2007年VOA标准英语-Prosecutor Controversy is Latest in History of

By Jim Malone
Washington
23 March 2007

President Bush and Democrats² in Congress appear on a collision course over whether Congress has the right to demand testimony³ under oath from White House aides in connection with the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year. The confrontation⁴ could eventually wind up in the federal court system, but historically, presidents and congressional leaders have often reached a compromise that avoids the courts. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

At issue is a demand from congressional Democrats that White House aides, including President Bush's top political adviser⁵, Karl Rove, testify under oath about what involvement they had, if any, in the firing of eight federal prosecutors⁶ last year.

subpoenas8 to White House staffers in the dismissal of U. S. attorneys, 22 Mar1 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070529/0830080.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Patrick Leahy (l) and Senator Edward Kennedy take part in a debate on whether to issue subpoenas to White House staffers in the dismissal of U. S. attorneys, 22 Mar 2007

House and Senate committees have authorized¹⁰ subpoenas that would compel testimony from White House aides, an approach favored by the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

"Let us have it in public," said Leahy. "Let us find out what is going on, allow both Republicans and Democrats to ask questions, have them under oath and clear this matter up."

Leahy and other Democrats rejected a White House offer to have the aides interviewed informally by members of Congress, but in private and not under oath.

President Bush opposes the Democrat's demand for testimony from his aides under oath. Mr. Bush says the prospect¹¹ of Congress forcing administration officials to reveal their private conversations would undermine the need for the president to get candid¹² advice and would be a disservice to the country.

"The President relies upon his staff to provide him candid advice," said Leahy. "The framers of the Constitution understood this vital role when developing the separate branches of government."

Republicans like former Congressman¹³ and House leader Tom DeLay want the president to resist what they believe are political fishing expeditions inspired by Democrats.

"If he is ever going to stop this madness from going on for two years, and it will if he gives in to them, he has got to stand strong right now," said DeLay.

But Democrats insist the time is right to restore some of the traditional checks and balances on the presidency¹⁴ that have been weakened in recent years.

Jim Webb, a Democratic senator from Virginia, said, "I think that there has been a constitutional imbalance since 9-11 in terms of the relationship between the executive branch and the legislative¹⁵ branch, and what we need is accountability and we need accountability across the board with the executive branch," he said.

President Bush's resistance to congressional demands for testimony from his aides falls under the general principle of what is called executive privilege, which is traditionally invoked¹⁶ to prevent the disclosure of certain confidential¹⁷ deliberations within the White House.

Peter Smith, a legal expert at George Washington University Law School in Washington, said, "It is a constitutional clash because Congress will assert the power to require White House officials to show up and testify, that is what a subpoena⁷ does."

"But of course, the president might respond to the subpoena by saying, I am simply not going to authorize⁹ them to attend. And then the constitutional conflict is whether Congress can somehow force the White House officials to attend," he added.

Historically, relatively¹⁸ few confrontations¹⁹ between presidents and Congress over executive privilege have ended up in the court system.

When they have, the results were mixed. For example, Presidents Andrew Jackson, Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower had success in resisting congressional demands for information and testimony.

But President Richard Nixon was not so fortunate. Nixon cited executive privilege before the U.S. Supreme²⁰ Court in 1974 in hopes of preventing incriminating White House tapes from becoming public. He lost and eventually was forced to resign for his role in the Watergate scandal.

In the current impasse²¹ between President Bush and Congress, law professor Peter Smith believes both sides are likely to reach a compromise at some point, though it may take a while.

"I think it is highly likely to play out in the court of public opinion and not a court of law, and that is because the pressure on one branch or the other to give in at some point will become too powerful to resist, and therefore it will be resolved without having to go to court," said Smith.

President Bush did reverse himself three years ago when he allowed then National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify before the commission probing the 2001 terrorist attacks.

President Bill Clinton also allowed some of his White House aides to testify before the Republican-controlled Congress in the 1990's that was probing various scandals and campaign finance irregularities during his administration.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

7 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

8 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

9 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

10 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

11 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

12 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

13 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

14 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

15 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

16 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

18 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

19 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

20 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

21 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。