I really don't know.

To a certain extent, politics and policy can be difficult to seperate.  But the White House insists that they did nothing inapapropriate--20 political briefings is par for the course and we are trying to "criminalize politics."

You might find these two first hand anecdotes interesting. They are what  I can use to compare this administration to past practices of previous ones.  More...

There has been much discussion about what comes after the White House defies subpoenas from the House and Senate Judiciary Committees using the theory of "Executive Privilege."  As I have argued before, Congress must proceed step by calculated step.  Attorney General Gonzales’s testimony now offers an opportunity to create the needed basis for future steps.

The White House strategy is clear:  stonewall.  Congress can issue subpoenas—what happens when the Executive just ignores them?  How does Congress enforce its subpoena power? Normally, they would ask the Justice Department (yeah, right) to enforce their request.  Republicans in Congress are now calling for Gonzales to resign.  President Bush is "very pleased" with Gonzales’s testimony.  It looks to me like the Bush plan is "stay the course."  Don't look for a Gonzales resignation anytime soon.

We all know what the final move is—impeachment.  Checkmate.

We are all focusing on that final move.  What isn’t as clear are the moves leading up to checkmate.  The Judiciary Committees issue subpoenas.  Bush defies them.  Then what?

There is a firestorm of media coverage and public outrage is—where?  Bush fires Gonzales and the story—rages?—drizzles away?  Next week, or the week after, there is a new story.