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Rock the boat,
David

Today, by a 22-17 party-line vote, the House Judiciary Committee issued contempt of Congress citations against White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and President Bush’s former legal counsel, Harriet Miers. The committee sanctioned the pair for their refusal to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several U.S. prosecutors, as they simply refused to show-up when ordered. The matter is now sent to the full House which will consider the possibility of fines and prison sentences.

Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) offered his rationale for opposing holding White House officials in contempt for their actions:

“The real argument here is not over the audacity of the White House, but over the strength of our legal argument.”

Ironically, Cannon is one of six current members of the same Judiciary Committee that voted, in a straight 21-17 party-line vote, to impeach President Clinton in 1998. Those six members currently rank (3) first, second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh in seniority among committee Republicans.

Here’s what Cannon had to say in December 1998 about why impeaching Clinton was necessary:

We are at a defining moment in our history. What we do here will set the standard for what is acceptable for this and future presidents.

I believe profoundly that the behavior of this president is unacceptable because I agree with John Jay, one of our Founding Fathers, who said, “When oaths cease to be sacred, our dearest and most valuable rights become insecure.”

…President Kennedy thought that if a president were not to fulfill his obligations, the obligations of his oaths, that he would begin — that is, the president, any president he suggested — that he would begin to unwind this most extraordinary constitutional system of government. He was not, and we are not, talking about separation of powers. We’re not talking about the other constitutional concepts, like the delegated powers, the reservation of powers to the states. Kennedy and Jay are referencing something more fundamental. They are talking about the glue that holds our system together.

Similarly, here are excerpts from the self-righteous preachings by those other five Republican members who served on the 1998 Judiciary Committee and eagerly pursued impeachment against President Clinton, but today refused to hold White House officials in contempt for their law-breaking actions:

Ranking Member, Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.).:

The framers of the Constitution devised an elaborate system of checks and balances to ensure our liberty by making sure that no person, institution or branch of government became so powerful that a tyranny could be established in the United States of America. Impeachment is one of the checks the framers gave the Congress to prevent the executive or judicial branches from becoming corrupt or tyrannical.

Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC):

I represent a district far removed from the Beltway and its accompanying mentality. Here we are surrounded by Beltway advisers, who demand fees in excess of $500 per hour. And many of these adept advisers, lawyers, counselors are “spinmeisters.” They attach their spin, and oftentimes confusion results.

…I take umbrage to charges that some are out to get the president. Mrs. Bono, the gentlewoman from California, earlier said this week that it is not we on this committee who created the problem that’s now before us; that was the president’s doing.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.):

Lying after swearing before God and country to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a very serious offense. It is taken very seriously by our judicial system, one of the three equal branches of government in the United States.

…Our legal system, which protects the rights and liberties of all citizens, is dependent on people telling the truth under oath. The president is our chief law enforcement officer and our chief magistrate. When he lies under oath he undermines the integrity of our judicial system and threatens the rights and liberties of every one of us.

Mr. Chairman, I’m not a lawyer — one of the few on this committee — however, everyone that knows me knows I believe in the rule of law — believe the rule of law is fundamental to our society. A society without laws is anarchy. Societies that ignore the laws are condemned to violence and chaos.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.):

I have a constitutional duty to follow the truth wherever it leads. The truth in this case leads me to believe that the president knowingly engaged in a calculated pattern of lies, deceit and delay in order to mislead the American people, impede the search for truth, deny the right of his accuser to have her day in court, and protect himself from criminal prosecution. Therefore, I have no alternative but to support articles of impeachment against President Clinton.

…The precious legacy entrusted to us by our founders and our constituents is a nation dedicated to the ideal of freedom and equality for all her people. This committee must decide whether we will maintain our commitment to the rule of law and pass this precious legacy to our children and grandchildren, or whether we will bow to the political pressure for the sake of convenience or expediency.

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio):

As a member of Congress, and as an attorney, I’m very troubled because every day in courthouses throughout this nation, Americans raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

They do so under the penalty of perjury. Yet in this case the President of the United States, the chief law enforcement officer of this land, has made an utter mockery of that fundamental precept. That is a travesty. No person stands above the law. All Americans, no matter how rich, how powerful, how well connected, should be held accountable for their actions. Every American must be held accountable.

…Finally, in constructing this cover-up, President Clinton used the power of his office to mislead, impede and obstruct a federal grand jury, a civil deposition, and the American people. He used government resources, including government attorneys and staff to disseminate his deceitful story to the public and to the grand jury.

…I ask my colleagues to search their hearts and answer this question: What message are we sending the youth of America if we abdicate our constitutional duty and allow perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power to go unpunished. When we cast our votes, we are not voting as Republicans or Democrats, we are voting as Americans. Our allegiance does not lie with any one president but with our country. Our charge is not handed down from any one political party but from the Constitution. Every member of this body is duty-bound to put politics aside, follow our conscience, and uphold our oath of office.

Funny how things change for these six hypocrites in less than ten years…

–Mark Nickolas
(cross-posted at Rocky Mountain Report)