Fight over White House subpoenas rises

Fight over White House subpoenas rises

news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is urging a former White House political director to ignore a subpoena and not testify before Congress about the firings of federal prosecutors, her lawyer says.

The Senate Judiciary Committee wants to hear from Sara Taylor at its hearing Wednesday and she is willing to talk. Testifying, however, would defy the wishes of the president, "a person whom she admires and for whom she has worked tirelessly for years," lawyer W. Neil Eggleston said.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.torontodailynews.com
www.msnbc.msn.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
The Shape Of Things To Come
Bush Blocked Ethics Inquiry!
Probe of White House political operations moves ahead

This move by the White House to block the damaging testimony by a former WH aide should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the story. The Bush camp has been continuously and consistantly impeding any investigation into what the real motives were for the White Houses' firings of seven U.S. Attorneys.

The underlying reason for the firings was of course strictly a partisan, political ploy to insert more "right thinking" attorneys into positions of influence, thereby effectively guaranteeing that the Bush agenda is always and consistantly represented. Now, Bush is trying to either impede or possibly subborn the testimony of someone who's words could really spell trouble for the White House.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 7/8/2007 by lightseeker]

Ah, but no one cares. We gladly give up all control, as long as it's not our remote control (for the boob tube).

The only political moves that most Americans care about are the cat fights on "Big Brother".

I'm starting to think that the US wants a dictatorship.

Originally posted by NGC2736
I'm starting to think that the US wants a dictatorship.

It might as well be a dictatorship. In all reality, we don't seem to have many rights anymore. We have no right to privacy or freedom of speech, and the President can alter laws to suit his own purposes. I'm starting to wonder when concentration camps will come into play.

Interesting post this is..

But I am not going to cry about what we lost, hell I don't even care anymore.. Why do I own a site about 911 I have no idea. Its not like it really matters anyway...

Clinton was almost taken down for less. Nixon was taken down for way way less than this.. Hell what Bush has done look nothing what they have..

We reep what we Sow.

On a side note.. I do play paris, Roy Shivers and people like that in my car, I made a point to my g/f that I could be arrested for this.. she didnt have much to say.

Originally posted by NGC2736
Ah, but no one cares. We gladly give up all control, as long as it's not our remote control (for the boob tube).

The only political moves that most Americans care about are the cat fights on "Big Brother".

I'm starting to think that the US wants a dictatorship.

I don't think the US wants a dictatorship, I think that America has just been lulled to sleep by an overpowering combination of powerlessness and apathy. I think the average American is either completely aware of what's happening and feels totally unable to do anything about it, or they just tune it all out because thinking about it makes their head hurt and they have enough to worry about as it is. However, having said that, if we as a people don't find the backbone and righteous indignation required to stand up and say, "We aren't going to stand for this anymore", the outcome will probably be the same; an authoritarian regime where the individual has no power and even less hope.

I dont understand , how? How does this administration get away with all of this, and noone, except this lone Sara Taylor, get away with what it is doing? Seriously?
Why are so few elected representatives for 'the people', on any level putting a hold on 'their' agenda for a second, and questioning the legality and continued corruption of many of our current officials? Of course, the number one exception would be Ron Paul- And that is a case and point right there!
does this administration really have such a tight grip on so many people and so much power that they can shut anyone and anythig up? That is a seriously frightening thought, but really, this thread main story is yet another corruption case added to the list.
Everyone? Really? I'm just desperate at this point. And confused, tell me Im wrong. Please!

We need to start strategizing.

Enough of this whining and complaining about things, we need to start doing something.

Lets get all the cards on the table, see what is possible, what is not... what can be done, and what shouldn't be done.

I'm going to start compiling as much information as I can. Who's who, and what are they for... state by state, independent groups who would back such a cause, and any key players who we need to rally.

I'm not saying what we will do, thats what the intelligence gathering is for, to determine what we can do... but something MUST be done.

Originally posted by johnsky
We need to start strategizing.

Enough of this whining and complaining about things, we need to start doing something.

I couldn't agree with you more, johnsky; the time has come to start a revolution! Well, sort of, anyway. People need to understand that citizenship has it's privledges and rights but it also comes with responsibilty. Schools do not teach civics and citizenship these days; more's the pity. People have forgotten or never knew that if we do not hold our elected state and federal officials accountable for their actions or lack of action then no one will. The politicians certainly aren't going to police themselves, that would rock the boat and no one wants to do that.

