The Fifth

You know, for an administration that has so much animosity for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, they sure have a sudden love affair with the fifth.

It's not a good thing for them that an aid to the Attorney General is pleading the Fifth Amendment. Let's read, verbatim, what the Fifth Amendment says;

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Yeah, so, pretty much she's guilty of something and admitting the truth would force her to confess to something, and, thanks to the document the Bush Administration loves to forget exists, she has that right.

If anything, perhaps the Democrats can offer Ms. Goodling immunity from prosecution so she won't have to plead the Fifth. (Immunity means she cannot be charged with anything she incriminated herself with, for those of you who didn't already know.)

UPDATE: It appears a legal reader of Andrew Sullivan's already thought of my idea about immunity, but since he's a legal reader, he has more background on this than I do...here's the link