Friday 13 July 2007 -- from the news --The U.S. House Judiciary Committee threatened former White House Counsel Harriet Miers with criminal contempt charges if she continues to defy its subpoena to testify about the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.
Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan gave Miers until 5 p.m. Washington time on July 17 to say whether she will comply. Miers failed to appear yesterday to answer questions under oath before the panel's commercial-law subcommittee, which then voted 7-5 along party lines that her refusal to testify had no valid legal basis.
The contempt threat against Miers further escalates Congress's legal confrontation with President George W. Bush over his refusal to let aides testify under oath about private White House discussions. Congressional investigators are trying to determine whether federal prosecutors were replaced to spur investigations of Democrats or quash probes of Republicans.
"We must insist on compliance with the subpoena," Conyers said in a two-page letter to George T. Manning, an Atlanta lawyer representing Miers. Her refusal "could subject her to contempt proceedings."
Refusing to testify or produce documents to Congress can lead to prosecution for a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of as much as $1,000.
The Judiciary Committee and the full House of Representatives would have to vote to refer the case to the U.S. attorney in Washington, a Bush appointee, for prosecution.
Okay, what do you want to bet that Miers refuses to testify, is prosecuted for a misdemeanor, is sentenced to a thousand dollar fine and one year in jail, and then George does his thing and commutes her fine and sentence.
Meanwhile congress has diddled away a lot of time chasing small fish.
Maybe this is the way it has to be done.
Let's hope that there is still some justice and goodness left in this country of ours that eventually we impeach the big three: George, Dick, and Attorney General Gonzolez who has made a complete mockery of justice.
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Saturday, July 14
Back from the road. I wore my new T-shirt to see what reaction it would get down town Milwaukee on the way to brunch. I received two audible "nice t shirt"s, and a lot of stares.
Our waitress also remarked on how much she liked the shirt. I said I might start selling them from my web site and she said she would buy one.
The lovely Ms Kim says I am a cynic, but I say that waitress was already working on her tip.
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