June 27, 2007 01:32 PM
The White House asserts Executive privilege on subpoenas
This was totally expected
President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors.
Bush's attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor. Congressional panels want the documents for their investigations of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' stewardship of the Justice Department, including complaints of undue political influence.
WIll Cheney's office weigh in on this now? Oh, wait. What branch of government does he belong to again?
I've got lumps of it.
Like good right-wingers, they believe in a very narrow reading of the law. Except when it comes to executive privilege, on which their reading is about as narrow as Dennis Hastert's ass.
Big friggin' surprise!
Okay, for all you 'strict constructionist' types, where in the Constitution does it say anything at all about "Executive Privilege?"
As I stated earlier, the only real response to this is impeachment.
And it will never happen. This country is really starting to suck.
Send in the marshalls.
"What branch of the government does Cheney belong to TODAY??!"
Constitutional showdown? How can that be? Bush
and Cheney don't even acknowledge the constitution.
This is CLEARLY an affront to the rule of law that
these traitorist bastards swore to uphold.
They NEED to be fucking arrested already!!!
Has everyone seen this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH2QB7p7drQ
Bush looks like he found out Barney was the dog atop Romney's car.
I've read the constitution - and I don't see "executive privilege" mentioned there.
The Constitution was written under "positive grant" - meaning, the federal government can only exercise those powers which are specifically listed in the constitution.
No mention of "executive privilege" in the constitution means it's not constitutional to exercise such power.
period.
If we would just get back to the basics - the constitution - we wouldn't have wars, spying, wiretaps, free speech zones, and on and on and on.....and no executive privilege!
Some reading:
"We Must Return to Our Constitution"
http://www.populistamerica.com/we_must_return_to_our_constitution
That’s right Chimp, throw your shit at those coming at you with the subpoena. Then run up that tree over there already occupied by Silverback Cheney.
PNAAC Minister @ 5:
And all Clinton did was get Monica to.
Gort @ 11:
Maybe we could bait Chimpy with some banannas.
That might get him down out of that tree.
Let's cut to the chase:
Impeach.
Everything else is a waste of precious time.
We need to hold our government accountable for what it has done in the past 6-7 years. If Bush thinks he was legally justified in wiretapping American citizens, then let him prove it. Why is he so afraid to be held accountable? If he commintted impeachable offenses, so be it. "Bring it on" as the li'l shrub might say. I second that.
They are trying to avoid it, but the NSA wiretaps were ILLEGAL and they came directly from BUSH. Press the charges, it is an impeachable offense. Pull them all down dammit.
Constitutional showdow?
Sorry, it will end with a GW victory....5-4 in the SCOTUS.
Until one of those 5 keel over, our constitution is on hold.
Neither executive privilege nor congressional oversight are explicitally stated as such in the Constitution. Executives would claim the former to protect the three seperate branches of government, and the latter for auditing how their dispersal of taxes to finance the former are utililized.
This is just another example of how the Constitution is not explicit enough for arguments supportive of judicial restraint.
On my part, I'm all for restraint, B&Dally speaking.
Refusing subpoenas, are we? Isn't that what got tricky Dick I into deep yogurt? Now to see if the Dems can grow backbones this summer.
Green Machine @ 18:
yep...they saw this coming years ago.
I forgot to mention that since the legislature creates laws, they have an interest that the laws are kept and properly executed.
Executions aren't just for retarded Texan convicts anymore.
How much you wanna bet this ends up in the Supreme Court? In fact, I'll bet Gonzo's already got his argument prepared.
Given the recent Supreme Court rulings (and the fact that the two newest members owe their positions to the current administration), is there really any doubt which way the scales will tip?
Stare decisis, my ass!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/washington/21memo.html
It is so past the time for some handcuffs and frog-marching across the Whitehouse lawn.
Really, for the first time now, I'm in the "impeach" camp. I've been unconvinced that congress had the stones, or sufficient inertia, to even bother with impeachment up to now, but seriously, if we are yet again going to have "executive privilege" thrown up there, then there is only one realistic way of compelling cooperation through the courts, and that's impeachment.
