It is another major step in the ongoing saga of the U.S. Attorney purge scandal, which started more than a year ago.

This afternoon, the House of Representatives voted to hold White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel (and one-time Supreme Court nominee) Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for their refusal to testify about the White House role in the purge.

With House Republicans congregating on the steps of the Capitol in protest, Democrats passed the resolutions 223-32.

A legal battle over executive privilege looms, one unlikely to be resolved before President Bush leaves office.