The Next Phase of Congress and the US Attorneys

TPM Muckraker says that this call for subpoenas for Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor is the beginning of a new phase in the US Attorneys scandal.

We noted the subpoenas to Karl Rove's former aide Sara Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers earlier today. You can see the subpoena for Miers here.

Also among the subpoenas issued this morning were subpoenas from the House and Senate judiciary committees to the White House for "all documents in the possession, custody or control of the White House" that relate to the U.S. attorney firings [...]

The documents aren't likely to be any easier to obtain. In both of their letters to White House counsel Fred Fielding today (see below), the chairmen excoriate the White House for stonewalling their investigations for three months. Fiedling has not wavered from his initial offer of interviews with Karl Rove and other aides only in private with no oath or transcript, an offer that also included an offer to turn over external emails -- emails between White House staffers and others outside the White House.

Both chairmen remind Fielding of that earlier offer, but Fielding has said before that the White House won't turn over anything unless it is part of a package deal, which would include Congress agreeing to the closed door, no transcript interviews -- something the chairmen refuse to do.

Once again, there's tension between the instant gratification culture and the deliberative process of laying out a case slowly. CNN reported that Rove was not included in the subpoenas today because of this desire for a slow build. Since, again, you can't expect the culture to change, it's important that the Democrats lay the stonewalling and the dragging out of the investigation at the White House's feet, always saying things like "If the White House gave us everything we've asked for, this could wrap up quickly."

I think that the Democrats have built a compelling case, but haven't shown a killer instinct yet. We'll see how that transpires.