Stare decisis, my ass!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/21/washington/21memo.html
You prefer they stare at your ass?
Oh, good. Nothing like a coverup to focus the public's attention on the criminal intent of a corrupt president.
Only if it's decisively.
Green Machine @ 18:
I'm sad to say, you're probably right. Foxes guarding the hen house.
Yeah, what theWalrus said. What's the problem? The People voted the dems into power to start kicking Bushes ass. What do we get? Complaining, hearings and committees that are accomplishing nothing. Just a useless attempt to make the Democratic Party look competent. I'm done. I no longer support the dems in the upcoming election. I'll be casting my vote independently. The dems won't get mine and most certainly not the republics. Our once great Nation has been being governed by a bunch of criminals and neither party has made no REAL effort to get rid of them. This country and it's Constitution have been screwed in the ass long enough. When the dems and republics start seeing votes going elsewhere, maybe, just maybe they'll get the message. That's the only thing these people understand......money and votes.
LOL where is Judge Roy Bean?
#27
We wish. You know what's gonna happen.
"My fellow Americans... as of 5:34 PM Pacific Standard Time... Paris Hilton has escaped home confinement..."
And the crowd goes wild.
This must be another example of where King George
has 'decided' he don't need to adhere to any requests.
After all, his response would probably claim that by
releasing any documents will put our troops in harms
way, because, they hate us for our freedom.
Cantor de Mambo @ 29:
That would be like putting FAUX News or Col. Sanders in charge of the hen house.
BushCo can be reasonably confident that the Supreme Court will back them up based on partisanship alone, so the legalities don't matter much to them.
I expect the Dems to back down as usual, not accepting that how one loses is just as important and electorally valuable as how one wins.
Ronin Tetsuro @ 32:
The big story on Yahoo news is a Spice Girl Reunion tour.
Now I understand why the elderly often seem to be eager to die.
The world just keeps getting dumber and dumber.
Great article at the Dailkos, "So the subpoenas are out. What are we looking at?" (06/26/07 Kagro X)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/27/2059/71147
Also one other avenue:
I believe Obermann indicated the other day something about if congress indicates they are investigating a potential crime then the "executive privilege" thing is negated....
So, which way will the wind blow on this?.....
lucid fiction @ 33:
I guess they're going to have to find another reason to hate us . . . somewhere.
ticktock @ 37:
The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind...
Unless you take Beano.
ticktock @ 37:
I'll tell you which way the wind will blow......it'll blow right up our collective asses
and the people will say thank you, may WE have another?
Correction previous comment (#37) "Dailykos" and the date was 06/27/07-----
---thanks------
Regent Cheney holds the (self-appointed) Office of the Unitary Regency of the U.S.A. , complete it its Puppet Presidency.
So, of course he has to answer to no one ...
So what's left but impeachment? The Cheney/Bush administration refuse to do anything by the rules.
If the Cheney/Bush administration have destroyed evidence, just hand them all over to the Iraqis for trial for mass murder.
lucid fiction;
this looks more and more like a show down....
even if it ends up being just theater it still will be bad press for any potential political GOP candidates in 2008....
that in itself will serve a purpose....
#43 Smack_dab
Read that article that I posted on #37...
It helped me to see which way this all could turn....
The rest of the world shakes its head sadly and wonders what happened to the America which, despite its faults, at least attempted to uphold the rule of law in its government. We have an administration that is out of control.
Gee, when it was non-Presidential type people (i.e., ordinary Americans) complaining about Patriot Act's erosion of civil liberties and invasion of privacy and illegal wiretapping an' all, the argument from BushCo then was 'If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear'.
...Well, Mr Bush? Mr Cheney?
nonny mouse @ 47:
bravo, nonny.
well then sirs?
When we impeach the entire administration, we can roll back all the signing statements, recall his recess appointments, and put new justices in SCOTUS.
Or, maybe I'll wake up, and Bill Clinton will still be president and it will all have been a bad dream.
Yeah, I know....
