Today’s Must ReadThings just aren’t what they used to be.
Nowadays, hardly an arbitrary exertion of executive power goes by without examination. Fire eight U.S. attorneys at once, and Congress starts asking questions. Commute the sentence of your former aide who was convicted of lying to protect senior administration officials and within a week, there’s a hearing. Even your off-the-record email system is exposed, so that now there might be a record of Karl Rove’s communications.
The White House is not happy, as spokesman Scott Stanzel made clear during yesterday’s press briefing. Clearly, the Democratic Congress is in some sort of oversight frenzy, cross-eyed and foaming at the mouth, issuing subpoenas every waking hour:
I would note that we do get a lot of inquiries from the Hill. They’ve launched over 300 investigations, had over 350 requests for documents and interviews…And they have had over 600 oversight hearings in just about 100 days — so that’s about six oversight hearings a day. And we’ve turned over 200,000 pages of documents as an administration.
It’s just no fun being in power any more.
Of course, Democrats, with characteristic skepticism, question the White House’s numbers:
Democrats were dubious of the figures but did not offer their own.
“His numbers are as faulty as the intelligence they used to make their case for war,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
“In the last six years, all they’ve had is a rubber-stamp Congress. Since January, Democrats have demanded accountability, a change of course and transparency,” Manley said.
Full transcript below.
From yesterday’s briefing:
Q The House Judiciary Committee has given the White House until 10:00 a.m. Monday to explain its basis for invoking executive privilege. How is the White House going to respond to that?
MR. STANZEL: Well, we always respond appropriately to the inquiries. I would note that we do get a lot of inquiries from the Hill. They’ve launched over 300 investigations, had over 350 requests for documents and interviews —
Q Since January?
MR. STANZEL: Since taking over, yes. And they have had over 600 oversight hearings in just about 100 days — so that’s about six oversight hearings a day. And we’ve turned over 200,000 pages of documents as an administration. And in that time, what they have to show for it, if you’re taking a generous look at it, is six bills — six major bills passed.
We’ll always respond appropriately, and look forward to reviewing that letter, but I guess I would raise those issues because it raises the question, what does Congress want to do — do they want to pass legislation for the American people or would they rather investigate and have politics be the course of the day?
Q Does that mean that — when you say you will respond appropriately, does that mean that you’ll meet the 10:00 a.m. deadline?
MR. STANZEL: I haven’t seen that letter, so we’ll take a look at it and see what they’re asking for. And I’m sure the Counsel’s Office will have a response in due time.
Q And by your earlier response, are you suggesting that the Congress is too zealous in its oversight, excessive?
MR. STANZEL: Well, I would say they have a lot to show in terms of activity and requests and letter writing, and that sort of thing, but not much to show in the way of real legislation, whether it’s legislation on health care, education, comprehensive immigration reform — all of those things are important issues that we think the American people care about and would like to see Congress move forward on.
