Cheney’s office, White House subpoenaed

This is off MSNBC News:

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office Wednesday for documents relating to President Bush’s controversial eavesdropping program that operated warrant-free for five years.

Also named in subpoenas signed by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., were the Justice Department and the National Security Council. The four parties have until July 18 to comply, according to a statement by Leahy’s office.

The committee wants documents that might shed light on internal disputes within the administration over the legality of the program, which Bush put under court review earlier this year.

“Our attempts to obtain information through testimony of administration witnesses have been met with a consistent pattern of evasion and misdirection,” Leahy said in his cover letters for the subpoenas. “There is no legitimate argument for withholding the requested materials from this committee.”

Echoing its response to previous congressional subpoenas to former administration officials Harriet Miers and Sara Taylor, the White House gave no indication that it would comply.

“We’re aware of the committee’s action and will respond appropriately,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. “It’s unfortunate that congressional Democrats continue to choose the route of confrontation.”

We've got another confrontation here. The Bush administration has been stalling every which way they can to avoid providing information on their illegal warrantless spying program for the past six years. And it doesn't surprise me that the Bush White House is blaming the congressional Democrats for their own confrontational approach to the congressional oversight into the Bush White House. If anything, this story really shows the contempt that the Bush administration, and especially Vice President Dick Cheney, have for both the rule of law and the system of oversight. This Bush White House will ignore this subpoena, inviting an even greater constitutional confrontation within the courts between the legislative and executive branches. President Bush probably believes this latest stare-down with the Democrats in Congress.

We'll find out on July 18th.