Standing on principles in the purge scandal

I'm working this week and Wednesday mornings are always busy so just a quick couple of links before I have time to post again. Terminated USA of New Mexico David Iglesias speaks for himself. The money quote:

President Bush addressed this scandal yesterday. I appreciate his gratitude for my service — this marks the first time I have been thanked. But only a written retraction by the Justice Department setting the record straight regarding my performance would settle the issue for me.

Meanwhile, Glenn Greenwald debunks Bush and his loyalist's claim to executive privilege in answering Congressional subpoenas for Rove and Miers, among others. Glenn has a his usual comprehensive rundown of the historical record, but here's a couple of choice quotes.

First, the President began his Press Conference by admitting that the administration's explanations as to what happened here have been -- to use his own words -- "confusing" and "incomplete." Why, then, would Congress possibly trust Bush officials to provide more explanations in an off-the-record, no-transcript setting where there are no legal consequences from failing to tell the truth?

Once a party demonstrates a propensity to issue false explanations and refuses to tell the truth voluntarily, no rational person would trust that party to make voluntary disclosures. One could trust (if at all) only on-the-record testimony, under oath, where there are criminal penalties for lying (if they have questions about that motivational dynamic, they can ask Lewis Libby).

And Glenn also points out why it's important for the Democrats and the people to stand our ground on this point.

For that reason, it is important to them to establish principles which will prevent (or at least substantially delay) any meaningful investigations by Congress into the White House's conduct over the last six years, and creating a privileged buffer around key administration officials and White House documents serves that purpose quite well. For that exact reason, it is absolutely imperative that Congress not acquiesce here, because genuine investigations -- that which the country urgently needs -- will, at some point, require this confrontation.

Indeed. The one thing this country cannot afford is to allow Bush to set any further precedent for avoiding the truth that can only be assured through sworn testimony.