Bush initially opposed creating the commission, but, under pressure from Democrats and some Republicans, he signed an executive order Feb. 6 to form the nine-member commission.
But the president defined the scope of its inquiry narrowly, appointed its members without consulting congressional Democrats and denied it subpoena power. Bush also asked the commission to report back by March 31, 2005, five months after the general election.
McCain is one of the commission’s most prominent members and says it will be ineffective without the power to subpoena the administration. “I just think you need to have the threat of subpoena power,†McCain told The Hill.
He said he told Dick Cheney that on the phone recently but the vice president refused.
