It's about 3/4 of the way through the video at Think Progress.In fact, we were about to issue subpoenas then and one of the senators came to our meeting and said that the vice president had met with the Republican senators and told them they were not allowed to issue subpoenas.
Not quite sure that’s my understanding of the separation of powers, but it seemed to work at that time.
repeals that portion of the Patriot Act Reauthorization that had allowed the Attorney General to circumvent advice and consent with respect to U.S. Attorneys.It passed the Senate overwhelmingly 94 to 2 and the House 320 to 114. Somebody check my math, but aren't these both vetoproof? I'm asking.
In a Senate Judiciary Committee business meeting Thursday morning, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) revealed that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales once again used an interim appointment authority at the heart of the US Attorneys controversy that Congress banned in a bill sent to the President for signature on June 4.Some details from Terry Schmaler, spokeswoman for Senator Leahy:
It just so happens the committee got notice yesterday, that on June 16, George Cardona's 210 days as Acting U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California will have run out and the Attorney General will appoint him as an interim U.S. Attorney at that time (i.e. still using the end-run authority because Bush has slow-walked signing the bill).Does this mean AG Gonzales just got it in under the wire? Or that he didn't know that the Bill would be come law today (June 15th) if the President didn't sign it in the ten days after getting it (according to Article One, Section 7 of the Constitution)? Or that the law takes effect the date it's signed?
