Right to be wary of White House probes of Capitol Hill

Republican members of Congress have been awfully tolerant of the Bush administration’s generous self-empowerment regarding the holding of terrorist suspects, the withholding of documents and more. So it’s been fascinating to watch the congressional push-back against the Justice Department’s bribery investigation of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., particularly the unprecedented raid of his Capitol Hill office (see photo). House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., is right to be protective of the separation of powers. Meanwhile, President Bush ordered Thursday that the seized records be sealed for 45 days, to give federal prosecutors and Congress time to try to resolve the dispute.
Posted by Rhonda Holman