This (via TPM), from today's hearing on Libby Clemency:
Republicans angrily derided the hearing as a partisan stunt that could accomplish nothing, since the president has inherent constitutional authority to pardon or grant clemency to whomever he wishes.
Let's take them at their word! The Constitution lays out the power to pardon, as well as the power of Commander in Chief, and the other branches cannot question it!
So... let's apply the same logic to the Power of the Purse, shall we? What are they going to do about it? Follow me below the fold...
Let's start with Cheney's office. That one is already in train, but let's face it... Cheney has usurped all kinds of power, running a duplicate National Security Apparatus out of his office. We don't need it, and in these times of budget cuts, why should we spend millions of extra dollars to get demonstrably bogus intelligence?
Power of the Purse: Cut Cheney's office! Congress has the absolute power!
Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., said Democrats were right that Bush might have handled the matter differently, but added: "The big difference is, he's the president and you're not, and he made the judgment to exercise his constitutional authority the way he did."
Next, let's take on the war.
The Prexnit is the Commander In Chief, and that is absolute and he cannot be questioned. Fine.
But the Congress has Power of the Purse, and that can't be questioned either. Let's start by cutting all the fraud-infested contractors out of the Defense Budget. We know who they are - the investigations have been done. Not one more dime for the bums who built the collapsing, stinking embassy, or the vultures who failed to arm our humvees. Not one more billion for Halliburton and Blackwater, either!
And let's not stop there.
Not one more dime for faith-based sex-education.
Not one more dime for giving away our forests and our lands at fire-sale prices.
Not one more dime to the Interior department until it actually starts collecting the money it is owed by the oil companies - the tiny percentage of royalty payments, that now add up to billions in arrears.
Not one more dime to the EPA's top administrators' salaries until they start enforcing the law. Ditto to the FDA.
In fact, let's cut out the salaries for all the Political Kommisars the Busheviks have installed in all the government departments. Without their hefty salaries, I'm sure they'll all wander off to find some nice corporation they can drive into the ground, instead of our government.
But come on, people! Bush has been taking the line for 6 years now that where the constitution gives him power, he has the right to do anything he wants with it.
Well, what's good for the Executive Branch is good for the Legislature, as well.
Oh, and one word to the "Gang of 14"... Remember how there were supposed to be no filibusters? I know, I know, that was only for Judicial Appointments, but come on - McConnell is filibustering everything!
Get some spine, get out there and state unequivocally that all 14 of you will ALWAYS vote for cloture unless there is some major principal at stake.
Update: Thanks for the reminder, Occam's Hatchet...
There's another power that has been Constitutionally granted to Congress without reserve: The Power of Impeachment.
"The big difference is, he's the president and you're not, and he made the judgment to exercise his constitutional authority the way he did."
And remember, in Impeachment hearings, the President can't withhold documents or block testimony. No Executive Privilege applies.
And only Congress can make that judgement, and everybody else just has to shut up - even Tucker Carleson!