It's happening. Finally. I've just heard on CBS Radio that the HOUSE Judiciary Committee is voting to hold Miers, a private citizen, and Bolten, the White House advisor, in contempt.
This is happening NOW. According to the CBS network, the contempt citations could be handed out today (it's one-thirty AM on the West Coast as I write this). (Now three-thirty AM, and I'm about to collapse.)
Specter is spitting mad, amazingly. I loosely quote: "If the White House does not allow the Justice department to enforce these citations, we can try them in the Senate, which I think could be very productive." They did not quote any Democrats, but gave a verbal quote to Specter.
Could it be that he's actually growing a pair? (Apologies for the reverse sexism.)
I have no documentation or links as yet. This is real. I am NOT making this up.
***UPDATE*** It's now on Yahoo News!
The radio report also mentioned that the House has the option to do the same thing but that it hasn't happened in 70 years. The Senate is doing the heavy lifting.
OK, I'm getting emotional here for a minute. We are not alone. We are all friends here. 2006 was our victory. We have the strength to do this. We must let our people know, like Whitehouse, and Schumer, and Leahy, and Conyers and all his colleagues, that we are behind them and that they are not alone.
The tree of liberty needs nourishment. It is up to us to give it. In the howling darkness of the last six and a half years, we can still shine the beacon of hope and liberty for our country, and begin to redeem the horrible errors that are so unlike our nation's best ideals. God bless you. 2006 is ours. 2008 will be ours. Not yours. not mine, but OURS.
***UPDATE 2*** Across the wire from Yahoo News (link above):
...House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., reject that claim and have drafted for a vote Wednesday a resolution citing Miers and Bolten with contempt of Congress, a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence.
This is definitely from the House Judiciary Committee. Clearly this is happening. But I have corrected the record. Strangely enough, KCBS DID quote Specter stating what I've attributed above. Even though he is NOT a Congressman. It was quite striking and memorable.
***3rd Update*** Now.
(Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) announced that the Committee will meet Wednesday, July 25, at 10:15 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building to vote on contempt citations for former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, following their refusal to comply with subpoenas issued in the U.S. Attorney investigation.
Now the battle is well and truly joined.
***4th Update*** It's now official and going before the full House. Now if they could just do their jobs and get it out for a final vote before the recess.
Let's Ping our lovely Congresspeople, shall we?
***5th Update***Here is a link, helpfully forwarded to me by a staffer at the Office of the Speaker of the House, of video from the Contempt hearing. Enjoy!
And front-pager KagroX has this to say:
Meanwhile, Congress is poised to spring into... recess. Which is, after all, what you do when the proverbial iron is hot.