Yeah, I'm sure this comes as a total shock:
Bush Denies Congress Access to Aides
Bush Invokes Executive Privilege to Deny Congress Testimony From Former White House Aides
President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny requests by Congress for testimony from two former aides about the firings of federal prosecutors.
The White House, however, did offer again to make former counsel Harriet Miers and one-time political director Sara Taylor available for private, off-the-record interviews.
And the rationale for the claim of executive privilege? You had to ask, didn't you? (emphasis added)
In a letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary panels, White House counsel Fred Fielding insisted that Bush was acting in good faith and refused lawmakers' demand that the president explain the basis for invoking the privilege.
Not surprisingly, with such a stunning development that flies in the face of basic Constitutional principles, Canada's Blogging Tories are all over the story.
Psyche.
3 comments:
Ah yes, executive privilege. Another power the President wasn't granted by the US Constitution. Sorta like the ability to suspend parts of it just for the hell of it.
The only person here who knows less about the US Constitution than CC is the ever dim e in md.
Executive privilege is INHERENT in the Constitution, e. Bush is in the executive branch and they execute and administer the laws. Congress makes them. When Bush tries to make laws, then Congress will invoke Congressional privilege, I suppose. I suggest you read the Constituion instead of embarrassing yourself; you clearly missing it in civic class.
The firing of federal prosecutors is an executive function. Congress has nothing to do with it.
By the way, every single president in recent history has at one time or the other invoked executive privilege. It's part of the tension between the two branches of government. So, calm down boys. There is no Constitutional crisis here.
Sheesh!
Geez, that last bit sounds familiar. Wait a minute... something about Hillier suppressing information about Afghan detainees... oh, yeah:
"Asked if there was any evidence that soldiers' safety had been compromised because of earlier disclosure of detainee information, DND spokesman Marc Raider responded that "the information cannot be provided for operational security reasons."
Good Gods, the Harperites really are working out of the White House playbook, aren't they?
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