Conservative Donnybrook

Why is this still an issue? President Bush has invoked his executive privilege which covers both Josh Bolton and Harriet Miers. Although the privilege is not absolute (see U.S. v. Nixon) but rather qualified, a showing must be made that the material sought is essential to the justice of the case. The reasons for the termination of eight at-will United State’s Attorneys hardly qualifies as essential to the justice of the case. Rather, the reasons for termination are advice given to the President by his advisers in much the same way he is advised on how to combat terrorism. Will Congress want to discuss our strategies for combating terrorism on the floor of the House?

This whole situation should never have occurred if Republican leadership would have reminded Speaker Pelosi and her cronies that a) United State’s Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President and therefore can be fired for any reason (even their politics) and b) President Clinton terminated 93 United State’s Attorneys when he took office in 1992. There is no wrongdoing here and thus no story, only another Congressional witch hunt.

By the by, kudos to the House Republicans for walking out when the Democrats refused to vote on renewing FISA. National security is far more important than the U.S. Attorney firings.