HE WANTS TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE MUCK, AND THE MIERS

Senate judiciary committee chairman Pat Leahy has finally done what I have anticipated. He has publically threatened to subpoena Karl Rove, and Harriet Miers, the Bush administrations former White House counsel. The Vermont Senator wants testimony on the firing of the eight federal prosecutors, and he wants them in public. Leahy had anticipated some sort of negotiations with the White House in regards to thir testimony from their present counsel, but had heard nothing from Mr. Fielding, the Bush administrations lawyer."I want testimony under oath. I am sick and tired of getting half-truths on this," Leahy said. "I do not believe in this, we'll have a private briefing for you where we'll tell you everything, and they don't."

Arlen Spector, the committee's top ranking republican is not fighting it either, claiming to be "reserving judgement." "I want to see exactly what the White House response is," Specter said. "Maybe the White House will come back and say, 'We'll permit them to be interviewed and we'll give them all the records.'"

At issue is the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, dismissals that Democrats say were politically motivated. Such prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the president. The Attorney General had at first, claimed the firings were performance related, and were carried out without the White House playing a role, however he has retracted both of these assertions as untrue. This mea culpa was not due to a sudden case of honesty, or character, but the surfacing of several e-mails from Karl Rove himself into the possibility of the ousters.

What at first seems to be a very trivial matter, and certainly not unprecedented (Clinton fired 93 upon gaining office), has blown up into the scandal dujour. One can only surmise these latest congressional hearings are the direct result of a lame duck President who is currently afraid of his own shadow. His unwillingness, or inability to come to the quick defense of his own people is what is amazing, and unpalatable. Perhaps he does in fact, read the papers. Although it cannot feel good to realize that his Presidency will be long remembered as one of the ten worst in our countries history. That is, however, not enough reason to empty the contents of his nut sack on the night stand of the Lincoln bedroom before going to work each morning.