NeverGonnaHappen
They are playing chess with the nations reputation, wealth and two or three generations of this nations population.. Just dicking around, check and countercheck....Blah blah blah one 'gotcha' followed by a 'no you don't' after another.. All while people are dying and being maimed over this clusterfuck of a neocon agenda.... Fuck this shit...I'm sick to death of it.. Send in the goddamned federal marshalls with guns and criminal indictments to drag the entire lot out of 1600 Pennsylvania in leg irons and cuffs.. And while you're at it, send a detail over to the DOJ to pick up our clueless criminally inclined AG.... ALL OF THEM needs put in jail, tried, and dealt with in an international court of law now...This minute....
With every passing second of every passing day, more and more innocents are sacrificed for nothing more than these peoples hubris, and our nations reputation slips ever further into the gutter of pariah and rogue nation status... Do you people in congress actually think this manner of dealing with this is actually GOOD for America??? I got a news flash for yas, this shit is OLD... Everyone is tired of it.. It needs to be ended now!!!! Russ Feingold? Nanci Pelosi? Harry Reid? What's it gonna take folks???? I gotta lot of respect for you, even now, but I ain't going to back you forever if you keep blowing this shit off. And maybe more importantly to your political futures... A lot of other people are getting fed up too and will bail out on you pretty soon as well.
Stop punking us out by ignoring the reality of what you need to do as representatives of this nation, because in the end it is the republican administration in power right now who are punking you people out right along with the rest of us when you refuse to do what you know you must.. The word; IMPEACHMENT That's where it must start. In order to begin to repair our international reputation, impeachment is where it MUST begin. And that's not where it ends either, that is just the beginning... Wake up and accept it Congress, it's your responsibility now........George Bush, Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales among others have forced this situation on you... Swallow hard, take a deep breath, and embrace what you know you must... For the good of the nation and the world, in the name of common decency do it... And if not for that reason, then for the sakes of your own increasingly pathetic looking reputations..JD
anything thats done to these criminals is going to have to be done outside of the law, since cheny owns the law in this country dont look for any justice from them!
Look at the bright side.
You couldn't PAY enough money for
the circus antics we're witnessing.
Sit back and enjoy the show.
BTW, there will be no refund.
nonny mouse @ 47:
Right you are. Basic distrust of the government (in this case deserved) runs deep. If Bush wants to hide behind hair-splitting legalities, he's going to end up looking almost as guilty as he surely is. Bring it on!
and Now don't you believe that Hitler has taken over our government. shit-for-brains and darthwardturd are truly "enemy combattants" of this great nation and are violating many laws. it's time to impeach them and aj gonadzales.
Straight Shooter @ 46:
do be honest, i really don't think the rest of the world really cares that much anymore-especially Europe. there economy really doesn't depend on us as much anymore and they have moved away from us since the iraq war. i think the rest of the world just laughs at us and uses this sorry situation as another example of american stupidity and arrogance.
Blah, blah, blah. Congress issues subpoenas, White House ignores them and NOTHING happens. Congress caves and passes a blank check for Bush. Congress holds hearing upon hearing and...NOTHING happens. And congress' approval rating goes down. Big surprise. Democratic leadership needs to start standing up to the White House or their going to lose elections come 2008.
thank you
50
Jack Damage Says:
to the point and just what is needed now. a cogress with balls
Color me effing confused but if Bush said last Friday (Thursday maybe) that he and Cheney aren't part of the Executive Branch then how in the HELL can they claim Executive Privilage over anything?
Jackie @ 55:
Thanks to booshco and the rise of the EU, America may soon be irrelevant.
But did you hear the Spice Girls are having a world tour reunion? This is the lead story on Yahoo news.
dadams @ 57:
You mean like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdBoYCoP6EE
So I wonder how much longer American politics will have to exist in the realm of the patently absurd before the press suddenly has the group realization*cartoon sound effect* DOY-YOING! "What in the hell is going on around here?"
Its just an unbelievable farce at this stage.
TO ALL CONGRESS MEMBERS, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN- DO YOUR DAMN JOB! Put your country first ahead of politics and party. BEGIN IMPEACHMENT OF THESE CRIMINALS.
impeachment better get the hell under way. don't the dems realize if they just let the bush administration go this country will be tainted with the worst failure and corruption of the government it has ever been?
