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House Panel: White House Claims of Exec. Privilege "Unprecedented"
Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) came together today to criticize the White House for their use of executive privilege in the Valerie Plame leak scandal.
The two lawmakers called Bush's refusal to disclose the report of the FBI interview with Vice President Cheney "legally unprecedented" and "inappropriate." The committee seeks the document in order to establish the White House's role in the leak of Plame's name to the media.
From The Hill:
"The president's assertion of executive privilege over this document was legally unprecedented and an inappropriate use of executive privilege" Waxman, the panel's chair, and Davis, the ranking Republican, said in a joint report.Although both lawmakers agree that the president's action was "inappropriate," they disagree over whether Bush had the right to invoke executive privilege. Waxman rejects the validity of the assertion while Davis supports the privilege.
Waxman has been attempting to get access to the document since December 2007, and the committee issued a subpoena for it on June 24th 2008.
The Justice Department declared it would "not provide or make available any reports of interviews with the president or the vice president from the leak investigation" in response to the subpoena.
Josh
Zachary
No doubt: The Bushies Were Both ‘Worse Than,’ and ‘Not As Good As,’ Watergate
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1848
October 14, 2008 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Congress has the constitutional authority to oversee, up to and including impeachment and removal. Therefore, it has the constitutional authority to investigate toward those ends.
Therefore, it has the constitutional authority to demand, and to receive, with or without subpoena, documents which may fall within the purview of "Executive Privilege" EXCEPT when they do not implicate national security in the negative -- which the crime of oxposing Plame did do -- and they are clearly part of investigation of a crime.
In sum: Executive Privilege may (or may not) may include within its scope the VP's office. But it DOES NOT and CANNOT stand as other than obstruction of justice when it is invoked to cover up a crime and the evidence thereof.
Waxman is correct. And Davis is a Republican before he is an American.
October 14, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Unprecedented"
Of course, this now sets a precedent, so it will be much easier in the future.... thanks to our representatives who have decided not to hold the present regime accountable... IMHO
October 14, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just wait for the screams from the right, when Barack trys to claim the same privilages!
October 14, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama ain't gonna do it.
October 14, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does Waxman have time for another strongly worded letter before adjournment? If not he can just make a copy of one of the old ones. The effect will be the same.
October 14, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) came together today to criticize the White House for their use of executive privilege in the Valerie Plame leak scandal."
What a laugh. We can "criticize" the White House from our keyboards.
What an ineffectual tongue-lasher Waxman is. Of course, he isn't the lone ranger wielding that kind of serious arsenal in congress.
October 14, 2008 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Impeachment proceedings should commence November 5, 2008.
After the election there are no more excuses. The crimes of the Bush administration must be brought to light. That won't happen unless the ringleaders are deposed from office.
Pigs can fly. Invest in porcine aviation. Support impeachment.
ITMFA
October 14, 2008 11:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
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