Leahy talks tough, and then caves again...

[rateyes]

Senate Democrats who bemoaned the White House's refusal to turn over subpoenaed documents in their investigation of the firing of eight US Attorneys won't block Bush's nominee for Attorney General, Michael Mukasey, despite the fact he won't promise to release the files.

Mukasey, the man Bush tasked to enforce the laws of the United States, has no said whether he'll allow Democrats access to files and email messages about the prosecutors' firings and legal justifications for Bush's warrantless wiretapping program.

In a public letter dated Tuesday and released Wednesday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) said he'd go forward with confirmation hearings regardless.

<snip>

more at link: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democrats_drop_demand_for_documents_as_1004.html

[graywarrior]

1. I've lost all hope that they will do anything.

Makes me walk around in an agitated state all day. Fuckers.

[rateyes]

3. I hear you....

I've spent a lot more time in the lounge lately because of that fact. :hi:

[graywarrior]

6. Can't get no satisfaction and it's frustrating as hell.

[rateyes]

8. It's cowardice. nt

[calimary]

14. No kidding.

I've been walking around in an agitated state for almost SEVEN FUCKING YEARS!!!!

Leahy's caved. Waxman's caved. Conyers has caved. Pelosi gave up before she even got started. Guess they must like lying down a lot.

[rateyes]

17. Crumbled like a Minnesota bridge. nt

[ShortnFiery]

2. Not all that much different than his colleague ...

Senator "hair plugs" Biden. :shrug:

Newsflash: We, the wage slave American, are being PUNKED by our "illustrious" (corrupt sell-outs) Democratic Leadership in Congress. :(

[rateyes]

4. I call what they are doing the SIPP

Senate Incumbents Protection Plan.

[cali]

12. Yeah, too bad

biden and kennedy and feingold and others didn't back him up.

[snappyturtle]

5. We have two political parties.

One is the left side of the repuke party and second is the right side of the repuke party. It hit me this morning when I heard Leahy's decision on tv this morning. They're all the same. Sorry to say this. What in the world has happened?

[rateyes]

10. Yeah, it won't be long before the so-called

moderates in both parties are joining hands and singing Kum Ba Yah...while the country goes to hell in a handbasket.

[cali]

7. This is such ignorant bullshit it's almost not worth responding

First of all, Leahy got zilch back up from any other dems. Not from Schumer or Feingold or Kennedy or any other dem on the JC. In fact, Schumer actively undercut him. He got no backup from the leadership. In fact, Reid undercut him. Democrats have to stand together to succeed in efforts like this.

Secondly, the current acting AG, Peter Keisler, is literally the worst of the worst, and the longer he's left in, the more coverup and damage he's doing. I don't know how much better Mukasey will be, but at least he's NOT a bushco crony.

Thirdly, the confirmation hearing could be enlightening and useful.

[rateyes]

9. Leahy is chair of the committee....

He has the power all by his lonesome to refuse to schedule a hearing and to block this nomination until he gets the subpoenaed material.

Courage, cali, means standing on principle even if no one else is standing with you.

What's "bullshit" is talking like you have courage, and then folding like a tent when it comes to backing up your words.

So, perhaps, the next time you think that anything that I say is so much bullshit that it's almost not worth responding to....don't respond to it.

And, as far as "ignorant" is concerned..."There are none so blind as those who refuse to see."

[cali]

11. It's clear you don't have a clue as to how things work

It's simple. You can't get things done is the Senate on your lonesome.
You may think that his refusing to schedule hearings would be a display of courage, but it wouldn't. and it wouldn't accomplish shit.
I never thought that was a good idea of Leahy's. I always believed that scheduling a hearing and asking certain very pointed questions was a far better approach, but that's neither here or there.

The fact is that leaving Keisler in power is a VERY bad idea. And confirming Mukasey may be a VERY bad idea as well. Sometimes people are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. It's clear that Leahy could refuse to hold a hearing from now until Jan. 20th, 2008, and the admin wouldn't give him what he's requesting. It's obvious he's been trying for a month. He has no good choices.

[rateyes]

13. I know exactly how things work, cali...

you are the one without a clue. Tell me, just how long can Keisler serve as interim? Do you know? He can't, by law, serve until January 20, 2009.

Here's what will happen in your scenario (which is what's going to happen)---Mukasey will be asked the pointed questions...he won't answer them...he won't promise to turn over the material...he won't promise to make sure that the justice department will present the contempt charges to the grand jury...AND THE DEMS WILL ROLL OVER AND CONFIRM HIM ANYWAY.

There's a pattern here, and you won't open your eyes long enough to see it.

[cali]

15. How long did Bill Lann Lee serve as Acting Asst. Attny Gen?

I believe it was longer than 120 days. And frankly, what's better Mukasey or Keisler or another bush crony. Sometimes there are no good options. Period.

