Bush claims privilege to withhold CIA leak records

Thursday 17th July, 06:37 AM JST

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Sarge at 10:34 AM JST - 17th July

"a committee vote to hold Mukasey in contempt of Congress"

Heh, 90% of the American people are in contempt of Congress.
skipthesong at 10:48 AM JST - 17th July

The public found out about the warrantless wiretapping six years after it was clandestinely started." I wasn't aware of that. So, this started right after 9-11? Anyone pro wiretapping know if it has helped in any situations? Anyone against, know the opposite?
Betzee at 11:01 AM JST - 17th July

Anyone pro wiretapping know if it has helped in any situations? Anyone against, know the opposite?

That's precisely the point, we don't know anything. When news of the program first became public knowledge GWB defended it on the grounds, "If you're talking to Al Qaeda we want to know about it." How they determine who might be talking to Al Qaeda is unknown. There is no oversight.

By contrast, simply subpoenaing documents is a transparent process. Remember when the Clintons' Christmas card list was subpoenaed by the Republican Congress? I don't know what wrong doing they felt in might reveal, but I doubt it's of the magnitude of Plamegate.
adaydream at 11:08 AM JST - 17th July

This administration has used the office of president and subordanate positions as their playground to enhance their friends, screw the American people out of everydime they could for their cronies and then thumbed their noses at us, screaming "Executive Privilidge" as a means of cover up.

I can't repeat what dick cheney said to Sen. Patrick Leahy, but george bush and dick cheney have been telling us that everytime they cry executive privilidge. < :-)
Speed at 11:10 AM JST - 17th July

Bush is a criminal. Shame on ANYBODY who voted for this atrocity. Double that for anyone who voted that thing in twice!
Sarge at 11:16 AM JST - 17th July

"Bush is a criminal"

Yet he hasn't even been charged with any crime, much less been convicted of one!
Sarge at 11:30 AM JST - 17th July

"Bush is a criminal"

And yet just last week at the G-8 summit all these world leaders were smiling and shaking hands with the criminal.
JoeBigs at 11:58 AM JST - 17th July

Hm a crime is not a crime unless it comes to light. At least I have to say that this President knows how to cover his tracks better than Nixon. Give him credit for that at least.......

But one thing this group forgets, if they lose the election and the Dems come to power.......Well let us see what will happen......Ole DC may need a heart transplant if things go bad.
smithinjapan at 12:44 PM JST - 17th July

Wow, sarge, you sure are rushing to the defense of your scumbag in the white house.... but could you do us all a little favour and PLEASE stop with the cut-n-paste comments? It's really quite embarrassing to see.

Anyway, bush most certainly is a criminal, as are his cronies, and he is protecting them. If they're all innocent, why not prove it by releasing the documents in question? And as for 'shaking hands with a criminal', sarge, I seem to recall a picture of uncle rummy shaking hands with a former Iraqi dictator; so what's your point? (and please don't cut and paste my 'what's your point' and simply switch your handle with mine... again... it really lowers the level of your posts to the point of embarrassment).

Not to worry though, folks, this and many other things will come to light in the future, and this is only more proof that bush is the worst president in American history, and certainly among the top worst leaders the world has ever seen in this day and age.
Sarge at 01:27 PM JST - 17th July

smithinjapan - "your scumbag in the white house"

Wow, these posts are really going downhill...

Moderator: Exactly. All readers, please lift the level of your posts.
SezWho2 at 02:34 PM JST - 17th July

skipthesong,

It seems to me that our government did do wiretapping without telling anyone and only 'fessed up after it became known that was what they were doing, then pleaded exigent necessity and then got an ex post facto law passed to retroactively legalize what they did.

I agree with you that this is at least better than countries in which those who investigate cover-ups are killed or otherwise "disappeared". That isn't exactly setting a high standard though.
DXXJP at 03:43 PM JST - 17th July

So sarge by your reasoning this is alright.

Should we teach our children to behave like this as well.
plasticmonkey at 10:49 PM JST - 17th July

the chilling effect that compliance with the committee’s subpoena would have on future White House deliberations

Mukasey means it would be horrible for the White House to have to conduct its business in an honest fashion.
taikan at 02:20 AM JST - 18th July

What's missing from this string is an understanding of executive privilege, which like most privileges was created by court decisions. As reflected in those court decisions, the purpose of executive privilege is to protect the confidentiality of advice given to executive decision makers in the government so that those charged with providing such advice will give their full and candid views without fear such views may later be disclosed. However, as with all testimonial privileges, it can be deemed waived if it is not consistently asserted. By revealing to Fitzpatrick information that otherwise might have been covered by the privilege, without being compelled to do so pursuant to a grand jury subpoena, to the extent the information might have been protected by executive privilege from disclosure in a civil case, the President waived any such privilege.
adaydream at 05:12 AM JST - 18th July

It's difficult to lift the level of discussion, when we're talking about a criminal who only continues to lead because he hides by execute privilidge.

One day, these books will be opened and I hope you republicans are still around to see the crimes you've so vehemently okayed the actions. < :-)