NYT: Bush 'strangely quiet' on 'Attorneygate' subpoenas

RAW STORY
Published: Saturday June 16, 2007

Two former White House officials will face subpoenas for their involvement in the firing of 8 US Attorneys earlier this year, as Michael Roston reported for RAW STORY Wednesday.

House Judiciary Committee investigators issued a subpoena for Harriet Miers, former White House Counsel and one-time Bush Supreme Court nominee, and the Senate issued one for Sara Taylor, a former top aide to Karl Rove. Both committees also sought a variety of documents from the White House.

In a column slated for Sunday's New York Times, Sheryl Gay Stolberg notes that "President Bush was strangely quiet last week," even though he "had been quite vocal, and perfectly clear, back in March when Democrats first delivered their subpoena threat."

Bush had said, "I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials," and added that he was "absolutely" willing to fight over subpoenas in court.

"But when the subpoenas actually arrived on Wednesday, for Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, and Sara Taylor, the former White House political director, Bush said nothing," Stolberg observes. "The current White House counsel, Fred F. Fielding -- who recently beefed up his staff by hiring additional lawyers to handle the growing demands for documents and testimony -- has yet to offer a response."

Stolberg continues, "Those sounds of silence suggest that the White House is grappling with a dilemma. If Bush reaches an accommodation with lawmakers on testimony from Miers and Taylor, Democrats will inevitably demand similar terms for Karl Rove, Bush's chief political adviser. The last thing Bush wants is Rove going up to Capitol Hill to submit to questions from Democrats."

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