Senator Collins rejects subpoena against White House

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2006/03/15/senator_collins_rejects_subpoena_against_white_house?mode=PF

Senator Collins rejects subpoena against White House

By Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press Writer | March 15, 2006

WASHINGTON --The Republican leading a Senate inquiry of the government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina denied a Democratic request Wednesday to subpoena the White House for information.

Even though she has criticized the Bush administration for stonewalling, Sen. Susan Collins said the administration generally has provided enough information for the investigation to draw conclusions about federal failures before and after the Aug. 29 storm.

Collins, who heads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also said a subpoena could hinder President Bush's ability to receive candid advice from aides. Such communication usually is covered by executive privilege.

In a letter Wednesday, Collins, R-Maine, reminded the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, that she issued five subpoenas to the Justice Department after its employees resisted being interviewed by Senate investigators.

No point for an investigative committee into looking @ the facts.

They're the type who are always "examining the issue in detail" and then invariably coming to the wrong conclusion. I think there's a real possibility we might be able to get rid of Collins this time around. Mainers are liberals, and when they're not, they still care deeply about our country. I'm feeling hopeful.

She's running for re-election, and it's time Maine had some Democratic representation in the Senate. Watching Collins dance around the issue of why she won't subpoena the White House just points up the total sycophancy of every Republican in Congress when it comes to their approach to this corrupt administration. Collins is so wrong on this, she's reduced to irrelevancies such as issuing subpoenas to the Justice Department. Gee, that's real swell, Ms. Collins, but . . . that's not what we're talking about.

She and Leiberman make a good couple. The Maine Democratic Party needs a good candidate to run against her.