White House Exec. Privilege Deemed Illegal

Sen. Leahy: Bush Not Involved In Attorney Firings, So Rove And Others Must Abide By Subpoenas

(AP)  A Senate chairman acknowledged explicitly on Thursday that President Bush was not involved in the firings of U.S. attorneys last winter and therefore ruled illegal the president's executive privilege claims protecting his chief of staff, John Bolten, and former adviser Karl Rove.

Sen. Patrick Leahy directed Bolten, Rove, former political director Sara Taylor and her deputy, J. Scott Jennings, to comply "immediately" with their subpoenas for documents and information about the White House's role in the firings of U.S. attorneys.

"I hereby rule that those claims are not legally valid to excuse current and former White House employees from appearing, testifying and producing documents related to this investigation," Leahy wrote.

The ruling is a formality that clears the way for Leahy's panel to vote on whether to advance the citations to the full Senate.

The executive privilege claim "is surprising in light of the significant and uncontroverted evidence that the president had no involvement in these firings," Leahy, D-Vt., wrote in his ruling. "The president's lack of involvement in these firings - by his own account and that of many others - calls into question any claim of executive privilege."

It was the latest salvo in a nearly yearlong controversy spawned by the firings of at least nine U.S. attorneys that ultimately cost former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales his job. Leahy presided over the confirmation hearings of Gonzales' successor, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who was confirmed and took office earlier this month.

Unlike Gonzales, Mukasey did not rule out allowing a federal prosecutor to take the case of any contempt citations passed by Congress. House leaders also have filed a contempt citation in their chamber against Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, but no floor vote has been scheduled.

Likewise, a new attorney general scrambled the political calculus for citations in the Senate. Leahy held off on his ruling while the committee moved Mukasey's nomination, in part because committee officials felt there seemed little point in pursuing citations the White House seemed certain to block.

But Mukasey's testimony and his promise to quit if Bush ignored his legal advice gives any citation - even the threat of one - more weight.

It was not clear, however, that Leahy's ruling Thursday would amount to more than a threat before Congress adjourns next month for the holidays.

[forthepeopl1]

what was the name of that great movie, oh ya, hang them high, HANG THEM HIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[knyghtwolf]

Remember that movie Striptease with Demi Moore? The character Burt Reynolds plays in that movie reminds me of Shrubbie, not in looks but in attitude. I can just visualize it stomping around in the oval office, eating a peanut & banana sandwich, covered in oil, letting squish in his boots, telling Laura her saddlebags are beginnin'' to look a mite full, and complaining that people don''t understand that he is the great decider, the chimp in charge will never get it and its so sad and pathetic but first, you have to have the brain capacity to learn more than being a talking monkey, and you have to have compassion, of both, the shrubmonkey has NEITHER.

[abbe91]

Rove should share a cell with Giuliani ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL8d35g9nE0

[likeitis5050]

Like sqeezing blood from a turnip to get anything honest to be delivered and even then it gets twisted with all the dancing around the facts...typical Clinton(s)dodge ball...and Bush is just as bad.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II deems as "irrelevant" claims by the evil, cowardly Democrats that the Emperor has no legal basis to hand out "executive privileges" like coupons for free coffee at McDonald''s.

The Emperor states that he can keep anything secret or prevent people from saying anything about anything, that is, control them like a robot, no matter what the situation because, after all, HE IS the Great Decider and therefore decides on what people should know and not know (taking lessons from the great "Rummy") and what they can and cannot say.

Apparently, the Emperor has never seen a "Terminator" movie or been watching the more mature episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" on cable!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[gkc99]

Make sure Rove can take no profits from the sale of his inevitable book and talk show appearances! Criminals should not be allowed to profit from their illegal acts!

If the cops can seize someone''s house because of a couple of pot plants, let''s see if the power structure is honest enough to take Rove''s ill-gotten profits.

Or will the Power Elite protect their own, regardless of party affiliation?

I vote option 2 is more likely.

[jjp735i]

It took almost a year to come to figure out there is no executive privilege? I know Congress is slow, but now Leahy comment is as dumb as Bush''s when Bush told Musharraf to take off his military uniform because he can''t be head of the military while he is president (like Bush is). Are we really electing this people or is there a scam being run on us?

[briannorwood]

Good move Leahy! If the chimp says he had nothing to do with it (as confirmed by Gonzo), take him at his word! Ergo, no executive privilege.

Looks like Bush is not half as smart as we think he isn''t.

[santa2007-2009]

www.poconocommunitynews.com is offering a free telephone call from Santa Claus, or if you like, you can have your children call Santa Claus at no cost at all, 100% free, that easy, that fast!
And your children well also receive a letter from Santa Claus.

