2007年VOA标准英语-Former White House Aide Follows Directive Not t

By Dan Robinson
Washington
11 July 2007

Sara Taylor testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, 11 Jul 2007

The dismissal of federal prosecutors¹, and President Bush's commuting² of the jail sentence of a former White House aide continue to be in the spotlight³ at often acrimonious⁴ testimony⁵ on Capitol Hill Wednesday. VOA's Dan Robinson reports.

As expected, former White House political aide Sara Taylor, in her first appearance before lawmakers, cited executive privilege over and over in declining to answer questions about internal or external communications or deliberations on the firing of federal prosecutors.

President Bush is using this authority in resisting congressional subpoenas⁶ for focused testimony by Taylor, and former White House counsel Harriet Miers, part of lawmaker's efforts to determine if improper⁷ political considerations played a role in the attorney dismissals.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy, who has accused the president of a cover up, had this exchange with Taylor:

LEAHY: "Since the 2004 election, did you speak with President Bush about

replacing U.S. attorneys?

TAYLOR: Again I am trying to. . .

LEAHY: I know what you are trying to do, but.

TAYLOR: Well I am not, and I appreciate your patience but I am trying to make

a determination on deliberations versus⁸ what is a fact-based question. I guess you asked me a fact-based question. I did not speak to the president about removing U.S. attorneys."

Although Taylor repeatedly refused to answer lawmaker's questions about White House deliberations, she did say that she would answer questions if a court ruled that Congress's need for the information outweighed⁹ the president's assertion of executive privilege.

Ranking panel Republican, Senator Arlen Spector, said he understood her decision to comply with the White House executive privilege restriction¹⁰.

However, by the end of the hearing Spector again referred to the very real prospect¹¹ that the committee may decided¹² to proceed with a contempt of Congress citation¹³ for the former White House aide. "You are between a rock and hard place. There is no way you can come out a winner, and I don't think any U.S. attorney anywhere as the appointee of the president is going to bring a criminal contempt citation, but if this committee asks for one, it will be a big cloud over you, a big smear¹⁴, that will last the rest of your life," he said.

Spector renewed an appeal to President Bush to work with the committee to resolve the impasse¹⁵ over executive privilege.

As the Senate hearing was concluding, President Bush ordered his former White House counsel Harriet Miers, who was due to appear before a House of Representatives committee Thursday also on the attorneys matter, not to do so.

In a separate hearing Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony about President Bush's commutation of the sentence of Lewis Libby who was convicted of obstruction¹⁶ of justice in connection with the case involving the revelation of the identity of a CIA agent.

"The idea that no man or woman is above the law is firmly embedded¹⁷ in our nation's founding document and underlies¹⁸ the entirety of the criminal justice system. When clemency¹⁹ is granted outside the normal pardon system, and particularly when it is issued to members of the president's own administration, that fundamental concept is called into question," said Congressman²⁰ John Conyers.

Among witnesses at the hearing was former ambassador Joseph Wilson, a fierce critic of the Bush administration on Iraq, and whose wife Valerie was the CIA agent whose identity was revealed. "Make no mistake, the president's actions last week cast a pall²¹ of suspicion over his office, and Vice²² President Cheney," he said.

Republicans on the panel accused Democrats²³ of trying use the issue for political gain, and attempting to lay the groundwork for further attacks on Libby's former boss, Vice President Cheney. "The Constitution does give the president the authority to grant clemency. Congress cannot restrict this power, and yet here we are spending time and resources that would be better used focusing on the real needs of the American people," said Congressman Lamar Smith is the panel's ranking Republican.

When he commuted²⁴ Libby's sentence, President Bush said he felt the punishment by the court was too harsh.

The White House has rejected Congressman Conyers request that it provide documents relating to the matter.

1 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。

2 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 acrimonious   

adj.严厉的，辛辣的，刻毒的

参考例句：

• He had an acrimonious quarrel with his girlfriend yesterday.昨天他跟他的女朋友激烈争吵了一番。
• His parents went through an acrimonious divorce.他的父母在激烈吵吵闹闹中离了婚。

5 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。

6 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

7 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

8 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

9 outweighed   

v.在重量上超过( outweigh的过去式和过去分词 )；在重要性或价值方面超过

参考例句：

• This boxer outweighed by his opponent 20 pounds. 这个拳击选手体重比他的对手重20磅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She outweighed me by ten pounds, and sometimes she knocked me down. 她的体重超过我十磅，有时竟把我撞倒。 来自百科语句

10 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

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 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 citation   

n.引用，引证，引用文；传票

参考例句：

• He had to sign the proposition for the citation.他只好在受奖申请书上签了字。
• The court could issue a citation and fine Ms. Robbins.法庭可能会发传票，对罗宾斯女士处以罚款。

14 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

15 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。

16 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

17 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

18 underlies   

v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的第三人称单数 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起

参考例句：

• I think a lack of confidence underlies his manner. 我认为他表现出的态度是因为他缺乏信心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger. 努力找出你的愤怒之下潜藏的情感。 来自辞典例句

19 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

20 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。

21 pall   

v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕

参考例句：

• Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。
• I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。

22 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

23 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》

24 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. 他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。