legacy as bad as Bush. To condone the removal of prosecutors in this fashion, REPUBLICAN prosecutors no less, would be like them accepting the same fate for themselves. I pray they step the fuck up to the plate.
:patriot:

[spooky3]

I hope Leahy et al. have all their legal ducks in a row.

They had better have been prepared for exactly this reaction and know what exactly they now have the power to do.

Backing down now would not be good.

[wryter2000]

6. Awwwwriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

You go, Leahy!

[AX10]

7. Good! Only under oath testimony will be acceptable!

[emulatorloo]

8. "honorable public servants" should be willing to testify under oath. Go Leahy

EOM

[D23MIURG23]

26. "Honerable Public Servants"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[polmaven]

45. ONEROUS

public servants is more like it.

[The Wizard]

57. And Mark Antony

sarcastically referred to Caesar's killers as honorable men. All, all, honorable men.

[Bitwit1234]

9. Two things I would like to know what he is talking about...

First...partisan "fishing" expedition.

A republican Attorney General, with the firing of republican attorneys for not prosecuting republican crooks. Sure is partisan.

And what honorable members of his staff is he talking about.

[ClintonTyree]

11. Mr. Bush, if you have nothing to hide.....

I'd think you'd be more than happy to clear this up by having the principles in the case testify under oath. I'm SURE no one in your administration has done anything unconstitutional so if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem? :shrug:

I seem to remember a swarm of Republicans saying this exact same thing when it was revealed that the NSA was listening in on Americans' telephone calls, reading their e-mails etc. "If you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn't be worried". Yep, those were their exact words. Now, I certainly hope they aren't proposing TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF RULES! Why, that would be the height of hypocrisy and as we all know, there isn't a hypocritical bone in the Republicans bodies. Right? :sarcasm:

So please, Mr. Bush: come clean and allow your toadies to testify UNDER OATH......IF you have nothing to hide. I won't be holding my breath. :mad:

[jwdeviant]

18. Damn it!

That's what I was thinking, but you said it better than I could have.

[lyonn]

58. "Trust Me" vs accountability

Time for bush to quite running the country in total secrecy, this is suppose to be an open society.

Looks like the bushies are going to have to work for their paychecks and perks for a change since the Dems. are in control. I am enjoying this. Time for some explainin'.

The assertion by bush that he can fire his U.S. Attys. at will is faulty since the rule of thumb has been to dismiss your appointed U.S. Attys. for cause and has been used that way for a very long time. Proof is in the number of US Attys that have been dismissed in the last century.

Slipping "new rules" into the Patriot Act was a typical bush way of ignoring Congress in the appointment process.

Firing the Atty. that prosecuted the Cunningham case and then while she was preparing to prosecute others that were involved in the case is blatant corruption of the judicial system. Like Nixon firring all those attys. that were interfering with the way he was conducting his presidential powers.

[Bluerthanblue]

12. someone should ask why * insists on "micromanaging" Congress. n/t

[halobeam]

23. Great headline for an article... I'd LOVE to see that....

AND ... great question to ask him DIRECTLY.

[The Count]

14. Accountability - the magic word!

[LEW]

15. I don't think Leahy would be saying this

if he didn't have his "ducks in a row".

These are not stupid people, look how far they have pushed shrub already; remember there were TWO press conferences today. Wouldn't have gotten this far unless they really had something.

[Cha]

16. They should get Senator Leahy

on the tube all over the place giving his answer!

[BadgerKid]

17. What's the terra alert level?

Cue some *conian distraction.... :eyes:

[Morgana LaFey]

21. Short, sweet, pithy, and very, very POINTED

I like it.

And so damn true. Isn't it BRACING? Isn't it energizing to hear the truth?? Wow.

[Lena inRI]

22. CHENEY (alias GWBush) versus LEAHY. . .

"I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials.”

versus

". . .it is not helpful to be telling the Senate how to do our investigation, or to prejudge its outcome. … Testimony should be on the record, and

under oath.

That’s the formula for true accountability.”

Go get 'em, Senator Leahy.. .now we really know why Cheney said F*** you on the floor of the Senate because he knew you'd be the ONE HOUND DOG who's not GOING TO BACK AWAY!

You ole hooounddoog, you!




:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:

[lyonn]

61. It does appear Leahy has a way of getting under the skin of

the evil, arrogant one whose does no wrong. Leahy has had to deal with Orin, Hatch this is, for all these years on the judicial committee. Orin was overbearing and pious and Leahy put him in his place for years.

[NoFederales]

24. Here's the great litmus test: if Congress and its various Committees DO

NOT stand up and fight for SWORN and PUBLIC testimonies, then what faith remains for us? What HOPE should we invest in such officials? I can hardly withstand the anxiety this brings.

I watched * recite his lines; I saw the smirk, the hardly-veiled bully smirk as he threatened the democrats--and in my weakness, I so wished for a private audience for just a short while to..........enjoy ..........a ..............beer :beer: NOT!

What? C'mon, ya can't threaten th' bastid, e's th bloody *. Although, personally, I think he might look really well with a wired up face and all, but that's just my dysfunctional side acting out, I guess.:evilgrin:

NoFederales

[Danascot]

25. I LOVE the smell of desperation in the morning!

BOOYAH!

