Yesterday, President Bush came out and stated that his administration has the right to replace US attorneys, and that he would oppose any subpoenas for the purpose of a "fishing expedition" by Congress.
Well, the subpoenas have been issued, and the fight is on. But the question is, why are Congressional Democrats choosing this issue for a fight? The law is clear: the President has the right to fire US attorneys at any time, for any reason. When President Clinton became president, he replaced all US attorneys. President Bush did not, but the fact that he has not exercised this power does not mean that it is not still his to exercise. The only possible reason for Congress to pursue this matter so vigorously is the hope that some administration official will misspeak and perjure himself.
This truly is a Constitutional issue; it is a matter of Congress once again trying to take power away from the President - power that Congress has no authority to regulate. I believe that President Bush should take a hard line on this issue, if for no other reason than that Congress has already overstepped its Constitutional bounds too many times, and it is time for a smack-down, to put Congress back in its place.
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