The first place for any of us to start is with knowing who our elected officials are, both in Congress and in The Senate. This is very easy to do, just open your white page phone directory and it will be listed among all the other helpfull info that the phone company provides. Next, start writing, emailing and phoning those elected officials; you are their constituent, you elected them and they are responsible to answer to ther constituency, although you may have to remind them of that. They hear it so seldom that they forget, don't you know? Let them know you are fed up with the slow erosion of our personal liberties and the way that they, your Congessperson and/or Senator is handling it. Let them know that you are mad and you will be calling, writing and emailing their office every week until things start to change.

That's just a start but it is a good one. Even more important is the need to stay informed about what issues are before the House and Senate and how your Representative or Senator will vote on it; if you feel they are voting the wrong way, tell them so! You can find out all of the House and Senate bills and propsals in the pipeline by going to that person's website. They all have one. Sign up to get their monthly or weekly newsletter so you can stay in the loop.

Get behind a candidate for Prsident that you can believe in. Get involved in their campaign, even if it's only handing out flyers or going door-to-door on Saturday for a couple of hours. Get your friends and family involved, too. If their as ticked off as you are about the way things are in our Country, then form a small group and meet once or twice a month to discuss the issues and what you can do about it.

Start a letter writing campaign to your local and major newspapers and news magazines deploring the state of our Country's Government and our evaporating civil liberties.

There are dozens of things that we can all do right now and every day after that until things start to change. This country was founded by people who were fed up with their freedoms being destroyed by the Crown; they fought hard and thousands died because freedom was so precious to them. We have lost that spark and we need to get it back and quick because time is running out, people.

I wish Justin Oldham was involved in this thread. Justin, if you read this, please post your thoughts and ideas and any other actions that I may not have thought of.

When I think about where this Country has been and what it has accomplished in the past, it makes me very proud; when I look at where it's headed, I feel very sad. This was the greatest country in the world once; I believe it can be again but not until the average Joe and Jane decides to take it back from the power mongers and sleeze balls that have got their hands wrapped around it's neck.

Frederick Douglass, the great black former slave, abolitionist and author, said this about freedom:

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.

Lightseeker, that was an AWESOME POST!!!!

I could never have said it better than you. THanks for posting.

Originally posted by lightseeker
I wish Justin Oldham was involved in this thread. Justin, if you read this, please post your thoughts and ideas and any other actions that I may not have thought of.

So, there I was, minding my own business (I have a witness), and I felt this tremor in the force....so here I am.

As you may know, I've been posting stuff on ATS for just this sort of discussion. Let's break open the tool kit and see what we find.

What you're looking at doing here amounts to more than just intell gathering. You're about to embark on your own little conspiracy. I say 'conspiracy,' because you'll have friends in all the right places...and...your opposition will never see you coming.

Politicians who are doing thingsthat are not in your best interest bank on three things. a) Your apathy. b) Your silence, and c) Your lack of knowledge. These are the same three things that any good conspiracy would exploit. Remember that a conspiracy is any hidden agenda that is successfully carried out. In your case, you'll be NOT telling those carpet-baggers in Washington that you're coming, and you WON'T be telling them what you intend to do. Now, put on your tin foil and let's get busy.

Opposition research is all fine and well. Know your enemies, and all that. In this case, your job is to know about the various wrong things that various politicians have done. Remember that the people who are working against your better interests happen to be Dems and Republicans.

You have four primary weapons with which to go on the offensive. a) Your political pressure, b) Your opinion, c) Your money and d) Your vote.

Your political pressure comes in the form of the messages that you can send to any member of Congress and various special interest groups. Remember that if you do it and talk about it, others will be inspired to do it and talk about it. If you speak, you're just a whisper. If 10,000 people who gripe like you speak up...that's a roar.

Your most basic weapon is the form letter. Typed in to a word processor, you'll change the addresses you send it to, and the opener (Dear sir/madame). The secret to making your form letter work is actually your signature block at the bottom. When you sign that letter in your own hand, you're authenticating it as an original document.

Senators and Representatives have people on staff who see 10,000 letters a day. Most of the form letters they get are obvious duplicates, and they get ignored. that's because most of those duplicates are slick, and it's clear that the only thing the sender added was a sig and a stamp. If you print your letter on plain white paper--even if you print enough to reach every member of Congress--it looks more like a single unique and not mass produced document. When the staffers see your original signature, it's a standard policy to put it aside and have it answered.

