GOP Bad Behavior
Multilayered ugliness in the House this morning, and ongoing. Republicans staged a walkout over the resolution brought by John Conyers to hold Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress — and also called House members out of a memorial service for Tom Lantos for a protest vote on the resolution. And Pres. Bush is having a full-blown temper tantrum over the fact that the House has not yet voted to approve the FISA warrantless surveillance with telecom immunity legislation.
The Crypt’s Martin Kady reports on the goings-on:
Things just keep getting uglier on the House floor.
Moments after President Bush threatened to delay his weekend trip to Africa and force Congress to act before key intelligence programs expire, House Republicans staged a walkout to protest Democratic inaction on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill. Frustrated Republicans streamed out of the Capitol and onto the east steps of the Capitol, a powerful act aimed at stopping House floor proceedings and forcing a vote on the FISA bill.
The Republican walkout came after an angry morning in which both sides accused each other of improperly using House floor procedures during the memorial service of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) who died Monday. Republicans were also angry that Democrats are taking up contempt resolutions against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers.
Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), led his colleagues out of the chamber in a dramatic gesture, saying “let’s just get up and leave.” But it’s not clear if anything will come of the theatrics, as Democrats have refused to take up a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill. Democrats do not want to pass a bill with lawsuit immunity for telecom firms as the White House has demanded.
What do the simple folk do when served with a subpoena? They show up in court at the appointed time, or go to jail. But, as Tim F. reminds us, those rules don’t apply to Republicans:
Explore posts in the same categories: Politics… Note that there isn’t any meaningful question about whether Miers and Bolten flouted the law. They both refused to answer subpoenas by citing privileges that don’t exist. Believe me, I would love to cite blogger’s privilege if the need should arise. Too bad I can’t do that, and unless Harriet Miers has some supercitizen status that I’m not aware of neither can she.
Of course, Harriet Miers is a Republican and therefore innocent until George Bush personally says otherwise. It always amuses me when those firm law-and-order Republican principles run and hide when the wrong kind of people get caught breaking the law.
Tags: Kathy
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