when Rice rejects the subpeona and the Justice Dept is a political office

[LSK]

Who exactly prosecutes Rice???? Does Congress have the authority to arrest her and try her????

[Kagemusha]

1. Congress could remove her with 67% of the Senate, which ain't happening

So in practice, probably no one.

[JDPriestly]

2. Constitutional crisis

At this point, we have a constitutional crisis -- In fact we have had a constitutional crisis since 2000 when the Supreme Court took it upon itself to anoint GWB as president. At that time, the press denied the crisis -- too loudly to be convincing. The fact is, we've had a constitutional crisis non-stop since that time. And now, the Republicans had stacked two of the three branches of our government with right-wing extremists. And to think, the Democratic majority in the House in 2000 allowed this to happen. Had they acknowledged the existence of a constitutional crisis then and challenged Bush's grab for power, the attack on the Constitution would have failed.

The only way Congress can rectify the situation is to impeach and convict one member of the Bush administration after the other until the crooks are gone. They may also need to impeach one or two of the Supreme Court justices.

(I can think of one Supreme Court justice whose record cries for a closer look for grounds for impeachment, can't you?)

Impeach now is the answer. They should start with Gonzales and Condaleeza Rice. Impeach them first.

[Javaman]

3. That's what I think they are doing...

going after them one by one until only moron* is left.

As soon as abu and rice are gone, it won't be pretty to watch moron* melt down

[leftofthedial]

4. we need a federation of governors to march on DC

with state militias

and force the bush cabal to obey the law

[LSK]

7. state militias i.e. national guard is in Iraq

[leftofthedial]

8. by design

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. If she rejected the warrant...

then I'd believe they'd have to put a federal warrant out for her arrest. If the courts and federal marshalls don't comply with that, then we'd have a constitutional crisis not seen since the Civil War.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. no

people really throw around the term "constitutional crisis" way too freely.

[Bucky]

6. Can't they sue her in federal court? Nixon went to the Supremes over the tapes (& lost 8-0)

I think Congress, besides leveling a contempt charge, can sue to compel her appearance. She can thumb her nose at Congress, but not, I think, a bench warrant.

[frogcycle]

9. they don't sue; they ask the attorney general to charge her with contempt.

then he says fuck you

that's the end of it

[LSK]

10. no, he says "i dont remember"

:D

[Canuckistanian]

11. What about the Sergeant at Arms?

Doesn't HE have the power to arrest ANY American citizen, regardless of their administrative branch rank?

[frogcycle]

12. evidently, but

then what does he do with her?

Congress can't try her for contempt. They aren't the judicial branch.

can they order her held indefinitely?

[Canuckistanian]

14. I'm not knowledgeable in such things

But what about the people who WERE jailed for contempt of Congress?

What about "The Hollywood Ten"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_blacklist#The_Hollywood_Ten

Seems to me like Congress DOES have the power to convict and JAIL those who resist.

[frogcycle]

15. they got tried by federal court

arresting her doesn't get a court to try her

[Canuckistanian]

19. I see your point

Well then, we have a full-blown constitutional crisis coming.

[frogcycle]

21. it just depends which issue they decide to go to the mat over

condi, rove, gonzo, emails...


I think it should be signing statements. Although other presidents have used them (sparingly) this one has flat-out ignored the entire concept of being the "executive" - ie, the one who "executes" the laws - and adopted the "unitary president" (read: dictator) concept that the highly-respected constitutional scholar Alberto Gonzales says is what we really need and calls himself the "decider"


That bs babble is more than just bs babble. It is bush elevating himself. Yes, he is supposed to make decisions - within the law - but he asserts he just gets to decide everything, and signing statements are a way of saying "fuck you" the the Congress and We the People on a regular basis.

[MonkeyFunk]

20. Yes, the congress CAN

"try" her for contempt - but it's only an indictment of sorts. Then it gets turned over to the DC U.S. Attorney for investigation and possible trial.

[loudsue]

23. Does anybody know which bushbot is the DC US atty?

Is there any chance of conviction with ANY US Atty?

:kick::kick::kick:

[LSK]

13. theres a thread on greatest suggesting he does

[StefanX]

22. Arrest Condi (the Senate has the power -- says so right here on senate.gov)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x764094

[MonkeyFunk]

16. The relevant house of Congress can vote

to hold her in contempt of congress, at which point the case is turned over to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

[nam78_two]

18. I was wondering too.nt