Soapbox

To Tell the Truth

I’ve been falling down on the job lately, I guess. Weeks, perhaps months have passed since I wrote an outraged letter to the newspaper reminding the American people of the assault de jour upon the constitution perpetrated by the Bush administration. Sorry, everybody.

When I woke up this morning and heard George Bush promising to fight to the death to keep his pals Harriet Miers and Karl Rove from having to speak to congress under oath (the way Valerie Plame just did) I guess I felt that old fire in my belly and managed to summon up a short rant for the lucky folks in the Dispatch editorial department.

Editor:

There he goes again.

With his administration caught telling 5 different stories in as many days, President Bush got on his high horse yesterday and said that calls for Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to appear before congress under oath are “partisan fishing expeditions”. Instead, he  says they may drop by for a chat – but only if they are not under oath and with absolutely no record or transcript  made of any word they utter.

I’m confused. How is asking a Republican to promise to tell the truth a witch hunt? Why is trying to restore public confidence in the impartiality of Department of Justice  “partisan”? And since when is holding Rove and Myers to the same standards of honesty as the rest of the country outrageous?

The president’s bluster and threats of a showdown with congress over a simple oath begs the question: what are Rove and Miers afraid of? Unless they plan to lie, why refuse to have them even speak on the record?

What is the point of Congress questioning Rove and Miers at all, if there is no expectation of honesty? The record of honesty from Bush appointees to date is abysmal. So-called “Loyal Bushies” seem to prevaricate, spin and outright lie as easily as they breathe. Given the gravity of the situation and the possibility that some U.S. attorneys were fired for putting loyalty to the constitution above loyalty to the president, there are questions that must be answered under conditions where loyalty to the truth is paramount.

The president and his attack dogs are fond of reminding us  that U.S. attorneys “serve at the pleasure of the President.” Perhaps someone needs to remind George Bush that he serves at the pleasure of the American people- and it is our pleasure to hear the truth for a change.