Last Friday saw the House of Representatives' Committee on the Judiciary hold hearings into alleged abuses of power on the part of President Bush and his administration. Billed as "impeachment lite" by many in the Congress and media, the well-attended hearings nevertheless highlighted the strength of feeling surrounding the White House's disregard for so many of Common Cause's key issues.

Our Recapture the Flag campaign has focused on five key aspects, all of which were raised by committee members and witnesses in the context of the administration's alleged disregard for human rights and the rule of law. The process of `secret rendition' for terror suspects and their subsequent torture was condemned early on by committee chair John Conyers (D-MI). Secondly, the refusal of members of the executive branch, including former deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, to obey subpoenas was cited as a complete disregard for the rule of law - and echoed President Nixon's insistence that "when the president does it, that means it is not illegal".