When the Mayor called me up, he said his little piece again, but with a little more humor this time: "Mr. Harper, we're still not interested." I just chuckled by way of reply. Then I said my piece. Ben noted that everyone seemed to listen attentively.
"Mayor, Councilmembers, I appear for the seventh time asking you to pass a resolution to impeach the President and Vice President of the United States.
Last week, Attorney General Mukasey stated that he will not enforce a contempt of Congress citation against Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten for refusing to testify before Congress.
As you recall, Miers and Bolten ignored subpoenas to appear before a Congressional committee to answer legitimate questions about the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys.
In response, the House Committee approved contempt citations against Bolten and Miers.
Now when asked if he will enforce those citations, the Attorney General says no. When asked if he was under instructions by the President of the United States not to enforce Congressional citations, Mukasey refused to give a direct answer.
This Attorney General has already tried to block a Congressional investigation into missing CIA torture tapes.
Then, when asked last week by John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, if he intended to open a criminal investigation into the CIA's admitted use of waterboarding, Mukasey said no he would not.
The power of the subpoena--to call officials before us--is one of the most fundamental safeguards in our system of government. If Congress' right to require testimony is effectively thrown out, then our country's leaders--Democrat, Republican, or Independent--will be immune from accountability from now on.
With no one to rein them in, the President and Vice President continue on their way. On Wednesday, the White House issued a statement saying it may approve the use of waterboarding again--"depending on circumstances."
On Thursday, Cheney defended the CIA's interrogation practices and claimed that the U.S. doesn't torture.
He went on to say that the President's decisions have always reflected the values of the American people.
Are these your values? A President who ignores Congressional subpoenas and contempt citations. Torture. Invasion of other countries based on lies. The existence of places like Guantanamo, condemned by every human rights group in the world. An attorney general who apparently has no use for the rule of law.
The Vice President says these are your values. Is that true?
Your silence seems to say. . .yes.
Thank you.
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