Leahy Says Bush Is Guilty Of 'Nixonian Stonewalling' By Not Complying With Prosecutor Subpoenas

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) raised the specter of disgraced former President Richard Nixon in a speech this afternoon regarding President Bush's refusal to allow former aides to testify about the White House's role in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys last year.

Bush has claimed executive privilege and declined to permit former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and former White House Political Director Sara Taylor to appear before the House and Senate Judiciary committees. Current White House Counsel Fred Fielding has also declined to provide a log of documents the White House is withholding. Fielding has instead offered to allow Karl Rove, Bush's top political advisor, and other senior Bush aides to appear in closed-door sessions with congressional investigators, but not under oath and without a transcript being kept.

"I had hoped the Judiciary Committees’ subpoenas would be met with compliance," Leahy said. "Instead, they have been met -- yet again -- with Nixonian stonewalling that reveals this White House’s disdain for our system of checks and balances."

Leahy added: "This is more stonewalling from a White House that believes it can unilaterally control the other co-equal branches of government.  It raises the question: What is the White House trying to hide by refusing to turn over evidence?"