How eager are the Bushies to talk about anything but the Prosecutor Purge?

They'd rather talk about the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

Yesterday, they prevented Attorney General Alberto Gonzales from going on the Sunday shows (see post below).

Instead, they dispatched Defense Secretary Bob Gates and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, in attempt to shift the media spotlight to Iraq.

But the gambit failed.

The big news from the Sunday shows was all about the Purge, not the Surge.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, on CBS' Face The Nation, linked Carol Lam's progress in investigating HookerGate with moves to oust her:

FEINSTEIN: ...on May, I think it was May 10th, [now-purged US Attorney Carol Lam] sent a notice to the Justice Department saying that there would be two search warrants sent in the case of [former top CIA official] "Dusty" Foggo and a defense contractor.

The next day, an e-mail went from the Justice Department to the White House saying, "We have a real problem with Carol Lam."

SCHIEFFER: Really?

FEINSTEIN: Yes, really.

That sparked coverage in the Washington Post and McClatchy Newspapers

And Sen. Pat Leahy, on ABC's This Week, announced that the Judiciary Committee will be voting Thursday to issue a subpeona for Karl Rove if he does not testify voluntarily.

The NY Times reports today that it's unclear if the White House will try to defy any subpoena of its staff.

If they do try to defy, they better figure out some better pushback that what Senate Republicans offered yesterday.

For example, Sen. John Cornyn on This Week tried to appear as if he cared about the truth, while pathetically positioning himself to vote against subpoenas:

I just want to be careful that we conduct a legitimate inquiry, and we don't overstep into this political witch hunt environment...

Left unexplained is how compelling key players to testify, when they're trying to duck hard questions, is somehow illegitimate.

Most of the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee hold safe seats and may feel comfortable casting a defiant "No" vote on any subpoena.

But they will have to ask themselves, how will it look if every Republican votes against conducting a "legitimate inquiry," and for allowing the White House to escape accountability?