[rateyes]

16. The best option is to hold up confirmation until

the subpoenas are honored, and Miers, Rove and Bolten either testify or are held in contempt of Congrss until they do.

We've got to get to the truth, and not using the best leverage we have to get to it is a display of political cowardice.

Confirmation hearings be damned. Why are you so damned comfortable with this cover-up?

[cali]

18. They won't honor the subpoenas. Period. That much should

be evident. bushco doesn't give a shit if Mukasey is confirmed.

My position from the get go was that Leahy was wrong to try this tactic, and that he SHOULD hold a hearing and demand promises that Taylor will prosecute those ignoring subpoenas and any contempt citations, that the IG will be permitted full latitude in his investigations and that an independent Special Prosecutor will be appointed. After today's NYT revelations, I'd add a few more. They should pass the nomination or withhold it based on his answers.

Leaving Keisler or another bush crony in power to destroy evidence and cover for bushco is not acceptable.

[rateyes]

19. Do you hear yourself?

Leaving Keisler or another bush crony in power to destroy evidence and cover for bushco is not acceptable.


As if Mukasey isn't going to do that? And, Leahy is giving them the opportunity to do it.

If they won't abide by the subpoenas, then PUT MIERS AND ROVE AND BOLTEN IN JAIL for contempt. Miers would sing like a canary before going to jail for Bush.

Let's face it...the Democratic Leadership has declared that Bush and his minions are above the law.

[cali]

20. Look, Mukasey is not a bush crony.

And they can't put Meyers or anyone else in JAIL if they don't have the votes, and they don't.

Let's face it, your frustation with the situation has eaten away at any rationality. It's fucking laughable to think that Leahy has the power to imprison anyone.

[rateyes]

25. Leahy can hold up the nomination....

And, one thing is for sure...if they don't bring it up for a vote, they won't be held in contempt. The Democratic leadership, including Leahy, don't want to go on the record refusing to hold the administration in contempt. They're afraid to vote. They don't want to hold the administration in contempt, but they don't want to show it with a vote. That is political cowardice, any way you slice it.

If they're not going to bring contempt up for a vote in the full Congress or Senate...then, quit charging them with contempt in committee. They are rendering themselves impotent.

[cali]

28. That's just pretzel logic

Again, holding up the confirmation achieves nothing but leaving Keisler in to destroy evidence and cover for the admin. As for not wanting to hold them in contempt, your "evidence" for that is lacking. Those who want to hold the miscreants in contempt, don't want it slapped down, they want a chance of success.

[rateyes]

30. FACT: Leahy said he would tie confirmation hearing

to subpoenas

FACT: Leahy backtracked, and is not going to do it, even though he has the power to do it.

THEREFORE: Either Leahy lied, or he chickened out.

[cali]

31. I agree. He backtracked, but your conclusions are not the only

possibilities. Could be that he tried to get the materials and realized they'd never give 'em up, and that it was time to change tactics.

I've already stated that I believe Leahy's statement that he wouldn't hold confirmation hearings until he got the material he sought, was a mistake.

[yodermon]

27. Why can't the Dem leadership *get* the votes?

Granted the blue dogs & DLCers are quite numerous in both houses, but don't reid/pelosi have any leverage, arm-twisting, or compromising abilities? From where I sit it seems that they aren't even trying. They look at the numbers and throw up their hands and say "oh we don't have the votes, whatever shall we do?" They need to take these blue dogs into the cloakroom, find some pressure points, and get medieval on their ass.

Kind of like this, only they'd be using their powers for good, not evil.

[cali]

29. Not enough leverage to twist arms like Ben Nelson's

or Bill Nelson's or Mary Landrieu's or Bingaman's. They're more afraid of being ousted by their largely repuke constituency than whatever Harry can do. And of course, you're not privy to whatever's going on behind the scenes, anymore than I am. And the pukes are a much more homogenous crew.

Having said that, I'm not impressed with the leadership. At all.

[robinlynne]

23. That worked really well with Alito, didn't it.

[cali]

24. Not analogous. Even remotely.

[truebrit71]

21. I'm so tired of being outraged that my outrage is outraged...I am SICK of these Cave-O-Crats...

...sick and fucking tired...

If you SAY you are going to do something, FUCKING DO IT!!!

No confirmation hearings until the subpoenas get honoured...

It's called "rule of law" something the repiglicans had NO trouble spouting off about when it was a Democrat they were after...

This current crop of do-nothing, spineless bastards are WORSE then a GOP majority-led congress...at least then you KNOW you're not going to get a kiss before you get fucked....

Absolutely fucking useless....:eyes:

[rateyes]

26. Absolutely fucking useless....nt

[robinlynne]

22. what? insanity.