Be reminded, it takes 67 Votes in the Senate for Impeachement proceedings to
move forward...Never Gonna Happen...sorry to say
Nohobear @ 62:
*muted trumpet "laughing" sound* "wha wha wha whaaaaaaaaaa"
Gee...the President afraid of the law. What a concept.
No worries...he'll wag the dog....and the bombs will start falling soon.
why don't they just rummage through the white house trash for cocktail napkins. i am certain this is how bush keeps his notes.
OK, so Stinkypants McFuckwad & Co. were issued Subpoenas...so what? Cuntasleeza Rice was issued a subpoena MONTHS ago, and never obeyed it, and NOTHING HAPPENED. Ya think these bums care about a Congressional Subpoena? Naaaah! They know that even with an "approval rating" lower than a rat's belly NOTHING is gonna happen to them, because Congress has NO GUTS and there are enough Repiglicans loyal to them and their twisted profiteering crooked rule to prevent any impeachment. Dream On. The only way we are gonna be able to rid ourselves of these monsters is if the Military grows enough cojones to arrest them for Treason...which ain't gonna happen, or we just wait them out and hope America survives. Get it thru your heads, people...BUSH DOESN'T CARE!!! CHENEY DOESN'T CARE!! They will do as they please, and Nothing will happen to them, and when they have finished ruining America, they will run off to Paraguay.
My belief is that the dems need to impeach. The evidence is strong and plentiful enough for the MSM to disregard and the public to understand. It will bring about two things;
1) The public will see that the dems actually have some balls, and are willing to show 'em. The public will also drop the disgust that is creeping into the electorate due to electing dems to take action, (stop the war & serve honestly), and then having the dems cowering with their knees crossed and hands over their laps.
2)As the election approaches and impeachment underway, (even if Senate votes are unfavorable), the public will see the evidence and figure, " How the hell can those GOPers still vote against impeachment?" Thus the GOPs up for reelection will either have to vote for impeachment for face the consequences, which will be a more dissatisfied and mystified electorate. The dems need to do this because of the looming possibility of recurring election fraud seen in '00 & '04. The vote gap must be huge & insurmountable so as a vote fraud to be so obvious that there would be rebellion. 1-4 points can be turned with caging and electronic voting, but not 5-9 points.
ysbaddaden @ 59:
And Paris Hilton thought prison was "traumatic"!
Americans have allowed the government to chip away at education for the past 20 years. Now we have a country full of idiots who vote for corporate interests over putting "food on their family" and believe the world was created in 6 days. So I can't say I am surprised we are in such a mess.
Ehh YS; Nah, not really like that though I'm willing to bet Bon Scott did have those type of balls... After all, he did live the rock-n-roll lifestyle to the hilt... Just as an aside, are you trying to tell me Pink (is that who that was in the plane) is a T-girl???
Just idle couriosity... I still like a lot of her music.... Actually that chic looked a little too skinny to me to be Pink... But what the hay, if we're going off on tangents, then my idle couriosity is probably just as valid as a humourous ACDC vid.... Just sayin YS ol bud... I still like your snark and posts dude... Don't know what you think of me but that's OK... Liking me is not a requirement.. Same as I told my son sometime back when we were haggling over him not doing his homework... Again....(sigh) sins of my youth visited upon me I suppose.. OK digression done, rock on YS, rock on...............JD
stymie @ 68:
It doesn't matter how much evidence they have- they will not do it. And even if they did, Bushie and his fascist friends would run to the Supreme Court who, packed with his buddies, would bail him out.
Mussolini, looking up from hell, must be so please at the progress his fascist dream has made over the past 60 years.
The Chimperor doesn't look pleased (YouTube vidcap is from Talking Points Memo here and the TPMuckraker). After a bunch of rope a dope on this -- WH and Gonzo ignored nine, count'em NINE requests for compliance -- looks like Congress scored a bona fide punch to First Gut.
