It’s about time that Karl Rove and Harriet Miers testify before the House Judiciary Committee about the dismissal of nine US Attorneys in 2006. There have been widespread allegations that they were fired solely for political reasons, which were supported by an internal Justice Department investigation. Still, Rove and Miers have refused to testify or turn over relevant documents to Congressional Committees investigating the matter – until now.
Rep. John Conyers and others who orchestrated the partial resolution of this long-running dispute with the administration over its absurd claims of executive privilege are to be congratulated for getting this far. But it’s important to note that this is only a partial resolution: The testimony will be under oath and on the record, but it not be made publicly. Why the secrecy? We have to hope that the members of Congress who achieved this compromise will not suppress the information they uncover. We all have a right to know what public officials have been doing on our dime and in our name.