Lawmakers: Bush Stymied Plame Probe

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Panel "Puzzled" by Use of Executive Privilege to Shield Documents

President Bush sidetracked a congressional probe by wrongly invoking executive privilege, according to a draft bipartisan congressional report released today.

This June, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee served a subpoena to the Justice Department for reports of interviews between FBI agents and Bush and Cheney.

...

In response, the White House asserted its executive privilege to withhold the document, according to the panel's draft report. The White House's argument, crafted by Mukasey, asserted among other things that the report "summarize deliberations" among top aides preparing advice for Bush himself, and therefore is protected by the executive privilege, the report related. The power is meant to ensure presidents can receive confidential advice.

The panel disagreed, calling the move "legally unprecedented" and "inappropriate."

...

The panel also said it was "puzzled" by the White House's use of executive privilege to shield documents relating to Cheney, since the vice president himself had earlier argued he was not a member of the executive branch.

...

"Rather than releasing a politically-motivated draft report attacking the President just three weeks before Election Day, Democratic leaders in Congress should focus on addressing the important economic and security needs of our nation," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6031574&page=1

[yourout]

1. The Plame case alone should be jail time for Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Libby.

Pure treason.

[Democrats_win]

2. Too bad he didn't protect America as well on 9/11. I guess America doesn't count.

[Solly Mack]

3. I'm puzzled that the Bush admin. isn't already in prison

(I'm not really puzzled by that)

[cascadiance]

5. If Gore did this, he WOULD be in prison right now!

You know the wingnuts would have pursued this FAR MORE than a blowjob!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. I'm sure ths will make page 25 in the national newspapers

it should be HEADLINES!

[pleah]

4. The panel was puzzled? Yeah, right.

"Rather than releasing a politically-motivated draft report attacking the President just three weeks before Election Day, Democratic leaders in congress should focus on addressing the important economic and security needs of our nation," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

Yeah, upholding the law and holding you bastards accountable is politically motivated.
Give me a break! ASSHOLE!

[Kali]

6. um............DUH!!!

NO SHIT SHERLOCK! Nice of you to notice.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. kick this - VERY IMPORTANT POST!

this should really sink the Bush administration. Write in to the media everyone!

[tomp]

9. were they puzzled about why the committee did not respond to the refusal?

i am.

also, the white house wants to decide what we talk about before the election? why NOT attack the president before the election? what is more politically motivated than a presidential election? this is the high season for politically motivated stuff. according to the republicans there is never a right time to expose them, and exposing them is always "politically motivated". it's really very silly.

[MadMaddie]

10. 3 Weeks to go until Obama wins!

2 Months after that all of those secrets they have been hiding will be unveiled and the war crimes and Treason trials will begin!

[sutz12]

11. It took them this long to figure that out?

:shrug:

[Trillo]

12. What was Bush's phrase,

if anyone in his White House was found to have leaked the name?

"We'll take care of them".

Looks a bit different in print and out of the rest of the BS context, doesn't it. Yep, he took care of them alright.