**Bush invokes executive privilege to keep Justice Department documents secret**

AP ^ | 12-13-01 | John Solomon

[Oldeconomybuyer]

06:57 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has invoked executive privilege for the first time to keep Congress from seeing documents of prosecutors' decision-making in cases ranging from decades-old Boston murders to the Clinton-era fund-raising probe, The Associated Press has learned.

[nancetc]

I'm not a bright person or deep political thinker...but I was thinking a bit about if the courts order the release of the documents...then the whole thing with clinton, gore and reno becomes not a "Bush trying to get them"; but, the courts and congress deal. It may keep a bit of the partisan bs that demonrats pull right where it belongs in the garbage can. Also it doesn't look partisan with reno running against Jeb and that this was a "Bush ploy" to get reno. Like I said...probably stupid, idle thoughts on my part.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Not really idle thoughts. I agree. I also like your posts. But maybe they are waiting for the right time to have ALL their bases covered. Better to drop one BIG bomb than a whole bunch of little ones weeks apart, IMO.

[motzman]

I "wasted my vote" on Harry Browne

No you didn't; you voted for who you believed to be the best man to lead the country. Harry turned me off quite a bit at the end there (seemed a bit "whacky") but I must say I agree with many libertarian principles, just not the Party.

[nancetc]

The demonrats cry foul everytime republicans tried to investigate clinton, et al. I laughed when I heard waxman's imperial comments about Bush. waxman is one of the first to accuse Republicans of partisanship and being out to get clinton in the past. I hope it is a daisy cutter that they drop and that clinton and his ilk get jail.

[Rockiesrider]

For my two cents, I believe this is a big mistake by "W" I like the guy. I voted for him and I still support him. But I don't need him to tell me what's best for me. This is our country. We pay taxes to support it and when nessicary, fight and die for it. If politicians abuse it, lets find out who, what, when and why. Then if they are guilty, procecute and punish them. Clinton, Gore,"W" ,George Sr.or any other public official who thinks breakin the law, endangering our freedoms or stealing our money is OK, beware! I want ethical behavior to be the norm in our land. If we don't get it from the present politicians then I say lets vote em out and put a new batch in! I voted (like an idiot)for Perot once and I'll vote again for someone who appears honest. That's what I want and I'm sure there's many more like me out there. Are you listening George W. Bush???

[goldilucky]

I like Dan Burton's approach where he says this should be taken to court. Absolutely! No president is a sitting monarch in the U.S.of A. This sounds more like that of executive abuse of power rather than a privilege!

[Eva]

Hatch did a very good job of defending Ashcroft before the judiciary committee, pointing out that the judiciary committee which was suddenly claiming a need for oversight of Ashcroft,never had much interest in the oversight of Janet Reno while she investigated campaign finance violations or led a raid of a private home against a little boy.

No, Leaky Leahy is a big problem. He cannot be trusted.

[Eva]

Taling too much about what? There could be a big difference between talking partisan politics and betraying state secrets. Leahy is guilty of the latter.

[horsewhispersc]

BUMP

Well said

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Ping for #259 and some common sense here, folks. Yes, let's spend the next year moving backwards, covering the Clintons' crimes, getting nothing Bush wants done, letting Jennings, Brokaw, Russert and Woodruff cover the daily circus for the American people, making victimization once again the hallmark of American heroism in today's upside down world, giving Clinton his beloved spotlight...shame on the lot of you if you think Ashcroft and Reno or Bush and Clinton are the same. The documents are not being trashed. We will record the truth for history, as we have had to for the past 75 years, because the historians and "educators", the documentarians and directors sure as H*&^ won't tell the truth even if "Clintonshot someone on the steps of the Capitol Building," as Henry Hyde rightly noted after the impeachment sham. Leave me off this list.

[Rowdee]

And then again, it might have somehting to do with the FBI letting an innocent man rot in jail for 20 or 30 years...wasn't that in Boston?

[ChaseR]

President Bush will get things done! I'm just saying that he and Ashcroft can - do other things at the same time.
They can investigate Chinagate. Good Gosh, China got all our military secrets - that's aiding and abetting espionage...that's what I'm saying - Espionage against our country - and this must not be swept under the rug.

" Leave me off this list."

O. K., I understand.

[Rowdee]

You dismiss then the probability he's covering his papa's arse?

[goldilucky]

This should be taken to court! No president has ever had executive privilege. To have such privilege is unconstitutional! CHECKS AND BALANCES, my friend!

[Sueann]

The only thing he wants kept hidden is HOW THE JUSTICE DEPT MAKES IT DECISIONS REGARDING WHEN TO PROSECUTE AND WHO WILL DO THE PROSECUTING. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE ON THE CASES RE: CLINTON, ALL IT DOES IS TELL THE CONGRESS, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE DECISION TO PROSECUTE OR NOT PROSECUTE.

BELIEVE ME, THIS HAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE INFO THEY HAVE ON CLINTON - REALLY, IT DOESN'T.

[ChaseR]

"To have such privilege is unconstitutional!"

Our beloved country FIRST...my beloved Republican party second. This is a must!

[Fred Mertz]

In the Boston case we have evidence from a federal court showing that FBI agents committed crimes. Yet nobody was prosecuted in either case. If it wasn't a cover-up what was it? If the "Justice" Department officials were really only interested in doing justice, why leave the impression there was a cover-up?

You are on message, SUSSA, stay with it. You have been all along.

[mike_9958]

The Rule of Law can be subverted by a "deal"?
Justice is all just a "deal" away from non-existant?
When you're in Politics you don't need to consider "Equal Justice" as long as you've got enough good cards in your hand?

I don't know if I'd take it to the extreme, but my impression is that Washington is full of "deals". Some legal some not as legal. Since Klinton, my perception of what is acceptable or "legal" in Washington has been redefined. The current administration is bringing my confidence but the paranoia still lingers.....