The White House has delayed until next week a decision on whether to release additional documents and to permit top aides to President Bush, including Karl Rove, the chief political adviser, to testify in a Congressional inquiry into the dismissal of federal prosecutors.
Whether the executive privilege excuse is being explored or whether we're all waiting for Gonzales to fall on his sword or whether we're waiting for Cheney to create a diversion by nuking Iran -- well, I guess no one knows yet. Tune in...
Democrats expressed disappointment with the delay, and Representative John Conyers Jr., Democrat of Michigan, the committee chairman, said he would move forward with subpoenas for Mr. Rove and other top officials, including Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, and Scott Jennings, a deputy to Mr. Rove.
Still, Mr. Conyers and Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who is spearheading the inquiry in the Senate, seemed inclined to give the administration a few more days. Separately, the committees expect to receive additional documents from the Justice Department on Monday.
“The proof of the pudding will be in the eating — if they actually let us interview the witnesses and get the documents,” Mr. Schumer said. “The fact that they’ve delayed makes me worry that they are preparing not to do that.”
