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http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/9/101629.shtml?s=lh
Bush Invokes Executive Privilege
NewsMax.com Wires Monday, July 9, 2007
WASHINGTON -- President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny
requests by Congress for testimony from former White House aides Sara Taylor
and Harriet Miers.
The White House offered once more to make the pair available for private,
off-the-record interviews on any role it might have played in the firings of
several U.S. attorneys.
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.
The latest move in the separation of powers fight between the legislative
and executive branches came as members of Congress began returning from
their Fourth of July recess. An atmosphere of high tension accompanied the
resumption of work as a fight also loomed there between majority Democrats
and some key Republicans and Bush over his Iraq war policy.
In his letter regarding subpoenas the Judiciary panels issued, Fielding
said, "The president feels compelled to assert exeutive privilege with
respect ot the testimony sought from Sara M. Taylor and Harriet E. Miers."
"You may be assured that the president's assertion here comports with prior
practices in similar contexts, and that it has been appropriately
documented," the letter said.
Fielding was responding to a 10 a.m. EDT deadline set by the Democratic
chairmen, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Rep. John Conyers of Michigan,
for the White House to explain it's privilege claim, prove that the
president personally invoked it and provide logs of which documents were
being withheld.
As expected, Fielding refused to comply. He said he was acting at Bush's
direction, and he complained that the committees had decided to enforce the
subpoenas whether or not the White House complied.
"The committees have already prejudged the question, regardless of the
prodoction of any privilege log," Fielding wrote. "In such circumstances, we
will not be undertaking such a project, even as a further accommodation."
Bush Invokes Executive Privilege
NewsMax.com Wires Monday, July 9, 2007
WASHINGTON -- President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny
requests by Congress for testimony from former White House aides Sara Taylor
and Harriet Miers.
The White House offered once more to make the pair available for private,
off-the-record interviews on any role it might have played in the firings of
several U.S. attorneys.
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.
The latest move in the separation of powers fight between the legislative
and executive branches came as members of Congress began returning from
their Fourth of July recess. An atmosphere of high tension accompanied the
resumption of work as a fight also loomed there between majority Democrats
and some key Republicans and Bush over his Iraq war policy.
In his letter regarding subpoenas the Judiciary panels issued, Fielding
said, "The president feels compelled to assert exeutive privilege with
respect ot the testimony sought from Sara M. Taylor and Harriet E. Miers."
"You may be assured that the president's assertion here comports with prior
practices in similar contexts, and that it has been appropriately
documented," the letter said.
Fielding was responding to a 10 a.m. EDT deadline set by the Democratic
chairmen, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Rep. John Conyers of Michigan,
for the White House to explain it's privilege claim, prove that the
president personally invoked it and provide logs of which documents were
being withheld.
As expected, Fielding refused to comply. He said he was acting at Bush's
direction, and he complained that the committees had decided to enforce the
subpoenas whether or not the White House complied.
"The committees have already prejudged the question, regardless of the
prodoction of any privilege log," Fielding wrote. "In such circumstances, we
will not be undertaking such a project, even as a further accommodation."