This may sound simple, but it's not common knowledge. It's a simple bureaucratic office rule that almost nobody knows about...except a dark master of American politics like me. Use this knowledge only for good purposes. Please.

When you write your letter, be civil and keep it to one page. One page, one issue. Don't bother with attachments like news clippings, they won't be read. Ideally, you frame your issue in terms that suggest how you will vote. That's not a threat, but it is a direct influencer to any politician. That's your Constitutionally guaranteed political leverage.

As you write these letters, you should think about targeting the political party that you most have an issue with. For example, if you're honked off at the GOP, send your letter to the Republicans.

Wait, there's more.

Here's the twist. Sending a letter to members of the "other party" can work in your favor if all you're asking for is that they push for more investigations in to their opponents' wrongful activities. I need to walk a fine line here, I've got T & C's to think about. Don't wanna get banned.

EXAMPLE: Tell the Republicans that you don't approve of certain activities expresses your anger, and tells them how you will vote. Telling the Dems what you're mad about and how you plan to vote gives them an incentive to push for the legal actions you may want.

Good, but not quite enough? Okay. Send letters to the special interest gorups that are pushing for the things you want. Tell them what you're doing. Be polite. Just one page, and no ranting. Why? If they get 10,000 letters from voters who have protested what THEY are protesting....they may push harder. It's always nice when other people pitch in to get what you want.

Stop reading and head to the bathroom if you want, there's more.

You can visit House dot-gov or Senate dot-gov to send e-mail. You can also use these web sites to find out exactly who your Reps and Senators really are.

They've pretty much got to answer your snail mail as long as they think it really does come from you. They can and they do blow off form letters and those mass-mail post cards that you see people passing out at malls and airports.

They're going to ignore your e-mail, too. But...They have staffers on hand who log the general subject of your e-mail in to a data base that keeps tallys on a daily basis. When they get a lot of e-mail on a topic, they know to pay attention. They just won't respond. Why send it? Just to reinforce your point. Your phone call to any of the politicians on Capitol Hill gets logged in much teh same way as e-mail. Why call? Just one more avenue of attack.

There are several research methods that you can use to do your homework. Some are more complicated than others.

Civics and conspiracy employ many of the same methods, as you have seen here. think of this as your own little information war. As you gather the resources to do this stuff, you'll be making friends along the way that could help you do any number of things.

Armed with your sources, and all that political experience you've gained through complaining to Congress and talking to like-minded special interest groups, you can take your information warfare strategy to the next level. Remember, these guys don't know you're coming. If you spread what you know as far and wide as possible...other people know...and they'll ask you "what can I do."

When you tell them...you set even more political force in to motion because....they'll do what you did. Again, I say, use your powers wisely. Blog, make podcasts like this one and do whatever else comes to mind.

Since Jim Morisson is a topic,

Is this relevant?

This is the end, beautiful friend.
This is the end, my only friend,
The end, of our elaborate plans,
The end, of everything that stands,
The end, no safety or surprise,
The end.
I'll never look into your eyes again.

Can you picture what will be,
So limitless and free,
Desperately in need
Of some stranger's hand,
In a desperate land.

Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain,
And all the children are insane,
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah.

There's danger on the edge of town,
Ride the King's highway, baby.
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway West, baby.

Ride the snake,
Ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby.
The snake is long, seven miles.
Ride the snake,
He's old, and his skin is cold.

The West is the best,
The West is the best,
Get here, and we'll do the rest.
The blue bus is callin' us,
The blue bus is callin' us.
Driver, where you taking us?

The killer awoke before dawn,
He put his boots on.
He took a face from the ancient gallery,
And he walked on down the hall.
He went into the room
Where his sister lived and
Then he
Paid a visit to his brother,
And then he,
He walked on down the hall, yeah.
And he came to a door,
And he looked inside.

"Father?"
"Yes, son"
"I want to kill you!
Mother, I want to… WAAAAAA"
Uh, well, all right, yeah!
Come on, mom, yeah!

Comon, baby, take a chance with us,
Comon, baby, take a chance with us
Comon, baby, take a chance with us and
Meet me at the back of the blue bus.
Doin' a blue rock
On a blue bus.
Doin' a blue rock,
C'mon, yeah…

Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

This is the end, beautiful friend,
This is the end, my only friend,
The end, it hurts to set you free,
But you'll never follow me.
The end of laughter and soft lies,
The end of nights we tried to die.
This is the end.

