White House Orders Miers to Clam Up

On President Bush's orders, Harriet Miers will ignore a subpoena and will not appear tomorrow before a House committee investigating the US attorney firings. The ex-White house counsel "has absolute immunity from compelled congressional testimony," current counsel Fred Fielding wrote to her lawyer in a letter made public this afternoon, the AP reports.

John Conyers, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, released a statement saying he was "extremely disappointed" and vowing not to let the no-show keep the probe from advancing: "We understand that the White House has asserted privilege over both her testimony and documents, and we are prepared to consider those claims at tomorrow's hearing." (More Harriet Miers stories.)