Congressmen return, ready to take on Bush

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WASHINGTON, July 9 (AFP): Congressmen returning from their Independence Day break are ready for battle with the White House, with Democrats decrying President Bush's commutation of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence and fighting Bush's latest claim of executive privilege. Both events occurred around Congress' vacation, inflaming an intense battle between Democrats and Bush over his use of executive power.
Several Democrat-led investigations are playing out this week as they head toward contempt of Congress citations and, if neither side yields, federal court:
Monday is the deadline for the White House to explain why Bush is refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena for e-mails and other documents on his aides' involvement in the firings of eight federal prosecutors last winter. The White House is not expected to comply with the deadline.
In a pair of hearings Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will look at Bush's commutation last week of Libby's prison sentence for obstruction of justice in the CIA leak case. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hear from former White House political director Sara Taylor about the prosecutor firings, according to Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
The next day, the House panel is expected to turn to the prosecutor firings and has scheduled testimony from former White House Counsel Harriet Miers. It's unclear whether she will appear.
The weeklong summertime break did not cool the disputes. In fact, Bush's commutation of Libby's prison sentence teed up a new project for Democratic investigators.