FISA and the U.S. Attorneys Scandal

Nancy Pelosi has decided to let the FISA law elapse. On her Facebook profile, Pelosi wrote that she voted "to uphold the Constitution to uphold the Constitution." Pelosi and House Democrats showed the spine their colleagues in the Senate lacked. The House Republicans response was to take their ball and go home.

House Republicans have just staged a walkout from the chamber to protest the decision of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership to let an act that expands the government’s surveillance powers expire.

Talking Points Memo has video of Minority Leader John Boehner staging the walkout.



Part of the walkout was a smoke screen: Democrats and the 35 Republicans that didn't walk out voted 223 to 32 to hold Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers in contempt for refusing to testify about their roles in the U.S. Attorney scandal. Bush decided that his staffers were above the law and need not testify.

"This is beyond arrogance. This is hubris taken to the ultimate degree," Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in the closing moments of the debate.

Administration officials purged U.S. Attorneys that would not go after Democrats and bogus voter fraud cases. The White House wanted loyal Bushies to use the Justice Department to win elections. Republican Senator Pete Domenici personally asked Bush to fire U.S. Attorney David Iglesias. Domenici was angered that Iglesias would not (illegally) leak information on possible indictments against Democrats.

U.S. Attorney Carol Lam was fired after issuing a warrant to search Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo. A man involved in the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal and Brent Wilkes's prostitute parties. Wilkes was a major Bush fundraiser. Two days after Lam issued the warrant on Foggo, Justice Department Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson fired off this email.

"the real problem we have right now with Carol Lam that leads me to conclude that we should have someone ready to be nominated on 11/18, the day her 4-year term expires."

Nowhere is Lam's record on enforcing immigration laws is mentioned. Sampson admitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department never discussed with her handling of illegal immigration.

Boehner is helping turn the GOP into the party that stands up against enforcing laws. His sense of politics and policy are so misguided that he is helping the Democrats win more House seats. House Republicans are retiring, the party has a nominee that the base can't get behind and Boehner still wants to hitch House Republicans to Bush.