Bush Seeks Secrecy For Pardon Discussions

Washington Post ^ | 08/27/2002 | George Lardner Jr.

[Pokey78]

President Bush's lawyers are trying to keep secret the inside stories of President Bill Clinton's last-day pardons by invoking a claim of executive privilege that extends far beyond the White House.

In pleadings filed in U.S. District Court here this month, including affidavits from White House counsel Alberto R. Gonzales and Deputy Attorney General Larry D. Thompson, the Bush administration contends that the privilege covers not only advice given to a president about individual pardons, but also government papers he has never seen and officials he has never talked to, such as the sentencing judge in a particular case.

[Pokey78]

The stance, taken in opposition to a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit group Judicial Watch for access to Clinton pardon records, represents a hard line that the government has never taken.

Larry ain't gonna like this!

[rightofrush]

Why am I not surprised? Birds of a feather, etc,.

[VA Advogado]

Why am I not surprised? Birds of a feather, etc,.

You and Clinton?

[gcruse]

Protecting Clinton's ass? Or just more mindless secrecy?
You see, the more the public finds out about Clinton treason,
the more likely we are to demand something be done about it.
That, unfortunately could lead to confrontations. Not gonna go there, no gonna do it, wouldn't be prudent.

[Kobyashi1942]

Corrupt Government Bump!

[ambrose]

I am beginning to believe that George Wallace was right:

There's not a dimes worth of difference between the Democrats and Republicans

[APBaer]

"Protecting Clinton's ass? Or just more mindless secrecy?"

Or Clinton has something on Bush.

[rightofrush]

May you eventualy succeed in your quest for wit. You're already half way there.

[dead]

The pardon is "a core Presidential power exclusively entrusted to, and exercised by, the President himself, and the documents generated in the process of developing and providing advice to him are squarely subject to the privilege," Assistant Attorney General Robert D. McCallum Jr. wrote in an Aug. 12 memo seeking summary dismissal of the Judicial Watch case.

This is nothing more than the Executive Branch pissing on trees and marking their turf.

The fact of the matter is that the power to pardon is absolute. It is part of the checks and balances that our founding fathers established, never envisioning that a douche bag like Bill Clinton would ever be elected to office by the supposedly educated electorate of this country.

They over estimated their progeny.

[The Duke]

Now I suspect the Bush administration is having to wrestle
with the option of releasing something closer to the truth
about OKC as a means of branding Saddam a terrorist -
even though it would pull the rug back to reveal the
corruption in the previous administration.

[Captainpaintball]

Is anyone surprised? He's a fake phony fraud, like the rest of 'em. Style over substance, talk over action...can someone TRY to justify this? Remember now, keep in mind who he's defending...

[gunshy]

Bush is made from the same piece of sh*t that clinton was made from. They are no different. Bush is just as much a crook as clinton. To hell with both of them.

[MJY1288]

"Protecting Clinton's ass?"

Methinks it has something to do with protecting the rights of the Executive Branch. If this President was to allow the legislative branch interfere in the process of gathering advice form whoever it decides it should. That advice would go away. We all know what a crook and scumbag Clinton was and his misuse of the right of the executive to grant pardons, But his abuse will be noted in the history books as part of his legacy. I agree with the Bush Administration... Ambulance chasing lawyers like Larry Klayman and partizen politicians who want to strip away the rights of the executive to get advice from whoever he sees fit is a bad thing, and allowing this kind of intrusion will do just that.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

The pardon is "a core Presidential power exclusively entrusted to, and exercised by, the President himself

The key word is "Entrusted." By whom? THE PEOPLE. We have a right to know.

[zarf]

This is the Executive Branch covering it's ass against the other 2 branches. It's as simple as that. The personalities involved have nothing to do with this fight.

[mrsmith]

The president's pardon power is too important to the Constitutional balance to be interfered with by a FOIA request.

OTOH, if this info was requested for a trial...
hmmm that'd be a tough call for me, but I think the courts would go for it then.

[MJY1288]

I don't believe he's defending Clinton, I believe he's protective the rights of the Executive that has been granted to every President by the Constitution

[Brush_Your_Teeth]

Why are some of you crazies suprised? The president always tries to protect his office. This is nothing new. Bush is trying to protect the office of the president from clinton sleze. His office is more important then him or clinton. It is more then the republicans and democrats. Some of you should get a new hobby. Clinton will NEVER face justice now that its a few years after he has left office its time some of you just move on.

[Texasforever]

The "absolute power of Pardon" is with the president. It is not subject to review by anyone. Get it?