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[neobrian-2009]

EVERYBODY KNOWS SHRUB LIES !
Resident Shrub is a Well-Known Liar. That being said,his testimony has No Value .But,some of King W`s jesters could provide light on this dark subject. The '' Culture Club of Corruption '' is losing CONfidence in their king as his realm of power is about to expire.
After all of W`s deeds are out in public,he`ll go down in history making Nixon look like a saint.
Good Bye & Good Riddance Shrub !!!!

[mcvet]

Sir Lies-A-Lot has a real problem here. His LIES have gotten him in a bit of a jam. He SAYS he wasn''t involved but he uses the rule to protect him from getting advice on issues. Now IF he wasn''t involved in the issue how can he claim the protection? Hummm!! Guess my old Mom was right, he has woven a tangled web indeed. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[trillion1]

Unfortunatly I expect about as much from this ''new'' congress as I did from the old. When they took impeachment "off the table" I knew it would be business as usual.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I hereby rule that those claims are not legally valid to excuse current and former White House employees from appearing, testifying and producing documents related to this investigation," Leahy wrote.

If he can "rule" on this now, how come he couldn''t earlier?

Actually I see the game, he wants Bush to try to continue protecting his roaches, by admitting he was involved, and then claiming "executive privilege" again. It could become yet another nail in Bush''s coffin, but the coffin is now 100% made of nails anyway.

Quit wasting our time Leahy, commence impeachment proceedings now, against both Bush and Cheney. Time is money.

[taylpatr]

Rove would look good in an orange jumpsuit, bent over a weight bench, getting what he''s been giving to America for the last eight years.He''s a lying, slimey little toothache of a man who needs to be extracted from society and put into a prison to be with his own kind.Die, you Constitution shredding little S.O.B.!

[dwledet]

With the presidential election coming, I had an idea.

The candidate with the most vot..., excuse me, the candidate with the most elec...., excuse me, the candidate that is declared the winner becomes president, with all the powers that the constitution empowers him/her with...., excuse me, with all the powers that we the people have allowed a president to grab, BUT the second place individual becomes "Presidential Watchdog".

This presidential watchdog has full access to every meeting that the president holds, every memo the president sends, every call the president makes, might even sleep in the same room.... This watchdog has full authority to disclose anything to the public that he/she feels is needed to be disclosed.

Another thing that is needed is an amendment to the constitution that would allow for a re-call vote of a president by the signatures of 40% of the voting population, and if recalled, then an election to fill the unexpired term would be held, all within 30 days.

This re-call process might also be effective with members of congress, state and local representatives.

To enable this in a cost effective manner, another amendment would be needed. Electronic voting, with paper backup, on the WEB, over a two day period, where an individual could lookup and verify his/her voting record. Election "fixing" of any type would be a felony. Libraries could serve as the voting places for those who have no WEB access.

[johnshaft4]

Just who is more stupid? Bush or the Christian clowns that voted for this corrupt, ''family values'' moron twice?

[Razzl]

It''s a good thing for Republicans that they don''t understand irony, or have a sense of humor, because it''s pretty funny to watch Bushes'' flunkies get screwed by the lies the tell to protect him--if he didn''t have anything to do with attorney firings, as they claim, then he can''t protect them with executive privilege--or, if he did, then he''s lying! Which will it be?

[frankly6]

Over ten years and 50 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent to find out that Clinton had an extramarital blowwjob. Hundreds of hours of sworn testimony was taken on this and the White House Christmas card list among other ridiculous things.


The Bush administration has made a mockery of our system of justice and wiped it''s @ss with the Constitution on more than one occasion. If they have nothing to hide, then they should stop stonewalling.

[frankly6]

Over ten years and 50 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent to find out that he had an extramarital blowwjob. Hundreds of hours of sworn testomony was taken on this and the White House christmas card list amoung other rediculous things.


The Bush administration has made a mockery of our system of justice and wiped it''s @ss with the Constitution on more than one occasion. If they have nothing to hide, then they should stop stonewalling.

[mcv57]

HANG THE BUSHWACKER, HANG THE BUSHWACKER, HANG THE BUSHWACKER, HANG HIM TWICE AS HIGH AS A MURDER!!! TRAITOR AND TREASONIST DOG TO THE U.S. CONSTITITION. People who really thing its about republician and dememocratic issues are blind and ignorant. It''s about taking responsibility for office, and the Bushman is a treasonist! Clinton is no better (getting his *** sucked in the oval office shows what kind of creature he was).