[edit on 10-7-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

Probly not. But........it's a good song, and I think it is the end. New beginning? for the lucky....

Does it matter if I am a registered voter or not when sending letters to elected officials? I'm registered in Nevada but haven't lived there in years. Since leaving there I haven't really been in one place long enough to re-register. I can now but not sure if I'm going to be in this state when my lease is up at the end of the year. Since that's only five months away I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Originally posted by NGC2736
Ah, but no one cares. We gladly give up all control, as long as it's not our remote control (for the boob tube).

oh thats so funny, I really laughed out loud when I read this. Very witty and unfortunately... true!



I have been following the missing Whitehouse emails for a while now, so was interested to read this thread. I have just finished watching Zeitgeist and there was a quote in there with regard to the Federal Reserve being a law unto themselves, I think offhand it was a direct quote from Rothschild so with that and the missing emails and now this, I think even if we did care, it wouldn't make a difference unless the peoples' started a revolution... lol

Maybe that is what it will take to get the Shrub administration to be held accountable for the shifty dealings...

I am not holding my breath though...

cheers

Originally posted by TheLoony
Does it matter if I am a registered voter or not when sending letters to elected officials? I'm registered in Nevada but haven't lived there in years. Since leaving there I haven't really been in one place long enough to re-register. I can now but not sure if I'm going to be in this state when my lease is up at the end of the year. Since that's only five months away I'm not sure if it's worth it.

I worked in a Congressional office. They tend to take more seriously those who call the office with a concern and live in the district. So it is probably most effective to call the congressman of your residence, because they'll actually take you seriously. They will ask for your address and assume that you are a registered voter.

Fox news also just reported that Bush has chosen to invoke "executive privilege" in order to keep the two former aides from testifying. I actually started a new thread in response here, as I don't want to derail this thread in response.

A revolution has to start somewhere, some time, and now is always a good time. Those who seek to postpone active opposition to "the way things are" only sink deeper into the quicksand of despotic rule. If the path seems hard now, it will be even harder tomorrow and the day after. And in time to come, the path may not even be there to follow.

It is better to face the enemy with your arms in hand than to be shot in the back while running for cover. Now is the time to stand and fight, with the law and rights, such as they are, on your side. To seek revolt now, through the use of the ballot and pressure, is easier than it will be if it comes to a day when freedom must be re-purchased with blood.

I too am seeking to use the same methods in a fight over the wallets of some of those rich corporations that strangled and steal from America.

http:/www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread290874page1

We need to attack on all fronts, at every level. And we must force the fight, not be passive in our protesting. Our purpose is to bring to heel those who control the money and those who control the "law", for just as they are intertwined, so must be our opposition to them.

We must stand or lay down, the choice is now upon us.

Edit to add: While I have mastered getting links up to the outside sources, it seems I have not gotten them to work "in house" yet. But you can find my thread if you look for "The Planned Rip Off of America."

I am NOT trolling for posts, though all comments are welcome, but want to show folks here how we All must stand up and be heard on EVERY issue, and not let things just slide. Besides, it's a good thing to attack their sources of income as well as the (mis)uses of that income.

[edit on 9-7-2007 by NGC2736]

Originally posted by TheLoony
Does it matter if I am a registered voter or not when sending letters to elected officials? I'm registered in Nevada but haven't lived there in years. Since leaving there I haven't really been in one place long enough to re-register. I can now but not sure if I'm going to be in this state when my lease is up at the end of the year. Since that's only five months away I'm not sure if it's worth it.

No, It doesn't matter one bit, because your Congressperson or Senator is not going to spend the time to look through the district voter registration rolls to see if your name is on it. If you live in thier district, then you are their consttuent. That's all there is to it. But do go down to your county courthouse and register to vote ASAP; that does matter. Whether you eventually move or not it's always good to be a registered voter and it only takes about 5 minutes of your time; if you move, no problem, you can always re-register in your new location. But, and this is important, do register to vote!

Originally posted by forestlady
Lightseeker, that was an AWESOME POST!!!!

I could never have said it better than you. THanks for posting.

Shucks Ma'am, 'twernt nothin'. Seriously I have to give a lot of the credit to johnsky. It was his post that set off the fireworks in my head, so to speak. Also, I have seen some of your posts, forestlady, and you handle a keyboard pretty well, yourself.