[Pharaoh]

27. Friggin unreal idiot!!

I cannot believe this asshole is the president of the United States!

Hi Sister :hi:

[Mister Ed]

32. I prefer to call him the Acting President...

...since I don't believe he has ever been legitimately elected to the post.

[tavalon]

40. Not a very good actor, though.

No Oscar for him!

[texpatriot2004]

28. And that is what we need, TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY! nm

[Imagevision]

29. Coincidentally Cheeeney announces the SECOND heart prob also today...

Looks like he's preparing an early exit from Washington and Bush's problems.

[Jim Sagle]

30. Remember - he's the Senator they tried to KILL!!!!!!

[rep the dems]

31. Yeeeehaawwwww!!!

Get the son of a bitch, Leahy!

[sampsonblk]

34. Good. This is progress.

Now if the acquiescent wing of the party will just shut up and quit looking at the polls for a few weeks, we might get a knockout blow out of this. Its gonna take some balls though.

[IWantAChange]

35. Sen Leahy - '....the formula for true accountability.' - and TRUTH I might add

that's something that has been missing for 6 years in this country and once that curtain is raised way up on the Wizard and his band of Repukes the resultant shit-storm is going to be unlike anything this country has EVER seen.

Sen Leahy, Rep's Conyers and Waxman - please don't make accommodations in the spirit of bi-partisanship or any of that crap - THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NOT ONLY DESERVE THE TRUTH A GREAT NUMBER OF US ARE DEMANDING IT.

[The Wizard]

59. This is The Wizard

Anyone in the Republican party using the moniker Wizard should be referred to as The Grand Wizard.

[grannylib]

36. The Democrats had better not back down... I am sick and tired of the wimpiness

of the party over the last several years; yes, they were in the minority, but that doesn't mean you roll over and let them use you as a fuckin' doormat!

They MUST keep up the pressure, every one of them, all the time, each and every day, long and loudly, until all these unholy unqualified unelected liars and killers and thieves are GONE.

[AshevilleGuy]

38. WHY isn't Leahy Majority Leader???? n/t

[w4rma]

39. We have a darn good Senate Majority Leader who is allowing Leahy to do his job very well. (nt)

[Eurobabe]

41. My email to Leahy

Dear Senator Leahy,

After watching the Cowboy President on yesterday afternoon challenge the Democrats to not make the Attorney scandal partisan or use it for political gain -- I say, the Democrats BETTER go after this administration, subpeona Rove and Miers under oath, and please televise the proceedings.

We've had SIX LONG years of NO oversight whatsoever against these crooks. It's about time that someone starts looking into their dirty dealings.

If Bush doesn't like the two party system perhaps he should go to the UK, maybe Elizabeth can tap him to be the next Monarch.

[LeftishBrit]

64. Thanks, but no to the last suggestion

Bush would never cope with being a constitutional monarch - once defined as 'a highly paid model for a postage stamp'. He likes his power too much.

And we don't want him here!!! Most British people despise him.

Anyway, I'm glad that he's being investigated, and glad to see him squirm. I always thought Senator Leahy was a good man - after all, anyone who annoyed Cheney that much must be doing something right!

[raccoon]

42. "Accountability" to this administration is as a cross is to a vampire.

But good for Sen. Leahy.

[PinkyisBlue]

43. I'm loving this!

Bush, the great uniter, says "I hope they don't choose confrontation."

Don't back down, Senator Leahy. America is counting on you.

[themaguffin]

44. "Bring it on" Fredo

What a piece of shit, but I welcome the showdown as long as the Dems show up for it.

[maxsolomon]

46. bush has 5 aces in the hole

roberts
scalia
alito
thomas
kennedy

[rodeodance]

47. ho ho, ball is in JR's court NOW

[Contrary1]

50. Leahy should have ended his statement with that famous quote from

the Big Dick..."Go fuck yourself".

[cali]

55. No, no, no

Leahy's known for being killingly polite yet scathing. It's a great combination.

[ourvoicescount]

52. This is getting juicy!

[BREMPRO]

53. Bush is sounding more and more like Nixon during Watergate-- good.

backed into a corner, sticking to his guns and claiming political motives for his critics to misdirect from their obvious corruption. Problem is that Bush loaded SCOTUS will support him on executive privelige... will interesting to see how the Dems get around this..

[Pattib]

54. Where is deep throat when we need him/her?

Step up mam/sir, you know you want to do the right thing.

[stuntcat]

56. W needs to STOP IT with the whiney "partisan" bullshit

after the effing THOUSANDTH time he says it will people start to see it's bullshit? Well probably not since they elected his whiney little ass :mad:

[opihimoimoi]

60. Honorable public servants??? This is what the Oversight is supposed to find out. Are they Honorable?

Bush is resorting to stonewalling....Nixon tried that...failed miserably

Leahy is right on...he got spine....Bush got BS....

[lebkuchen]

63. Leahy was selected (1974) as one of three outstanding prosecutors in the United States.

Bush has an MBA though is a failure at every business venture he's ever embarked on.

No contest.