Let's Make Our Own Fireworks

There's about an hour left here on the East Coast, so there's still time to sneak this in today from MoveOn.org (I got this on Tuesday)...

Dear MoveOn member,

You've probably seen the news this morning: President Bush let Cheney aide Scooter Libby, the one man who was convicted for the lies around the Iraq war, go free. Paris Hilton served more jail time than he will.

Bush and Cheney think their administration is above the law. That's un-American, and this July 4th it's time for Congress to re-assert its constitutional authority and stop the administration's obstruction of justice.

Congress can start by demanding answers from the Bush administration about the Iraq war and their illegal spying program, and not backing down until they get them. Cheney won't testify? Subpoena him. He won't come? Hold him in contempt of Congress and send over the police. And if that doesn't work, impeach the guy. We just can't let President Bush and his administration dismantle our Constitution.

This July 4th, it's time to bring checks and balances back again. Click here to sign the petition and send a message to Congress to act now (click here):

Then please send this message to your friends, family, and others who would be interested. This issue has everyone outraged—only 32 percent of Republicans agree with the president's decision.1

This isn't just about the Bush administration, of course. Law is determined through precedent. If Congress doesn't rein the Bush administration in, it'll change the rules for every administration that comes after.

And letting Libby off the hook is only the most recent example of a consistent Bush administration pattern of obstruction of justice.

When their illegal program of warrantless wiretapping was revealed, the Bush administration refused to answer subpoenas from Congress to testify about what, precisely, they were doing. When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales—the nation's highest law-enforcement officer—testified in front of Congress under oath, he lied and said the program didn't exist.2

And in retrospect, it's clear what Bush meant when he said this about the Plame case back in 2003: "[I]f there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of."3 Last night, Bush certainly took care of Scooter Libby.

On Sunday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy said he would hold Cheney and others in the administration in contempt of Congress if they refused to directly answer questions. Members of Congress are asserting their authority and standing up.

But they need to know the American people are behind them. Can you take a moment to click this link and send that message right now?

As they say in civics class, America is a country of laws, not of men. It's time for Congress to stand up and use them.

Let's celebrate Independence Day by reaffirming the basic, founding idea of our government: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law.

Thanks for all you do.

–Eli, Matt, Karin, Wes, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Sources:

1. "Survey USA: 60% Opposed to Commutation," MyDD.com, July 2, 2007
(here)

2. "Gonzales Is Challenged on Wiretaps," Washington Post, January 31, 2006
(here)

3. "President Discusses Job Creation With Business Leaders," Office of the White House Press Secretary, September 30, 2003
(here)

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And here's Hunter's great post once more.