'... the truth about why the decision was made.'

During his press conference Tuesday night, President Bush offered a refreshingly and surprisingly articulate refutation of his own argument that administration officials should not be required to testify before congress.

Q: In San Diego, Nevada, Arizona, Republicans were the targets of investigations, and those U.S. Attorneys were removed. Does that not give the appearance...?

BUSH: It may give the appearance of something, but I think what you need to do is listen to the facts and let them explain to you. It's precisely why they're going up to testify, so that the American people can hear the truth about why the decision was made.

Well, yes. Except that they aren't "going up to testify." This is the whole problem.

The American people need and deserve to hear the truth about why the decision was made to fire eight United States Attorneys with sterling performance records. To this point, every answer the Bush administration has provided has been untrue. This is precisely the reason that congress wants administration officials to testify under oath about the process that led to the firings. An off-the-record "interview" with Karl Rove does not even begin to meet the standard of full disclosure that the American people need and deserve.

The demand of congress for senior White House advisors to testify under oath is not "partisanship," as the president insists. The proper term is "accoutability." The president should learn the difference and act as though he understands it.