Crisis on Only One Congress

So is it a full-fledged Constitutional crisis yet? I'd say, yes it is. In response to Harriet Miers's refusal to appear before the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, Judiciary Chairman John Conyers had the only question that mattered: "Are congressional subpoenas to be honored, or are they optional?" It looks like we'll soon find out.

In a 7-5 vote by party lines, the subcommittee decided to pursue contempt charges against Harriet. That presumably means that all the Republicans on the subcommittee believe it's OK for private citizens to pick and choose when they'll appear before Congress. It must just be my faulty memory, but I don't recall the Republicans feeling the same way when Clinton was in office. Was it fine for Clinton to ignore Congress when and where he chose? Oh, wait--no it wasn't. He got impeached for far less than the questionable firings of U.S. attorneys. It amuses me to think about the precedent the Repubs are setting for themselves later. What happens if Hillary wins the next election? Will they be satisfied then with the decisions they're making now?

The next step for contempt is for the question to be sent to the full Judiciary Committee. If we keep going along party line votes, the Dems have the majority of the House, so is it safe to assume that they can carry the day? Will Harriet be facing jail time (though if she will, I have no doubt she'll step onto the Scooter express pretty quickly and never see the inside of a cell). Still, it's fun to dream.