Mukasey: I Won't Prosecute Bush Aides

[Imagevision]

<snip> Mukasey Refuses Probe of Bush Aides
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael Mukasey refused Friday to refer the House's contempt citations against two of President Bush's top aides to a federal grand jury. Mukasey said White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former presidential counsel Harriet Miers committed no crime.

As promised, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she has given the Judiciary Committee authority to file a lawsuit against Bolten and Miers in federal court.

"The House shall do so promptly," she said in a statement.

Mukasey said Bolten and Miers were right in ignoring subpoenas to provide Congress with White House documents or testify about the firings of federal prosecutors.

"The department will not bring the congressional contempt citations before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute Mr. Bolten or Ms. Miers," Mukasey wrote Pelosi.

Pelosi shot back that the aides can expect a lawsuit.

"The American people demand that we uphold the law," Pelosi said. "As public officials, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and protect our system of checks and balances and our civil lawsuit seeks to do just that."

Mukasey took only a day to get back to Pelosi. But he had earlier joined his predecessor, Alberto Gonzales, in telling lawmakers they would refuse to refer any contempt citations to prosecutors because Bolten and Miers were acting at Bush's instruction. (we've only just begun")
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/29/mukasey-refuses-probe-of-_n_89289.html

[Hepburn]

1. This is the fucking Atty Gen of the US....

...his DUTY is to enforce the law. What the hell gives with this? It is NOT like there is nothing there to go after. They INTENTIONALLY disobeyed the subpoenas without a valid excuse to do so.

This is bullshit. Pure bullshit...:grr:

[Drifter]

2. Isn't this obstruction of justice ?

Besides, if they did not commit a crime, what do they have to worry about.

Cheers
Drifter

[Lasher]

3. Refusing to support Congressional contempt citations.

I didn't think at this point it would be Mukasey's place to decide if laws had been broken. I wonder if he just broke one.

But this is no surprise, except that he didn't delay forever.

[spanone]

4. mukasey is doing exactly what bu$h* & his democratic cronies intended

[Imagevision]

5. Now I see why Sr, Bush brought Mukasey out of mothballs...

[rpannier]

6. Remember folks...

This is wjat happens when you take options off the table -- like Impeachment

They should go after Mukaskey now

[tekisui]

7. The Judiciary Committee is suing Bolton and Miers.

This will slow down the process, but keep it going.

[samplegirl]

8. Every person who's been summoned

having as a witness by the authority of either House of Congress to give testimony or to produce papers upon any matter under inquiry before either House, or any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or any committee of either House of Congress, willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 nor less than $100 and imprisonment in a common jail for not less than one month nor more than twelve months
I see no exemption for “friends of or advisors to the President.” But then, laws are for little people and January 2009 cannot come fast enough.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. Congress has to go for Inherent Contempt. They should have done that from the beginning. nt

[KharmaTrain]

10. 6 Months Wasted...

I can't even remember when Bolton and Meiers refused to testify...and we knew then that the only way was to haul their asses in. We knew this regime would resist...be it Gonzo or Muck-asey...and that they should have launched what I'm sure will be a length lawsuit (this regime already has that stall game planned out) and then moved to Inherent Contempt!

This regime claims "executive privilidge" on a scale beyond reality...Congress must fight back with its powers and rise to the challenge. At least we're to this point...but this is far from enough.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. As soon as Rice, Miers and Bolton refused to testify under subpoena, I too started to post that

Inherent Contempt had to be used. I like you knew that Gonzo and any other in the position of Atty General would never comply with Congress. One didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that.

A sign that our Democrats in the House are now growing a spine, is so far their refusal to grant BushCo's fellow criminals, the Telecom Companies, retroactive immunity.

Perhaps, now they will utilize a tool that was given to them with good reason, Inherent Comtempt.

[Enthusiast]

12. And this is what passes for law and order

This is law and order under the rule of Chimpy Bush. Unbelievable. And the media won't even mention this. Unfuckingbelievable.

[annabanana]

15. I have seen that as their only option since it became evident

that the DoJ was completely compromised by the B*sh Crime Syndicate..

[JerseygirlCT]

11. No surprise. I'm sure that was part of the inside deal when he was named. nt

[originalpckelly]

13. Our system is crazy! You can't expect the crooks to investigate themselves!

:rofl:

I love America!

[myrna minx]

16. Chuck Schumer must be swelling with pride because of his AG pick.

:grr:

[peekaloo]

21. I hope it's in a Mr. Creosote kind of way.

offer him a wafer thin mint.

Bastard.

[myrna minx]

22. LoL.

[spanone]

17. we cannot blame mukasey on bu$h*, the fucking democratic congress approved him

[Octafish]

18. It may come to a showdown between Congress and the SCOTUS.

Can Nancy and Harry take on the clowns?

[flyarm]

19. i don't think it is a question "can they take on the clowns"..more like "will they"

and we haven't seen too much of that "will"

sadly...

fly

[liam_laddie]

20. Mikey Mukasey...AG?

WTF? He's taken all the testimony and, being judge and jury, says "Fuck the Constitution!"
He is hereby added to the junkheap of this mal-adminstration and buried in the landfill of public opinion. He DOES realize that his handlers Cheney/Bush have about a 20% approval rating? Four of five 'Murrikans want these fuckers outta here! Jaysus! The SCOTUS may have to be "urged" to uphold their sworn duty. I'm not holding my breath...
Oh, yeah...you NSA spooks...can you sleep at night knowing you're breaking the law?