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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bonnuss_in_austin who wrote (8666)	12/18/2001 10:32:57 AM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

The evidence builds. The evidence that you are a complete whackadoodle has been clear for some time now...... JLA

To: bonnuss_in_austin who wrote (8666)	12/18/2001 6:59:47 PM
From: Mephisto	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

I haven't seen any links to Phil and Wendy. I don't know who they are! (LOL)

To: bonnuss_in_austin who wrote (8666)	12/18/2001 7:00:16 PM
From: Mephisto	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

Bush blocks bid to get documents: Privilege used to deny request "This is not a monarchy," said Chairman Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who led tenacious investigations into President Bill Clinton's fundraising. "The legislative branch has oversight responsibility to make sure here is no corruption in the executive branch." Chicago Tribune By Jeff Zeleny Washington Bureau Published December 14, 2001 WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Thursday invoked executive privilege to reject a congressional subpoena for prosecution documents in controversial criminal cases, triggering new concerns from lawmakers about his intent to protect the secrecy of the executive branch. The president said the release of the documents, involving an alleged FBI corruption case in Boston and a fundraising investigation during the Clinton administration, would allow Congress to second-guess federal prosecutors' work and "would be contrary to the national interest." But Republicans and Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee criticized the White House, saying the order weakened the checks and balances between the three branches of government. "This is not a monarchy," said Chairman Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who led tenacious investigations into President Bill Clinton's fundraising. "The legislative branch has oversight responsibility to make sure there is no corruption in the executive branch." Burton said the Bush administration was "making a big mistake." Last month, the president signed an executive order giving himself unprecedented powers to keep presidential papers secret, even those scheduled to be released according to federal law. The order on Thursday was distributed on a busy White House day, moments before Bush delivered a major missile defense announcement and the Pentagon released a videotape of Osama bin Laden boasting about the deadly success of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Privilege used before It was marked the first time that Bush invoked executive privilege. The White House noted that it was invoked three times by President Ronald Reagan, twice by President George H.W. Bush and four times by Clinton. The House Government Reform Committee had subpoenaed documents in its inquiry into the FBI's handling of mob investigations in Boston. It also sought a campaign fundraising memo from the 1996 presidential race. Burton said the presidential order would stifle an investigation into allegations of FBI corruption and the treatment of mob informants over four decades. To successfully challenge the executive privilege, however, Burton would have to seek a vote of the full House. Republican leaders are unlikely to allow a vote on such a politically sensitive issue,aides acknowledged. The president made the decision public Thursday in a memo to Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft. Releasing the confidential documents, Bush said, "would inhibit the candor necessary" to bring cases to justice and would threaten to "politicize the criminal justice process." Executive privilege allows presidents to receive candid advice without fear of it becoming public. The Nixon and Clinton administrations tried unsuccessfully to invoke the privilege to shield evidence from congressional investigators during impeachment proceedings against them. Lawmakers expressed concern that Thursday's presidential order would be the start of a contentious battle over letting members of Congress review other sensitive documents. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called the order undemocratic. The decision, he said, was a "troubling example of an administration loath to face scrutiny." "An imperial presidency or an imperial Justice Department conflicts with the democratic principles of our nation," said Waxman, the top Democrat on the government reform panel. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer defended the use of executive privilege, pointing to the past three presidents' use of it. In this case, he said, Bush lawyers already have turned over 3,500 pages of documents to the House committee. White House General Counsel Alberto Gonzalez advised the president to invoke the privilege earlier this year when the congressional panel sought documents that outlined prosecution decisions in criminal cases. After unsuccessfully trying to gain access to the documents for months, Burton's committee subpoenaed Ashcroft to its hearings into allegations of corruption at the FBI office in Boston. At the heart of the case is Joseph Salvati, who spent 30 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. The conviction was overturned nearly a year ago after a judge ruled that FBI agents concealed testimony that would have cleared Salvati merely to protect an informant. Panel wants records The congressional panel is seeking Justice Department records from 13 informants in connection to the case. The conduct under investigation by the committee has cost the government $1.2 billion in civil claims and led to several murders. Republicans on the House Government Reform Committee rejected the White House defense that 3,500 pages of documents had been submitted for review. "As if the number of documents turned over actually matters; it's the substance of the documents," said Mark Corallo, the spokesman for the Republican-controlled panel. "The Clinton administration used to turn over hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, hoping we would just give up." Copyright © 2001, Chicago Tribune chicagotribune.com