Conservative paper calls for Bush to allow aide testimony under oath

North San Diego County is one of the most conservative areas in the state of California.

How conservative?

When its Republican Congressman Randall "Duke" Cunningham admitted to and was convicted of corruption charges (prosecuted, perhaps not so coincidentally by Carol Lam, one of the Gonzales 8), the district still chose to elect another Republican to take his place.

So it can't be good news for the Bushies (my new favoritist term) when the local paper for this very conservative area calls for Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to testify under oath and on the record.

Given that he has so many other more important issues to manage -- there's a war on, after all -- and the fact that this is only the first salvo in what promises to be a long battle, President Bush should submit to this round of subpoenas. Again, Congress is right to pursue the testimony, under oath, of government officials whose previous comments misled our elected representatives and the public, whether deliberately or not.

President Bush still has a chance to avoid the approaching legal showdown between two branches of government. He would be well advised to wait for the next charge by the Democrats in Congress to stand his ground. That attack almost certainly will be on matters of more importance, and his defense will be far less compromised by the mistakes of his own men.

Prudent advice, given with the President's best interests in mind.

Almost makes me hope he's too stubborn to take it.