Enough is Enough...I've had it up to here!!!!! IMPEACH THESE LIARS, CHEATERS TRAITOR AND THIEVES!!!
IMPEACH BUSH AND HIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION!!!
Stymie @ 68: My recollection from a listing I saw a week or so ago, is that there are
only about 8 Repig U.S. Senators up for election in 2008, so even if ALL were voted
out, and replaced w/Dem's, the make-up of the Senate would be something like 58
to 42.(and that is counting LIE-berman as a Dem/Indep)..still far, far short of the 67 votes needed to impeach Cheney/bush.
No merit to any WH Counsel's assertions. As absurd as Addington's. Reynolds and Nixon do not permit classification of illegal activity; or using privilege to hide evidence of unlawful activity. WH Counsel's letter not responsive.
Now, at long last, can impeachment be put back onto the table?!?
The Dems will cave again.
Just watch.
"Oh, you don't want to give us those documents? Ok. We'll subpoena you again next month, and hope for the best. Ok?"
No surprise. It's already a dictatorship, functioning under the guise of a democracy. They just haven't sent the brown shirts into the streets, overtly, yet. But they do whatever they want, with impunity, and that is dicatorship.
Clements accused of lying in writing to Congress: Statements issued do not reconcile with Ralston's depostion and refusals.
Here Here!! MEGAPATRIOTIC DITTOS Jack Damage (50)!! It is way beyond torches and pitchforks time!
Doggiebobo @ 64:
We know. That's why I think "creative solutions" are needed. Those are in no way are to be confused with anything that happened to J. F. Kennedy. (Right??)
Jerry @ 30:
Sorry, Jerry, did not mean to steal your comment, only to agree wholeheartedly with it. What a sorry bunch running out government. Even the good intentioned guys don't have the gumption to fight for our constitution. This madness for money and power has no meaning when our democracy is being subverted. What happened to integrity, public service and statesmanship? All the ghouls want is a raise.
PNAAC Minister @ 5:
Starting? No, really.
Yeah, what theWalrus said. What’s the problem? The People voted the dems into power to start kicking Bushes ass. What do we get? Complaining, hearings and committees that are accomplishing nothing. Just a useless attempt to make the Democratic Party look competent. I’m done. I no longer support the dems in the upcoming election. I’ll be casting my vote independently. The dems won’t get mine and most certainly not the republics. Our once great Nation has been being governed by a bunch of criminals and neither party has made no REAL effort to get rid of them. This country and it’s Constitution have been screwed in the ass long enough. When the dems and republics start seeing votes going elsewhere, maybe, just maybe they’ll get the message. That’s the only thing these people understand……money and votes.
--------------------------------
The people who say the Dems aren't doing anything are precisely those who must get most of their news on TV. Anyone who has looked at the Congressional record knows the Dems are working their ass*s off! They need your support, not your condemnation. Get informed, first of all, about what they're doing, and then start calling your Congresspeople. As for voting Independent in the next election...well, we all know how well THAT worked out last time, don't we? The devil is in the details, and spouting off with uninformed indignation helps nothing and no one.
Cheney just signed a 'secret' presidential order that declares President George W' Bush to no longer be a member of the executive branch, thus unavailable for subpoenas.
They (Cheney and Bush) are each retiring to separate 'undisclosed locations' for the duration of this administration (but Cheney has the 'nuclear hot line' phone).
Who's in charge of 'the store'?
Same as always, NO ONE.
So sad, so very very sad that it has come to this.
Doggiebobo@64
point is not impeachment. it is to make incumbant gop senators show their hand, so as not to be reelected. A realalistic goal is to capture true senate majority. There is a slim possibility of impeachment, very-very slim. Hell we can't stop the war with what we got in the senate now, and to endure another 2 years of doing nothing with a gop president theif and stagnant senate is very disheartening.
Impeachment? Fuck it! I want the chimp sent up for war crimes.
Great article on case law which breaks down the small things the Bush administration is doing behind the scenes to further protect itself from prosecution.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20060301_bergen.html
White House response: We investigate everyone, but no one investigates us!
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