NYT editorial: Bolton and Miers got what they deserve

White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolton and White House Counsel Harriet Miers have been held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas issued in connection with the US attorney firing scandal.  This move by the House Judiciary Committee, headed by John Conyers, now brings the matter to a full House vote.  If passed in the House, the contempt charges will move to the Senate.  If the Senate votes in favor, the two White House members could face fines and jail time (between one and twelve months) for obstructing the work of Congress.

This morning, the New York Times Editorial Board supported Conyers' contempt decision, and wrote that the White House wouldn't be in this mess if they didn't use the Justice Department as their political arm:

They had no right to refuse. Congress has the legal power to callwitnesses to testify, and presidential advisers are not exempt.Conservative lawyers like Bruce Fein agree that the administration’sclaims of executive privilege are baseless. If the White House believesspecific matters are privileged, it needs to make those limited claims.

Such defiance is not only illegal, it has seriously obstructedCongress’s ability to get to the bottom of the United States attorneysscandal. It now appears that the scandal reaches beyond the ninefederal prosecutors who were fired for refusing to allow their officesto be politicized. It seems quite possible that others, includingGeorgia Thompson, a civil servant in Wisconsin, and Don Siegelman, aformer governor of Alabama, were put in prison — and Mr. Siegelmanremains there — to help Republicans win elections.

Just asimportant, by ignoring valid Congressional subpoenas, Ms. Miers and Mr.Bolten are dangerously challenging Congress’s power — and the carefulsystem of checks and balances established by the founders.

Is it just me who thinks this, or are Henry Waxman and John Conyers the only House members actually doing anything?